Russia's New Gulag - Powered by North Koreans

Remember the Soviet Union's infamous prison system, the Gulag. Well, it appears to be making a comeback with the assistance of Communist North Korea.

At home, North Koreans live under total government control and the watchful eye of the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il.

But in the Amur region of Russia, almost 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the border, North Korea has created a home away from home at a series of remote logging camps in which nearly 1,500 workers are employed.

I travelled to one of the camps deep in the forest. A giant monument bearing the words "Our greatest leader Kim Il-sung lives with us forever" stood in the middle. - BBC

As if there are not enough unemployed Russians available to do work, for little money. They need to import North Koreans to work as slave labor.

Although reluctant to speak, one told me that he earned the equivalent of $200 per month. Another said that he earned $1 for each truck he loaded and that he could load up to nine per day, but he had not been paid since May. - BBC

As for vacation, forget it. I bet Stalin gave more his victims more time off that the North Koreans get now.

"The Koreans work year round with two days off per year," he told me. "All the other days are working days no matter what the weather conditions, they always work.

"The Koreans work for the government and their communist party, they've got production targets," he said. "If the quota is filled then everything is ok. If it is not fulfilled, well then they've got their Communist Party of North Korea, and everybody gets punished from the managers down to the worker who didn't fulfil the quota." - BBC

Despite the wonderful treatment, the report notes that thousands have escaped the camps and are living in hiding in Russia.

Go read the whole sad story and watch the video report. This is how Russia treats their friends. It should be a warning to us all.

N Koreans toiling in Russia's timber camps - BBC

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State Dept, Clinton to North Korea: "It was a Humanitarian Mission"

The press actually gave the State Department a (relatively) hard time when asking about President Clinton's trip to North Korea to win the release of the two reporters that North Korea was holding hostage.

The State Department has taken the position that the President was merely on a humanitarian mission. That got tested when one of the reporters pushed Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood on if it was a humanitarian mission, why not thank the North Korean's as well:

MR. WOOD: We’ve had discussions. They were all – we made them aware that this indeed was just a humanitarian mission, and we wanted to keep them abreast of what was happening.

Let me go back over to the front. Please, sir.

QUESTION: Yeah, on humanitarian side, is U.S. Government considering resuming any humanitarian effort to North Korea, any assistance as a reward or in response to North Korea’s humanitarian gesture?

MR. WOOD: No, nothing that I’m aware of at this point.

QUESTION: Well, Robert, how about just saying, “Thank you?” I mean, you know, everyone’s been thanking, kind of, President Clinton and President Obama and Secretary Clinton and everybody for all their diplomacy. But I haven’t heard anybody say, you know, kind of, “Thank you to the North Koreans for their gesture of pardon,” considering that Secretary Clinton a few weeks ago, as we said, did make some comment about how everyone was sorry that this happened.

MR. WOOD: Well, the Secretary’s words stood. Look, this was a humanitarian mission, plain and simple, and everything that --

QUESTION: Well, what about that it was a humanitarian gesture on the part of North Korea and that it was a positive sign?

MR. WOOD: We’re happy to have those two journalists back, Elise, and leave it at that.

QUESTION: Well, no, I’m sorry, why can’t you say that – why can’t you acknowledge – you know, it was a mission that President Clinton went to go have the North Koreans pardon them. So why can’t you acknowledge the gesture?

MR. WOOD: We’re very relieved to have them back.

- US Dept of State 5 August Press Briefing

Also in the briefing they declared that the North Koreans got nothing out of this trip by President Clinton.

QUESTION: Critics of sending former President Clinton to North Korea say that his visit bestows too much legitimacy on the regime. What response do you have to that?

MR. WOOD: Look, this was a humanitarian mission. Our primary interest was to try to win the release of these two journalists. This was something that both the President and the Secretary were very concerned about. And so as I said earlier, this was a message that was communicated – I’ve given you the path for that communication – and we wanted to do what we could. President Clinton was approached, agreed that he would undertake the mission. And we’re all, as I said, very pleased with the result. These two young women have been freed. And it’s been a very – I’m sure a very difficult ordeal for them. But in terms of whether we’re giving the North Koreans any legitimacy by having President Clinton go, this was purely humanitarian, and that’s all it was from the beginning.

