From Fox News: 150,000 Witness North Korea Execution of Factory Boss Whose Crime Was Making International Phone Calls.

     SEOUL, South Korea —  A North Korean factory chief accused of making international phone calls was executed by a firing squad in a stadium before 150,000 spectators, a South Korean aid group reported.

     Public executions had declined since 2000 amid international criticism but have been increasing, targeting officials accused of drug trafficking, embezzlement and other crimes, the Good Friends aid agency said in a report on the North's human rights.

     In October, the North executed the head of a factory in South Pyongan province for making international calls on 13 phones he installed in a factory basement, the aid group said. He was executed by a firing squad in a stadium before a crowd of 150,000.

     And like all good reporters this one too feels the need to state something that is readily apparent due to the story itself.

     Most North Koreans are banned from communicating with the outside world, part of the regime's authoritarian policies seeking to prevent any challenge to the iron-fisted rule of Kim Jong Il.

Nah, you don't say.  Just one more reminder of what the Regieme in Pyongyang is all about, repression and agression.  I don't trust these ass holes even less than the ones im Beijing.

But somehow I find it hard to fear someone whose idea of style is bad boufant and a members only polyester jumpsuit.

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     The nature of the debate on the role and limits of Japan's military actions would be high farce if the issue itself wasn't so important.  No nation can maintain its place in the world without being able to A.) Defend itself and B.) to defeat any one who attacks her.  Japan can do A if attacked but her ability to do B is in serious dobt, because she is reliant upon the US to carry out B, but the US not unreasonably believes that Japan should play a role in B, not just A.

From the Daily Yomuiri: Vision needed to enact lasting SDF dispatch law.

     A government panel of experts tasked with reestablishing the legal framework for the nation's preparedness to deal with state emergencies must come up with reports that contribute to the nation's security without being influenced by changes in the political landscape.

     Under the government's traditional interpretation of the Constitution, Japan has the right of collective self-defense, but may not exercise this right. Naturally, this interpretation has caused much head-scratching in the international community.

     Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wanted to tackle this problem, established the panel in April. The panel held five meetings, but has been inactive since Abe resigned suddenly from his post about three months ago.

     In addition, the situation surrounding the panel has been turned on its head due to the Liberal Democratic Party's crushing defeat in July's House of Councillors election and the ensuing change of administration.

     Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is very cautious about changing this constitutional interpretation, while the LDP's coalition partner, New Komeito, has hardened its opposition to modifying it. Even if the government wanted to change this interpretation, enacting necessary laws would be no easy task because of the current split Diet in which the ruling parties hold a majority in the House of Representatives and the opposition bloc controls the upper house.

     Nevertheless, the government panel's direct reference to the issue as "shackling" the nation's security policy was eye-opening.

     Shackled is right, Japan is shackeled to the corpse of mid Twentieth century idealism in the wild and wooly world of the early twenty first century.

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     As any regular readers know I hold no love for the People's Republic of China, as Mark Stein once said if your country's name includes the words People's Republic it is niether a republic nor answerable to the people.  The recent refusal of the PRC to allow US warships to call at Hong Kong is a fine reminder of that fact.  What is an even better reminder is that this is the second time in recent weeks this has occured, the first was a pair of minesweepers and a fleet oiler seeking refuge from a storm.  China is an enemy of the US, and the sooner we publicy admit that then the more effectively we can work to contain and if necessary defeat the PRC should it ever come to that.

From fox News: Navy Chief Surprised at China's Refusal of Port Visit for U.S. Ships.

     Two of the Navy's top admirals said Tuesday that China's refusal to permit a U.S. aircraft carrier to make a Thanksgiving port call at Hong Kong was surprising and troubling.

     "This is perplexing. It's not helpful," Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, told reporters in a videoteleconference from his headquarters at Camp Smith, Hawaii.

     "It's not, in our view, conduct that is indicative of a country that understands its obligations as a responsible nation," he said, adding that he hopes it does not indicate a lasting blockage of port visits.

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The latest update to Minx caused all pictures posted as [thumbnail=.... to dissapear, so sorry for any confusion this may have caused.  I am chasing it down and should have all the posts sorted in a day or so.  Until then pleases bear with me.

