There are some things in life that are as regular as the rising and setting of the sun, and among them is North Korea's  ability to stall, delay and whedle out of her obligations under the six party agreement, while at the same time demanding rewards for what at best can be called half measures best. 

Both from the Chosun Ilbo:

N.Korea Hints at Halt in Nuclear Disablement.

     North Korea has warned it could halt the process of disabling its nuclear facilities until it gets energy aid it feels entitled to as a reward, casting a pall over the future prospects of six-nation denuclearization talks. Hyon Hak-bong, deputy director of the U.S. affairs bureau at the North Korean Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday said the other nations in the six-party talks “are dragging their feet on their fulfillment of economic compensation duties. We have no choice but to control the pace of the disablement of nuclear facilities." It was the first mention of such “pace control” for political rather than technical reasons.

     While the progress made thus far is encouraging it is merely the first step in what is a long road toward North Korea's total and lasting nuclear disarmament.  Until the Stalinist regieme of North Korea can hold up its end of the bargin they should not, and will not recieve rewards simply because they demand them.

A New Crisis Over N.Korea's Nuclear Program?

     The Chosun Shinbo newspaper, which is published in Japan and acts as a North Korean mouthpiece, said Thursday that Pyongyang was willing to talk about “no longer producing any nuclear weapons and not selling them to other countries.” In other words, it is not willing to declare the nuclear weapons it has already produced. North Korea has acknowledged it has purchased uranium enrichment equipment. The president of Pakistan testified that its uranium enrichment technology had been handed over to North Korea. Yet North Korea reportedly has no intention of properly declaring its uranium enrichment program. The U.S. believes North Korea’s suspected nuclear connection with Syria should also be included in the declaration.

     The participants in the six-country talks agreed to provide heavy oil to North Korea as compensation for the shutdown and dismantlement of the rusty Yongbyon nuclear facility. But now the time has come for North Korea to declare its nuclear materials, which would show its true willingness to scrap its nuclear ambitions, the Stalinist country is suddenly having second thoughts. Looking at North Korea’s attitude now, it is questionable whether it will be honest in declaring the total amount of plutonium it has processed.

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