QUESTION: But at the same point, you still have a very prominent American, a former president standing next to the smiling Kim Jong-il. I mean, how does that not play as some sort of concession to the North Koreans or bestowing some sort of legitimacy on his –

MR. WOOD: There were no concessions. This was a humanitarian mission, and that was clearly that. I mean, photos don’t necessarily reflect what went on there. We’re just very pleased that these two journalists have been released. And it was a – as I said, it was a humanitarian mission, plain and simple. - US Dept of State 5 August Press Briefing

I could have sworn that I also heard a follow-up declaration in that 'They got nothing' when listening to this on the radio the first time, but I cannot find it in the video. But at least this is the message they are sending out.

Now it very well be that there were no concessions, but that is not going to stop people from claiming that there were concessions made the next time it appears that the US is cutting the North Koreans a break. And who knows how literal they are being. It could be that President Clinton made no deals because deals were made earlier. There is even one story out this morning that the US is willing to have direct talks with North Korea provided that they return to the six party talks. This was basically offered before, but why come out and say it again so soon after this trip?

And who told the North Koreans that they were getting nothing out of this? North Korea does nothing unless they are being paid to do it. It could have been for propaganda purposes. If so, there is nothing that the Obama Administration can do to prevent them from taking advantage of it. Hell, the North Koreans can just come out and claim that President Clinton delivered concessions from President Obama. It is not like they have not lied before.....

One more part of the press briefing struck me as odd. I wonder how much information they gave the Japanese in advance of this trip? They kind of danced over that aspect in reply to the question of whether the other six-party talks partners were also informed. China and South Korea were named, but not Japan. As it so happens, Japan has a longstanding dispute with North Korea over kidnapped citizens. Mr. Wood danced around the issue.

After listening to the State Dept briefing, I am more suspicious than I was before about what deals might have been made. Time will tell.

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White House Clarifies - "North Korea not an imminent threat to the US"

Just a couple weeks ago, the Administration was busy downplaying the threat of North Korea: (As covered in my post: Total BS: "North Korea not an imminent threat to the US")

President Obama’s national security adviser on Wednesday said that North Korea’s recent nuclear detonation and subsequent missile tests are not “an imminent threat” to the safety and security of the United States.

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, in his first speech on the administration’s approach to national security, said that the “imminent threat” posed by North Korea is that of the proliferation of nuclear technologies to other countries and terrorist organizations.

North Korea still has “a long way” to “weaponize” and work on the delivery of its nuclear missiles before they pose a threat to U.S. security, Jones said in a discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council.

“Nothing that the North Koreans did surprised us,” Jones said. “We knew that they were going to do this, they said so, so no reason not to believe them.” - Hot Air

So I wonder, since when does something that is not an 'imminent threat' require defense against a threat they say does not exist:

Gates, speaking at the same news conference, said the Pentagon is concerned about the possibility of a North Korean missile launch "in the direction of Hawaii."

Gates told reporters at the Pentagon he has sent the military's ground-based mobile missile system to Hawaii, and positioned a radar system nearby. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in their last stage of flight.

"We are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect Americans and American territory," Gates said.

A Japanese newspaper reported Thursday that North Korea might fire its most advanced ballistic missile toward Hawaii around the Fourth of July holiday. - Knoxnews

So is the planned North Korean missile launch pointed at Hawaii not a threat because they are pretty sure they can shoot it down or because they are pretty sure that the missile, even if it does strike Hawaii, will not contain a warhead, nuclear or otherwise? Then again, I bet the White House discussion a couple of weeks ago that decided that North Korea was not an imminent threat did not discuss the possibility of Hawaii being threatened. (Other than some analyst who was quickly dismissed from the meeting and who is now thinking 'I told you so' out loud.)

As for the threat that was recognized 'the proliferation of nuclear technologies to other countries and terrorist organizations' seems that the North Koreas have wasted no time in testing that theory as well.

The U.S. military is tracking a flagged North Korean ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last Friday, FOX News has learned.

The ship, Kang Nam, left a port in North Korea Wednesday and appears to be heading toward Singapore, according to a senior U.S. military source. The vessel, which the military has been tracking since its departure, could be carrying weaponry, missile parts or nuclear materials.

"It is believed to be 'of interest,'" a senior U.S. official told FOX News.

This is the first suspected "proliferator" that the U.S. and its allies have tracked from North Korea since the United Nations authorized the world's navies to enforce compliance with a variety of U.N. sanctions aimed at punishing North Korea for its recent nuclear test. - Fox News

Just imagine that this is what we know that they are up to. What are they doing that we are not aware of yet...

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Update: The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying)

In the past I have advocated that we should not be talking to the North Koreans because no good can come from it. (See The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying) for one example.)