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From First Multi-National force Iraq:

Troops Want to Come Home, But Want Service in Iraq to Count, Gates Says.

Shaping the Future: Police Transition Team Helping to Instill Pride in the Force.

Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain 13 in separate operations.

Iraqis Construct Fallujah’s First-Ever Sewage System.

Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain terrorist cell leader, two others in separate operations.

Operation Varsity March leads to capture of suspect.

Iraqi Police find massive weapons cache in southern Ninevah.

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...For being gone really.  Just been feeling lazy lately with regard to posting things.  I kept putting it off until tomorrow, and well you know how it goes.  Anyway  Tomorrow or today if you want to be technical (this is being written at 00:21 to be exact) will include a Fresh From the Front, the first of the promised Gunslinger Girl reviews, a couple of posts on who knows what.  So until then look at the pretty picture of the only thing cool about the whole Gundam franchise, the models.

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      The DPJ has apparently managed to pull itself together enough to resume its doomed oposition to a new Anti-Terrorism special measures bill.  As expected the LDP has been more than willing to work with the DPJ to find  a mutually agreeable bill but the DPJ proves once more that you can lead a horse to water but you can't force him to drink.

From the Yomuiri Shimbun: Ozawa refuses to budge on antiterror bill.

     Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Thursday was rebuffed by Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa over a request for the opposition party to cooperate in the adoption of a new antiterrorism bill at the current Diet session.

     Failure by the two leaders to reach an agreement on the government-sponsored bill aimed at resuming the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean has set the stage for the extension of the current Diet session, observers say.

     The Diet session, which had already been extended earlier this month, will end on Dec. 15. The government and the ruling parties are set to enter discussions on a plan to extend the session for a second time, government sources said.

     And of course the DPJ still can't get itself together enough to offer up an alternative either viable or not to the government's bill currently on offer.  They are in fact hinting that they might just ignore the issue entirely in the upper house, which would make it and their control of it completely irrelevant.

As detailed here also by the Yomuiri: Where are the alternatives?

     The Democratic Party of Japan, as the largest force in the House of Councillors, has a great role to play in helping administer state affairs. This is particularly significant under the current extraordinary power relationship in the Diet, with the opposition camp controlling the upper house and the ruling coalition holding an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives.

     To make matters worse, the DPJ has yet to submit to the Diet an alternative for the government's antiterrorism bill. Neither has the party presented realistic and specific international peacekeeping plans as a means of fighting terrorism. This attitude can be seen as the DPJ lacking any sense of responsibility.

     Ozawa has said it is necessary to uncover the whole truth about suspicions surrounding Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga and former Administrative Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya in connection with a scandal involving defense contractor Yamada Corp.

     Although doing so is important, the affair is unrelated to Japan's contribution to international peacekeeping activities and should not be used as a delay tool for Diet discussions on the new antiterrorism bill.

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     Rather the DPJ (Minshuto) are more interested in parsing the particulars of what Japan does and who approved of it.  Basically it is all down to semantics at this point.  The DPJ has said that A) any continuation of the Indian ocean mission must have UN approval, and that it would rather send ground troops to Afghanistan to participate in the PRT's (Provincial Reconstruction Teams) working with the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) which does have a UN mandate.  But the US will have little dificulty ginning up a UN mandate to cover the past and future Indian ocean operations, as we have already steered a resolution praising the Japanese mission through the UNSC (United Nations Security Council).  So Ozawa and the DPJ may end up gaining nothng on the naval front while giving the Fukuda administration a bludegon to use against them or worse allow the deployment to Afghanistan and lay the blame for the inevitable casualties at the feet of the DPJ, which while nasty would not be all that untrue, politics is a nasty business at the best of times and these certainly aren't the best of times as far as politics in Japan are concerned.

The Asahi Shimbun on the need for a UN mandate: Minshuto: Refueling must have U.N. OK.

     In a counterproposal to the government's new anti-terrorism bill, Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) on Tuesday offered to support such missions only when they have U.N. approval. Otherwise, the Self-Defense Forces should limit their role to civilian activities.

