Saturday, December 13, 2008

Diplomatic Failure and North Korea

Throughout much of its two terms, the Bush administration has pursued pointless & counterproductive negotiations with North Korea about its nuclear program, similar to those started by the Clinton administration.  The premise of the six-party talks was that North Korea had "agreed in principle to scrap its nuclear program, including weapons, in return for aid and diplomatic benefits."

Anyone with an ounce of common sense, apparently something not possessed by many diplomats or the Bush administration, would be highly skeptical of making any deals with North Korea and its erratic, possibly insane dictator.  But no, the six party countries, including the U.S.,  promised "one million tons of heavy fuel oil for shutting down and disabling the Yongbyon complex."  More than half has already been delivered prior to any agreement on verification.  The U.S. said that North Korea "verbally accepted" verification.  So basically we took the word of Kim Jong Il.  Smart move.   

This is exactly the approach the Obama administration needs to avoid with regard to Iran. Bribing enemy states to stop doing something is just not a wise policy -- especially when you start paying them off before you have any evidence they've even done what you are bribing them to do.

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