Now comes an article in today's Wall Street Journal which basically says the same thing:

When there is no diplomatic recognition to be traded in exchange for concessions, diplomats assume that talking is always a good idea because words cost nothing but can produce tangible results.

This time that is the wrong assumption. For years, the U.S., China, the Russian Federation, Japan and South Korea have been patiently negotiating with North Korea, offering economic aid, security guarantees, and the benefits of "normalization" in exchange for it abandoning its nuclear programs. South Korea provided advance payments in the form of investments, food aid and large cash gifts.

Thus over a period of years, while the dictatorship of Kim Jong Il continued to starve its own population as it accumulated more military equipment and repeatedly sold nuclear and missile technology to Iran and Syria, it was greatly rewarded diplomatically. Kim Jong Il's delegates sat alongside those of the U.S., China, Russia and Japan -- a huge concession in itself that added to the prestige of the regime. Every time the North Koreans committed a new outrage, from launching ballistic missiles over Japan to selling ballistic missiles to Iran, the response was to resume the talks, with no reduction in the concessions on offer and even some more gifts from South Korea.

This must now stop. The North Korean regime never yielded anything of significance in past negotiations, which have served nobody but them. This time, provocation must not be rewarded. Evidently, the North Korean aim is to evoke more attention, more offers of concessions, more gifts. They must receive nothing at all. Talking has failed utterly. Silence might yet persuade the North Koreans to improve their behavior. - WSJ

Not only should we not be talking to them, but the UN and other aid organizations should be pulled out of there as well.

After all, extortion through threats, 'resolved' through negotiation, have only brought bigger threats. The current reward for decades of talk is a country whose citizens are held hostage and the keeper of the hostages is now armed with a nuclear weapon, and is even threatening to use it. This is why unconditional surrender should have been the final solution to the North Korea problem. At the moment, that would involve collapsing the Government of the North. I think it can be done. It has not, because nobody wants to deal with the mess that would be left in it's wake. Well the mess is not going to get any smaller by waiting.


Video - Direct Link

Here is an ad noting the stupidity of appeasing the world's tyrants.

Be sure to check out my earlier posts on North Korea here, including:

Draft UN Resolution Condemns North Korea (Again) - Text
Total BS: "North Korea not an imminent threat to the US"
There is no Place in this World for North Korea
*** The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying) ***
NY Times: "South Korea Says U.S. Killed Hundreds of Civilians" - Total BS Story
Forgotten Korean War POW Escapes - 55 Years After Being Captured!

North Korean Snipers Killing Refugees Along the Chinese Border - 24 May 08
Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection - 29 Apr 08
Anchor Countries - 27 Sept 07

Unconditional surrender – The only way to end Military Operations - 1 May 05
Seeing things in Black and white instead of in shades of gray. - 19 Dec 04

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Iran is Only One Flight Away From Getting Nuclear Weapons

In the wake of North Korea's latest nuclear blast, I pointed out that if North Korea has nuclear weapons, then so too does Iran. If not now, then soon:

Of course, if they want to strike Seoul, Korea, they could just fly it there in a plane. No missile required. The Capital is not far from the border.

Speaking of planes, all it takes is one flight to Iran, and then they too would have a nuclear bomb. - 28 May 09

The Wall Street Journal confirmed this threat today:

Now the North seems to be gearing up for yet another test of its long-range Taepodong missile, and it's a safe bet Iranians will again be on the receiving end of the flight data. Nothing prevents them from sharing nuclear-weapons material or data, either, and the thought occurs that the North's second bomb test last week might also have been Iran's first. If so, the only thing between Iran and a bomb is a long-range cargo plane. - WSJ

Our Government seems to think that there is no immediate threat in this case. Considering that most of them work in the middle of one of the terrorists biggest targets, it makes you wonder just what the hell are these people thinking.

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Draft UN Resolution Condemns North Korea (Again) - Text

Inner City Press has an exclusive, obtaining a draft of the UN Resolution that will Condemn North Korea over it's recent Nuke test, among other things.