 The Yomuiri Shimbun on the problems with the DPJ's counter proposal: DPJ's counterproposal unsatisfactory.

     The Democratic Party of Japan has drafted the outline of a bill that constitutes the party's counterproposal to the government's bill for a new antiterrorism law to allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force to resume refueling activities in the Indian Ocean.

     Its content, however, makes it unsatisfactory as a workable counterproposal.

     The draft outline stipulates that the nation would dispatch Self-Defense Forces and civilian personnel to Afghanistan to participate in provincial reconstruction team (PRT) activities linked with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in four areas, including food production, medical services and transportation.

     Regarding the ISAF, which DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa has called for Japan to participate in, the draft outline says this country will not participate in ISAF activities because the activities have yet to be proved effective.

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     The US policy toward Taiwan is still totally unacceptable to me, and we should be doing our utmost to back them in their endevours to be part of the international community of nations.  I respect Sceretary Gates, hell I have met the man, but I can not agree with the message, and by extension the position of the President ( Whom I voted for twice, and would do so again.) he delivered to Beijing.  The US should remind the PRC that they have a much weaker claim to any sort of political legitimacy than Taiwan and that they would be wise to copy their neighbors example and become a truly democratic society.

From the China Post: Gates reassures Hu on Taiwan.

     BEIJING -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday assured China's President Hu Jintao that the U.S. government is "categorically" opposed to any moves by Taiwan toward independence.

     Gates met with Hu in Beijing's Great Hall of the People after two days of talks -- characterized by both parties as "candid but friendly" -- that raised U.S. concerns about China's rapid military build-up and Iran's nuclear program.

     "I restated our position that we're categorically opposed to any efforts by anyone to unilaterally change the status quo," Gates told reporters after his talks with Hu.

     "I basically reiterated that the U.S. government has been quite clear in its messages to Taiwan not to change the status quo," he said, citing Chinese fears of "de jure independence" for Taiwan.[color]

    Heh, the last line in the quote is telling, Beijing is admitting that it has no control over Taiwan and is de facto an independant nation.  What difference then would it make if it is made official.  This kind of like objecting to having a wedding ceremony for two people that are allready married by common law, but not in the "offical" sense.  It has already happened and does in fact habe a basis in the law so one might as well make it "offical."

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Maybe its Just me but I'm confused.

     I have been following this story for a number of days and I can't seem to tell wether Ozawa is coming or going, but then agian niether does the DPJ for that matter.  To summarize at a meeting between PM Fukuda and Ozawa last week someone put forward the idea of a grand coalition government.  Ozawa accepted but was turned down by his party and as a result decided to step down.  Then over the weekend he vacilated until today when he decided to stay on.  The DPJ was seriously hurt by all this, and made to look, well rather incompetent.  Either this was the savviest political manuver in recent memory by Fukuda to marginalize his main opposiotn or just a gift dropped into his lap is unknown, but he benefits either way.

Analysis from the Japan Times: DPJ misses chance to come to the fore.

    
Last Friday when Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Ichiro Ozawa, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, entertained a possible grand coalition, this sent shock waves through the political world only to be superseded by the chaos in the wake of Ozawa's abrupt offer Sunday to quit his party's helm.

     Up to last week, the DPJ had been on a roll, gaining political strength and repeatedly pushing Fukuda to dissolve the Lower House and call a general election as soon as possible. But now, political analysts think the DPJ's weakened state has foreclosed on this scenario.[color]

     The analysts agree Ozawa's mere consideration of joining hands with the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc and his offer to quit as DPJ chief after his colleagues scotched the coalition overture have severely damaged the DPJ's image as the largest opposition force.

     The later the election, "the more convenient it is for the LDP because it could spend those days regaining popularity and (erasing its) scandals," said Hidekazu Kawai, a professor of political science at Chubu University. "Meanwhile, the DPJ would be struggling to resolve its internal troubles."

And more from the Yomuiri Shimbun: Ozawa withdraws offer to quit / Decision to be confirmed at DPJ meeting.

     Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa said he would withdraw his resignation as party leader and instead remain in the post, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama said Tuesday night.