Here is the text:

Note: As obtained by InnerCityPress.com May 28, 09

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The Security Council,

Recalling its previous relevant resolutions, including resolution 825 (1993), resolution 1540 (2004), resolution 1695 (2006) and, in particular, resolution 1718 (2006), as well as the statement of its President of 13 April 2009 (S/PRST/2009/7),

Reaffirming that proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, constitutes a threat to international peace and security, Expressing the gravest concern at the test of a nuclear weapon by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 25 May 2006 (local time) in flagrant violation of resolution 1718 (2006), and at the challenge such a test constitutes to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to international efforts aimed at strengthening the global regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons towards the 2010 NPT Review conference, and the danger it poses to peace and stability in the region and beyond,

Stressing its collective support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and commitment to strengthen the Treaty in all its aspects, and recalling that the DPRK cannot have the status of a nuclear-weapon state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in any case;

Deploring the DPRK's announcement of withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its pursuit of nuclear weapons,

Noting the effective recording of the 25 May 2009 nuclear test by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization's global network of monitoring situations,

Reaffirming its endorsement of the Joint Statement issued on 19 September 2005 by China, the DPRK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States,

Underlining once again the importance that the DPRK respond to other security and humanitarian concerns of the international community, including the abduction issue,

Underlining also that measures taken under this resolution should not adversely affect innocent residents of the DPRK,

Expressing its gravest concern that the nuclear test by the DPRK has further generated increased tension in the region and beyond, and determining therefore that there continues to exist a clear threat to international peace and security,

Regretting the failure of the DPRK to report on its implementation of the obligations pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004),

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

1. Condemns in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK on 25 May 2009 (local time) in flagrant violation and disregard of its relevant resolutions, in particular resolution 1695(2006) and 1718 (2006) and the statement of its President of 13 April 2009 (S/PRSTI200917),

2. Demands that the DPRK, not conduct any further nuclear test or launch,

3. Demands that the DPRK immediately comply fully with its obligations under Security Council resolution 1718 (2006),

4. Demands that the DPRK immediately retract its announcement of withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons;

5. Demands further that the DPRK return at an early date to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, and underlines the need for all States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to continue to comply with their Treaty obligations,

6. Calls upon all Member States immediately to enforce the measures that were put in place by resolution 1718 (2006) and under the statement of its President of 13 April 2009 (S/PRSTI200917), including designations made by the Committee established by resolution 1718;

7. Reiterates its decision that the DPRK shall abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, shall act strictly in accordance with the obligations applicable to parties under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the terms and conditions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards Agreement (IAEA INFCIRC/403) and shall provide the IAEA transparency measures extending beyond these requirements, including such access to individuals, documentation, equipment and facilities as may be required and deemed necessary by individuals.

8. Decides/calls upon: [????????]

9. Supports the Six Party Talks, calls for their early resumption, and urges all the participants to intensify their efforts on the full and expeditious implementation of the Joint Statement issued on 19 September 2005 by China, the DPRK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States, with a view to achieving the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in north-east Asia;

10. Expresses its desire for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomes efforts by Council members as well as other Member States to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue and to refrain from any actions that might aggravate tensions;

11. Strongly urges the DPRK to return immediately to the Six-Party Talks without precondition;

12. Affirms that it shall keep the DPRK's actions under continuous review and that it shall be prepared to review the appropriateness of the measures contained in paragraph 8 above, including the strengthening, modification, suspension or lifting of the measures, as may be needed at that time in light of the DPRK's compliance with the provisions of resolution 1718 (2006) and this resolution;

13. Underlines that further decisions will be required, should additional measures be necessary;

14. Resolves to remain actively seized of the matter.

DISCUSSION OPTIONS FOR POTENTIAL INCLUSION IN RESOLUTION
[future op8]- Inner City Press
------------------------------

I am not sure what this will do other than open the door for countries to act on their own to pressure North Korea. After all, this is what the North wanted to happen in response to their nuke test. Who writes this stuff? Do they think the North Koreans are going to read past the first page? And not for anything, calling upon nations to enforce measures/sanctions put in place in 2006 sounds just plain odd. Perhaps if they were enforced in 2006 we would not be dealing with the current set of events!

Be sure to check out my earlier posts on North Korea here, including:

Total BS: "North Korea not an imminent threat to the US"
There is no Place in this World for North Korea
*** The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying) ***
NY Times: "South Korea Says U.S. Killed Hundreds of Civilians" - Total BS Story
Forgotten Korean War POW Escapes - 55 Years After Being Captured!

North Korean Snipers Killing Refugees Along the Chinese Border - 24 May 08
Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection - 29 Apr 08
Anchor Countries - 27 Sept 07

Unconditional surrender – The only way to end Military Operations - 1 May 05
Seeing things in Black and white instead of in shades of gray. - 19 Dec 04


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Total BS: "North Korea not an imminent threat to the US"

So I see this at Hot Air:

President Obama’s national security adviser on Wednesday said that North Korea’s recent nuclear detonation and subsequent missile tests are not “an imminent threat” to the safety and security of the United States.

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, in his first speech on the administration’s approach to national security, said that the “imminent threat” posed by North Korea is that of the proliferation of nuclear technologies to other countries and terrorist organizations.

North Korea still has “a long way” to “weaponize” and work on the delivery of its nuclear missiles before they pose a threat to U.S. security, Jones said in a discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council.

“Nothing that the North Koreans did surprised us,” Jones said. “We knew that they were going to do this, they said so, so no reason not to believe them.” - Hot Air

I hope that the good General remembers that missiles are not the only way to get a nuke to it's target. The North Koreans could simply drive one down to the border at Panmunjom and detonate it there.

Of course, if they want to strike Seoul, Korea, they could just fly it there in a plane. No missile required. The Capital is not far from the border.

Speaking of planes, all it takes is one flight to Iran, and then they too would have a nuclear bomb.

How much more does North Korea need to do for the US to consider them an imminent threat? My guess is that they will next start taking shots at US troops stationed along the border with North Korea. This is not something far fetched, as the North has attacked along the border, taking around 90 US lives (See this 2003 story noting "We were advised by one speaker to hope and pray that we didn't receive orders for the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) because, on average, about eight American soldiers were killed there every year by North Korean forces by sniper fire or in small skirmishes.").

Hot Air points out this threat:

Pardon me, but I’d say that any nation that threatened the lives of 25,000 American soldiers is by definition an imminent threat to the United States. In fact, that’s exactly the reason we have stationed those troops on the DMZ. We have them set up as a tripwire to keep Kim from overrunning the DMZ and capturing Seoul by making it clear that we consider any such threat as aimed at the US as well as South Korea. - hot Air

I stand by my belief that the North Korean Government needs to be taken down. not only for the safety of all of Asia, but also to end the nightmare that Communism has brought to the North Korean people who are little more than slave laborers and hostages to their Government.

Be sure to check out my earlier posts on North Korea here, including:

There is no Place in this World for North Korea
*** The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying) ***
NY Times: "South Korea Says U.S. Killed Hundreds of Civilians" - Total BS Story
Forgotten Korean War POW Escapes - 55 Years After Being Captured!

North Korean Snipers Killing Refugees Along the Chinese Border - 24 May 08
Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection - 29 Apr 08
Anchor Countries - 27 Sept 07

Unconditional surrender – The only way to end Military Operations - 1 May 05
Seeing things in Black and white instead of in shades of gray. - 19 Dec 04

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There is no Place in this World for North Korea

Looks like it is a good time for the Government to remember that North Korea is still at war with us (in that the Korean War never ended. It was just put on 'hold'). You can bet that the North Koreans never forgot. Their latest reminder was just this week as they demonstrated that they can build nuclear bombs. One issue not discussed is that not only does North Korea have 'the Bomb' but Iran is now just a cargo flight away from having one themselves.

I would say that now is the time for the rest of the world to act, but too bad for us that the North Koreans know all too well who they are dealing with. For well over a decade, during the Bush and Clinton Presidencies, the US has been pretty soft-armed when it has come to disciplining North Korea and the rest of the world has done nothing about the problem, other than try to blind them into confirming with 'sunshine'.

Another very dangerous problem is that it seems that too many people want to think that the North Koreans actually want a peace deal. That they are negotiating either in good faith, or at least with a goal towards betterment of their people. Well perhaps a review of the 2 minute extract from the Korean War 'Pork Chop Hill' is in order:

Video - Direct Link

The video makes a number of good points that are still relevant today. One of those is the answer to the question: what does North Korea lose by trashing the peace armistice agreement? Apparently nothing by the looks of the lack of pressure on North Korea at the moment in response to their latest nuclear test.

Funny how the world decides what is a problem and what is not. A couple hundred prisoners at GITMO puts the whole world up in arms. A whole population held prisoner and another whole country threatened with annihilation, not so much.

Now the world will be truly sorry and sad if North Korea nukes South Korea. But imagine the rage if the US, Japan or South Korea go into the North and take out the leadership there. Me, I think I would prefer dealing with International Condemnation on that one. That is partly because I see not much value in the opinion of the International Community. It is probably time we stop listening to them, especially given the lack of good it has brought us.

As for North Korea, their latest actions are just one more confirmation that regime Change should be pursued with utmost haste. If it is a war Kim Jong Il wants, it should start at his door.