     "I feel I've made an exhibition of myself, but I'd like to give it another go," Ozawa was quoted by Hatoyama as saying during a meeting in which Hatoyama and other party executives tried to persuade the him to stay on.

     Hatoyama told reporters that he had returned the letter of resignation Ozawa submitted to him.

     What will the DPJ do now?  Who knows, but it willbe very difficult for them to overcome this as they move forward with several key debates in the Diet in the coming weeks.  The extension of Japan's participation in Indian ocean operations and the DPJ's own counter proposal, the SDF dispatch law and various domestic issues remain to be tackled.  The coming days should be interesting indeed.

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Well this should help, more on the brutality and needless cruelty of the illegitimate regeime in Beijing.  From the Taipei Times: EDITORIAL: China's other ethnic cleansing.

     While human rights organizations often focus on Beijing's repression of Tibetans and rights advocates throughout China, one group of people, the Uyghurs, has not received the attention a plight of their magnitude should warrant.

     This could, in part, be the result of Uyghurs being concentrated in Xinjiang, whose remoteness makes reporting on the situation there more onerous. Beijing's cynical exploitation of the US-led "war on terrorism" since Sept. 11, 2001, as it represses this Muslim minority is also part of the reason why their suffering remains largely unknown. Readers may recall Huseyin Celil, the Canadian Uyghur who in April was sentenced to life in prison for alleged "terrorist activities." Celil, sadly, still languishes in jail and Ottawa has grown conspicuously silent on the matter. In the past six years, more than 3,000 Uyghurs have been arrested on similar charges.

     Last week, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Rebiya Kadeer, who lives in exile in the US after spending five years in prison for defending Uyghur rights (or, as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang (秦剛) said in September, for conniving with "terrorist forces abroad" and spreading "state secrets"), accused Chinese authorities of forcibly relocating as many as 240,000 young Uyghur women out of Xinjiang, where the so-called "work opportunities" awaiting them are in reality a descent into exploitative factory work and possibly worse.

     The world must be reminded, and reminded comtinuously of just what it is that the Communists are doing to the innocent people under their control.  I can think of no fate worse than to be consigned to living an opressive, dictitoral, commustic country where one lives at the mercy of the whims of some "politically rleiable" party hack.  Commucisn has killed more people than any other ideology and has done so in a shorter period of time than any other, it is evil, and it must be destroyed.

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From the Yomuiri Shimbun: Envoys make case for MSDF mission.

     Ambassadors to Japan and military attaches at embassies in Japan from countries tied to antiterrorism missions in and around Afghanistan stressed the importance of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean to about 70 lawmakers of ruling and opposition parties in a presentation Wednesday.

     The meeting, arranged by the embassies of countries participating in maritime interdiction operations as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, was held in the morning at the Canadian Embassy in Minato Ward, Tokyo.

     The military attaches delivered presentations using photographs and maps to illustrate the security situation in Afghanistan. They also discussed the content of the maritime interdiction operations and how much fuel oil the MSDF has supplied to vessels.

     The LDP is mounting the fullcourt press to overcome the opposition of the DPJ on extending Japan's involvement with Operation Enduring freedom, and they are getting help from plenbty of sources.  While this a good start I think that to ensure the sucess of the new Anti-Terrorism special measures law the US and other Japanese allies should work to make their case directly to the Japanese public at large.  If the can be convinced that the mission should continue then they can bring pressure on their legislators to authorize continuing it.  While at the same time the Japanese government of Fukuda should also point out the downside of leaving her allies in a lurch.  As this piece from the Yomuiri Shimbun points out: MSDF pullout will have complex effects / Move seen likely to damage ties with Washington, tarnish Japan's image overseas.

     The withdrawal of the Maritime Self-Defense Force from its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean on Thursday has pulled Japan back from the front line of the war on terrorism.

     Though the government and ruling parties fret over the negative diplomatic impact of the move--especially its effect on ties with the United States--it is not yet known when the MSDF can resume its operations.

     Some lawmakers have initiated moves toward the creation of a permanent law governing the overseas dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces, saying a limited-term law is not fully capable of dealing with such affairs.