Be sure to check out my earlier posts on North Korea here, including:

The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying)
NY Times: "South Korea Says U.S. Killed Hundreds of Civilians" - Total BS Story
Forgotten Korean War POW Escapes - 55 Years After Being Captured!
North Korean Snipers Killing Refugees Along the Chinese Border - 24 May 08
Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection - 29 Apr 08
Anchor Countries - 27 Sept 07
The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying) - 1 Feb 07
Unconditional surrender – The only way to end Military Operations - 1 May 05
Seeing things in Black and white instead of in shades of gray. - 19 Dec 04

**********


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Moon Over Parador - North Korea Sequel

As if North Korea isn't screwed up enough already, comes this rumor:

Is Kim Jong-il for real? The question has baffled foreign intelligence agencies for years but now a veteran Japanese expert on North Korea says the “dear leader” is actually dead – and his role is played by a double.

The expert says Kim died of diabetes in 2003 and world leaders including Vladimir Putin of Russia and Hu Jintao of China have been negotiating with an impostor.

He believes that Kim, fearing assassination, had groomed up to four lookalikes to act as substitutes at public events. One underwent plastic surgery to make his appearance more convincing. Now, the expert claims, the actors are brought on stage whenever required to persuade the masses that Kim is alive. - Times Online

Well until Kim comes out of the shadows to dispute this rumor, I'm going to assume that it is true. For some reason it makes sense.  And the nice thing is that by having 3-4 doubles enables whoever is really running North Korea to avoid the Moon Over Parador prima donna  dilemma where you only have one double for the 'dear leader'.

Moon Over Parador: The film follows the exploits of Jack Noah (Dreyfuss), who is filming in the small, fictional South American country of Parador when the Paradorian president-for-life suddenly dies of a heart attack. Not wanting to lose his position in power, the president's right-hand man, Roberto Strausmann (Raul Julia) forces Jack to take the 'role of a lifetime' - that of the dead president, as the two men look so much alike. Jack accepts, eventually winning over the people and even the dead president's mistress, Madonna (Sonia Braga). However, when paradise proves to be too boring, Jack needs to find a way to get out while keeping Roberto out of the loop. - Wikipedia

If your one double gets out of line you can always replace him with a spare.  The question is (if this is true) how many spares do they have, and why haven't they replaced him by staging an appropriate death? Are the rulers afraid of revolt if news gets out of his death? There is this:

South Korean analysts who attended two summits with Kim (before and after his supposed death) reported that he had indeed changed appearance. But that was because he had lost weight, quit smoking, given up cognac in favour of red bordeaux and coaxed the rest of the politburo onto a health kick. - Times Online

Sadly, even if this is true, it will most likely result in no change in the criminal Government there other than there being one less maniac in charge. Unless news of the leaders death results in a complete breakdown of the Government there.  And that event cannot come too soon.

(Found via Drudge Report)

UPDATE: 9 Sept 08

Like I said, why don't they just engineer the double's demise for an orderly transition of Government.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il has suffered serious health problems and is believed to have suffered a stroke within the past month, according to U.S. officials.

Mr. Kim didn't attend the country's 60th anniversary celebration Tuesday, according to news agencies with offices in Pyongyang, reinforcing speculation that he's in poor health after reports that he collapsed last month and has been visited by doctors from China. - Wall Street Journal

Only problem here is that the North Koreans made no announcement. Seems that something realy is going on. Maybe they ran out of body doubles! On a more serious note, the faster we can get the North Korean Government to collapse, the better. the progressives of the world have a problem with the US keeping prisoners in GITMO.  Well here is a whole country of prisoners. I guess the only way any of them will care (including the press) is if we get President Bush to be the next leader of North Korea.

Link:
North Korea ‘uses doubles to hide death of Kim’ - Times Online

NY Times: "South Korea Says U.S. Killed Hundreds of Civilians" - Total BS Story

Here we go again.  Another story on how bad the United States is, told in such a vacuum to completely ignore the real acts of terror made by the other nations involved.   It seems that this latest anti-America story concerns some alleged war crimes committed by the US Military during the Korean War:

The attack, though not the civilian casualties, has been corroborated by declassified United States military documents recently reviewed by South Korean investigators. On Sept. 10, 1950, five days before the Inchon landing, according to the documents, 43 American warplanes swarmed over Wolmi, dropping 93 napalm canisters to “burn out” its eastern slope in an attempt to clear the way for American troops.

The documents and survivors’ stories persuaded a South Korean commission investigating long-suppressed allegations of wartime atrocities by Koreans and Americans to rule recently that the attack violated international conventions on war and to ask the country’s leaders to seek compensation from the United States.

The ruling was one of several by the government’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in recent months that accused the United States military of using indiscriminate force on three separate occasions in 1950 and 1951 as troops struggled against Communists from the North and from China. The commission says at least 228 civilians, and perhaps hundreds more, were killed in the three attacks.

In one case, the commission said, at least 167 villagers, more than half of them women, were burned to death or asphyxiated in Tanyang, 87 miles southeast of Seoul, when American planes dropped napalm at the entrance of a cave filled with refugees. - The New York Times

There is no mention of how the pilots should have known that the cave was full of refugees and not North Korean soldiers nor is there any mention why the cave would contain only refugees and not soldiers.  As the story mentions the US (acting as part of United Nations Forces) were bombing the area in preparation for the Inchon landings.  Surely civilians in the area were going to be struck as well.  When you think about it, it is a wonder that only a couple hundred civilians were killed in the bombings.

There is no mention in the article of any other acts involving civilians such as when the UN Forces shortly later in the war had to make a dramatic evacuation from Hungnam Harbor in North Korea:

The Hungnam Evacuation, 10-24 December 1950 - Generally described as an "amphibious operation in reverse", the evacuation of Hungnam encompassed the safe withdrawal of the bulk of UN forces in eastern North Korea. It was the largest sealift since the 1945 Okinawa operation. In barely two weeks, over a hundred-thousand military personnel, 17,500 vehicles and 350,000 measurement tons of cargo were pulled out. In comparison with the retreat in central and western Korea, little was left behind. Even broken-down vehicles were loaded and lifted out. Also departing North Korea through Hungnam were some 91,000 refugees, a large number, but not nearly as many as had gathered to leave. - history.navy.mil

Not mentioned above is that those 91,000 refugees were actually North Koreans who were fleeing their own Government.  One US cargo ship, the SS MEREDITH VICTORY managed to load and transport over 14,000 refugees by itself.

The story of the 455-foot, 10,658 ton, S.S. Meredith Victory is one that "tops everything else in sheer drama." It is the story of how Captain Leonard P. LaRue, his officers, and crew rescued 14,000+ refugees. Captain LaRue, without hesitating in his decision and without his officers questioning his decision, loaded the refugees onto the Meredith Victory by using booms and makeshift elevators. The ship was equipped to handle 35 crew members, 12 officers, and had room for 12 more passengers. Once aboard, the refugees filled five cargo holds and covered the entire main deck. The passengers on the main deck had to stand shoulder to shoulder in freezing weather with no food, no water, no doctor, no interpreters, no protection against the enemy, and the only place to go to the bathroom was right where they stood. As if this wasn't enough, the ship was carrying 300 tons of jet fuel in 52-gallon drums. - "THE GREATEST RESCUE OPERATION BY A SINGLE SHIP IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND" - S.S. MEREDITH VICTORY

I guess we get no credit for that.  One lagging mystery from that evacuation is the fate of thousands more refugees who had attempted to get to Hungnam and never made it.  It has been suggested that the advancing Chinese troops slaughtered many of them under orders from the North Korean Government, because they had done nothing to stop the American and UN Troops from advancing.



There is a book on the evacuation SHIP of MIRACLES which tells the story of the evacuation.

This news story mentions that the US should pay reparations for the deaths to surviving family members.  That is an idiotic demand.  The US suffered over 56,000 dead and still has over 8,000 missing.  Those living in South Korea have already been compensated by the mere fact that they are living south of the border with North Korea.  And as for investigating war crimes, how about these South Koreans growing a pair of balls and confronting their neighbor to the north who started the war in the first place and committed war crimes as a mere part of the way they fought:

Crimes against civilians - When parts of South Korea were under North Korean control, political killings, reportedly into the tens of thousands, took place in the cities and villages. The communists systematically killed former South Korean government officials and others deemed hostile to the communists, and such killing was intensified as North Koreans retreated from the South. - Wikipedia

Crimes Against POWS - The North Koreans severely mistreated prisoners of war. Historical accounts report frequent communist-imposed beatings, starvation, forced labor, summary executions, and death marches on UN prisoners. North Korean forces committed several massacres of captured U.S. troops at places such as Hill 312 and Hill 303 on the Pusan Perimeter, and in and around Daejeon; this occurred during early "mopping-up" actions. A U.S. Congressional report alleges "More than 5,000 American prisoners of war died because of Communist war atrocities and more than a thousand who survived were victims of war crime (...) Approximately two-thirds of all American prisoners of war in Korea died due to war crimes." The Chinese also used brainwashing "re-education" techniques on their prisoners. - Wikipedia