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From the Yomuiri Shimbun: Stable law on SDF dispatch overseas eyed.

     Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Thursday that the government is set to consider establishing a permanent law on the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces overseas.

     Speaking at the House of Representatives special committee on antiterrorism affairs, the government spokesman said the process should start as soon as possible after the Diet completes deliberations on a bill for a new antiterrorism law.

     Machimura also said it would be necessary for ruling and opposition camps to hold regular negotiations on the issue.

     The government has been making preparations for a permanent law on the dispatch of the SDF overseas, and Machimura's remarks made clear that the Fukuda administration intends to start the legislation process.

     This law is so over due that I am almost at a loss for words.  How the Japanese managed this long with thrown together laws authorizing each and every deployment of the SDF I will never know.  The simple reduction in wasted time to respond to a crisis or attack will make the defense of Japan and her interests much easier and effective.  This then is one more small, but important step for Japan to once again becoming a "normal" nation.  This should pass without much dificulty since just about everyone can see and agrees that such a law is needed and needed sooner rather than later.  

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     Its time for another Anime review, but rather than taking the broad brush approach as before I am going to go for the grim and gritty details of one of my favorite series, Gunslinger Girl.  Which it just so happens was picked up for a sequel to come out some time next year in Japan, and will hoprfully make its way to the US soon there after.  I am going to break this review into four parts, one for each of the three volumes and a final overall look at the series as a whole.  This means I will be rewatching the series over the next ten days or so and putting up a piece of the review every couple of days.  Well there isn't a whole lot more to say except that the review of volume one will be up by tomorrow evening.  Heh I now will finally have a reason to use spoiler tags again, I haven't needed them for quite a while.  So until then look at the pretty pictures.

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From Air Force Link: Former Iraqi citizen returns to serve as Air Force officer.

     The journey to American citizenship and eventual commissioning in the Air Force was a long and dangerous path for Iraqi-born Capt. Rasul Alsalih of the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron.

     He was 29 years old and living in his hometown of Samawah, Iraq, when the United States and its coalition partners ejected the Iraqi army from Kuwait in 1991.

    I am always amazed at how strong the dedication that we Americans have to our Nation, wteher we were born here or came here from another land.  Captain Alsalih represents everything that is great about America, and Americans.  He has my unending respect and admiration for the courage he showed in fighting against opression and tyranny and risking all to build a better life.

    "I had a lot of admiration and respect for the military because my experience in the refugee camp gave me a good impression of them -- of how strong they are, how caring they were. They took good care of us in the camp," Captain Alsalih said. "I formed my opinion about the military and I wished to become one of them because they did a good job for us. I still remember the names and the faces of the soldiers who helped us in the refugee camp."

Capt. Rasul Alsalih, a project officer for the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, discusses a construction project with an Iraqi national. An Iraqi by birth, Captain Alsalih fought against Saddam Hussein shortly after Desert Storm and found refuge in an Army camp in Saudi Arabia. He was educated in the U.S. before seeking a commission in the Air Force. He was one of four servicemembers recognized as an "Outstanding American by Choice" this year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder)

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From First Multi National Force Iraq and Combined Joint Task Force-82 and Air Force Link:

Local citizens help Iraqi Security Forces seize terrorist weapons cache in Hillah.

Baghdad dramatically increasing Police Force: Stryker Brigade picks best recruits.

Coalition forces disrupt terrorist operations, 11 detained.

Unyielding dedication: Soldier makes national defense a career.

New U.S. northern cmdr says he hopes diplomacy will resolve Iraq-Turkey standoff.

Father gains sense of son’s last moments in Iraq.

Ramadi war zone now rare bright spot. (I would say that Ramadi is just one bright spot of many, but the story is from the Guardian so what can you expect. - RT)

Marines declare war on garbage.

Another dispute in Iraq presents an opportunity for reconciliation.

Tammimi, Jibouri tribes uphold reconciliation in Diyala.

U.S. Soldiers free Hostage from al Qaeda.

Iraqi Policemen Learn the Basics during Prep Course.

Common-Sense Recruiting, Cutting-Edge Training Lift Iraq’s Air Force.

Petraeus gets Feedback from Surge Troops.

Coalition forces disrupt al-Qaeda in Iraq, three terrorists killed. (Kirkuk)

Coalition forces capture targeted Special Groups member, eleven others detained.

Rock Hammer III disrupts enemy supply network in Baqouba.

British Commitment to Coalition, Oct. 31.

Kirtland gifts reach Afghan school children.

ANSF, Coalition forces kill several Taliban fighters in Oruzgan Province.

Several militants killed, two detained in Ghazni Province.

 A-10 pilot awarded Mackay Trophy.

Children of fallen troops honored at remembrance ceremonies.

CSAF presents Bronze Star to Royal Air Force exchange officer.

F-15C's from the First Fighter Wing, out of Langely AFB.  Offical USAF Photo.

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From the Yomuiri Shimbun: Panel says cram-free education a failure.

     Cram-free education, a main plank of current teaching guidelines, is expected to be declared a failure in an report interim to be released shortly, it has been learned.

     The report, which will be released by the Central Council for Education, an advisory panel to the education, science and technology minister, is the first to publicly admit that cram-free education had failed to achieve the intended results.

     The council has already decided to advise the minister to increase school hours at primary and middle schools.

     Among its main points, the report will say that the cram-free policy led to an excessive reduction in school hours.

     Such self-criticism is a rare move, but the council is believed to have concluded that it is necessary to win teachers' understanding for the policy reversal.

     In 1996, the council proposed encouraging children to develop a "zest for living," including the development of self-expression and care for others.

     As a result, the current official curriculum guidelines aim to increase the effectiveness of teaching by focusing on a narrower range of subject material. The content of primary and middle schools' subjects was reduced by 30 percent, while school hours were cut by 10 percent.

     The Japanese educational system is, from all that I can gather a complete, well fiasco for lack of a better word.  Criticism of it is not exactly thin on the ground and from what I have read this seems to be step backwards.  Why should the central gov't in a nation of 150+ million people be setting the curriculum for every school from Kushiro to Naha?  What Japan desperately needs is decentralization and a reduction in governmental involvement in most aspects of daily life and business.  People tend to excell when government simply gets out of their way and lets them live up to their full potential.  Thats my opinion anyway.

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From the Chosin Ilbo: Bush Sends Tougher Message to N.Korea.

     U.S. President George W. Bush has warned North Korea against failure to fulfill its part of a six-nation agreement whereby it is to disable nuclear facilities by the end of the year. “There will be consequences to the North Koreans if North Korea renege on their promises,” Bush said in a press conference at the White House. “They have declared that they will show us weapons and get rid of the weapons programs, as well as stop proliferation … If they don't fulfill that which they've said, we are now in a position to make sure that they understand that there be consequences.”

     So the US continues to take the hard line with the North Koreans, while the Japanese have from a all pressure approach to one of pressure and dialog, with the hopes of making more progress than in the past.  From the Yomuiri Shimbum: Govt's new North Korea line: More carrots, less stick.

     Reflecting Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's intentions, the government increasingly has been focusing on dialogue in its diplomatic relations with North Korea," revealing a shift in the foreign policy line from that taken by the Abe administration, which favored pressuring the country.

     "If some of the abductees return to Japan, I think we can consider that to be 'progress' on the abduction issue," Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters Friday at the Diet.

     Suggesting that the government might lift sanctions on, or give aid to, North Korea in phases, Komura said: "We may take measures in accordance with the [degree of] progress. That's a matter of course when it comes to improving relations with North Korea."

     Aiming at the return of all abductees, the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeatedly emphasized that it would never provide assistance to North Korea without progress on the abduction issue, while avoiding clarifying how it defined "progress." Abe said, "It's us who decide the definition of 'progress,'" and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said, "We don't think we can call it 'progress' if North Korea merely promises to continue its investigation into the issue and offer [any] information."

     I am aware of the apparent progress of the six party talks, but I remain very wary of North Korea, they have decieved in the past nad may yet do so agian.  Witht he reports filtering out about their involvement with the Syrian nuclear program we should not let up one bit, but rather tighten the sanctions untill we have the full and toatl truth.  The economic and military impact of the various embargoes against North Korea are working as this valuable tidbit from the China Post shows: North Korea stops spy flights due to fuel shortage.

     SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea has suspended flight training for military aircraft aimed at infiltrating special operation forces in rival South Korea because of fuel shortages, a news report said Sunday.

     Yonhap news agency, quoting unidentified government and military sources, said the impoverished country's military has had to halt training flights of the Soviet-designed AN-2 planes as the fuel shortages have been worsened by soaring oil prices.

     "We found (North Korea) is diverting fuel oil for AN-2 planes to training of other aircraft, and that is why their flights have been suspended for a long time," Yonhap quoted a South Korean government official privy to North Korean affairs as saying.

     Of course US efforts aren't helped by the pussyfooting at the State Department, which as always wants to talk about thing forever and a day without getting anywhere nearer to a solution. The dust up between State and everyone else over the Nork's involvement with the Syrian nuke program is case in point. From the Chosin Ilbo: U.S. Leaders at Odds over N.Korea-Syria Nuke Connection.

     Suspicions over a nuclear connection between North Korea and Syria are dividing the Bush administration in the U.S., the New York Times reported Saturday. "A dispute has broken out between conservatives and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over the administration’s pursuit of diplomacy with North Korea in the face of intelligence that North Korea might have helped Syria design a nuclear reactor," the daily said.

     In recent days, Vice President Dick Cheney has reportedly urged Rice to reconsider her North Korea policy, pointing to the rumor. Rice reportedly countered this by saying that President George W. Bush was briefed on the intelligence and issued a statement in support of talks with Pyongyang early this month.

     If we continue to pressure North Korea we can force them to put all their cards on the table, because they know that it is their best interests to do so.  If they continue down the nuclear path and help others to do so things might get a bit, kinetic as it were.  And in that case they would loose, so it is better to give it up and avoid the alternative.

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Nintendo says: "Wii are Rolling in Money!"

From the Asahi Shimbun: GAMES: Nintendo '07 sales to top 1.5 trillion Yen

     Nintendo Co. said Thursday that its popular Wii and DS videogame consoles will lift its consolidated sales to 1.55 trillion yen for fiscal 2007, 10.7 percent more than its earlier estimate.

     The company's group sales for the year ended March were 966.5 billion yen.

     Nintendo on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of 132.4 billion yen on sales of 694.8 billion yen for the six months through September.

     Net profits increased by 2.4 times from the same period the previous year, and sales by 2.3 times.

         The Nintendo DS handheld game player sold a record 13.35 million units during the six-month period.

     Accumulated sales of Wii game consoles totaled 13.17 million units at the end of September, with 72 percent of that in overseas markets.

  Nintendo continues to rake in cash from the Wii and DS, while Sony continues to slash prices on the PS3.  Sony is suffering not only from the PS3's higher price point but continued support for the PS2 from software companies, with many games for the PS3 being released for the PS2 at the same time.  If Sony wants to climb back to the top it is going to take more than price cuts to convince people to put aside their PS2's in favor of PS3's.  Unfortunately for Sony I have zero ideas as to how they can do that.

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From Defend America, First Multi National Force Iraq and CJTF-82:

Senior Citizen Stops Suicide Bomber.

Paratroopers Sign Up for Another Tour.

Concerned Local Citizens turn in three IEDs. (Kalsu)

Kidnapped Catholic priests freed in Iraq.

Iraq boy treated for defect with U.S. help.

Prince honours reservists for Iraq tour.

Gov’t in attempt to extend troops’ mandate in Iraq.

Tip leads to cache in western Baghdad.

Army Engineers work to improve Maysan’s electrical system.

Key Madrid train bombins suspect killed in Iraq: report.

Iraqi Army visits school children in Jerf Al-Mila.

Soldiers find huge weapons cache.

Coalition forces disrupt al-Qaeda: 11 killed, two detained.

ANSF, Coalition forces defeat insurgents for second time in 2 days.

ANSF, Coalition forces focus on Haqqani network.

Afghanistan milestone has special meaning for Bagram Airmen.

And in 1950, 1965, 1983, 1990, and 2001 or any other time

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