Simply put, the New York Times coverage of this story is not much more than a poor attempt to discredit the United States, especially given it total lack of putting the story in context with other events and atrocities of the time.  The real enemy was and continues to be North Korea. Too bad that many people continue to mistakenly believe that we must not upset our enemies as it might upset efforts to make peace with them.  It is this sort of attitude which has left certain issues, such as abductions and missing POWs unresolved over 50 years later:

He also called for efforts to resolve the issue of South Korean prisoners of war, separated families and abductees.

"The South Korean POWs and the members of the first generation of separated families are now in their 70s and 80s. Therefore, it is the obligation of both Koreas to allow them to travel between the two sides," he said.

"These people should be allowed to meet with their long-separated family members and return to their home towns. This is a moral obligation."

Seoul says 485 South Koreans, mostly fishermen, were seized in the Cold War decades following the 1950-53 Korean conflict and more than 500 prisoners of war (POWs) were never sent home in 1953.

North Korea denies holding any South Koreans against their will and describes them as defectors, even though some have managed to escape and come South. - AFP

One of those POWs escaped only a couple months ago.  See my post "Forgotten Korean War POW Escapes - 55 Years After Being Captured!" for more on that story.

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Forgotten Korean War POW Escapes - 55 Years After Being Captured!

A South Korean soldier who was captured by North Korea during the Korean War escaped earlier this month, 55 years after being captured.

By Kim Sue-young, Staff Reporter

A prisoner of war (POW) escaped from North Korea 55 years after being captured and is currently staying in China awaiting entry to South Korea, the association of abductees' family members said Tuesday.

Kim Jin-soo, 74, who fought in the Korean War (1950-53) at the age of 17, crossed the Tumen River on June 14 and is now in China, Choi Sung-yong, leader of the association, told a press conference in Seoul.

Choi said Kim was taken to the Stalinist state with a gunshot wound before the armistice was signed in July 1953. The South Korean army reported he was dead and included him in the roll of fallen soldiers.

After being dragged to the reclusive state, Kim received medical treatment in Pyongyang and was dispatched to coal mines including the Sanghatan mine in North Pyeongan Province for nearly 40 years. In the early 1990s, he did farming in North Hamgyeong Province, Choi said. - Korea Times

You would think that this would be big news. It is certainly a newsworthy event. When I was young I remember a news report about a Japanese soldier from WWII who finally after 30+ years of hiding, decided to come out and surrender. That was big news. But he was not a prisoner like this poor fellow. And yet, there is close to no coverage at all. Google News only lists the one story by the Korea Times quoted above.

NEWS.com.au also covered the story with "PoW 'escapes after 55 years'" noting that:

North Korea denies holding any South Koreans against their will, though some have managed to escape and come South. - NEWS.com.au

I suspect the lack of coverage is because this guy upsets the real message in that it is President Bush who is the evil leader. Take our detention of suspected terrorists during wartime. There are currently over 14,000 news stories for "Guantanamo bay Cuba detainee" listed in Google News. Clearly, not all prisoners rights are considered equal by the press.

Coverage of this story only brings forward the fact that nobody is pushing North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il to abide by his past agreements and call him to account for his country's rogue behavior. I only found out about this story as it was covered by the Blog One Free Korea in their post "Paroled from Death, Or Worse".

The anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s invasion of South Korea is a fitting time to post about just the latest South Korean prisoner of war to return home after being held in North Korea since a 1953 Armistice agreement in it agreed to return its prisoners. - One Free Korea

I am willing to bet that there are leftists who are not happy that this guy managed to escape. You can tell that there is no excitement in celebrating his escape since he is currently trapped in China and has to beg his own country's President to help get him back home. What a joke. Just imagine the reaction in the US if an American POW all of a sudden shows up in China. And even if the US Government turned it's back on him, there would be no shortage of Korean War vets who would waste no time in getting this guy back, despite being in their 70's themselves. There seems to be no real newsworthy outcry so far from South Korea. I bet that this won't even be an agenda item in the next talks with the North. After all, they have gone as far as admit to kidnapping foreigners, and despite this admission, refuse to release all of them or even provide full details. Still, there is no shortage of useful idiots who still manage to get a seat at the negotiating table, all too willing to overlook over 50 years of criminal behavior because they are the ones who are finally going to get a workable agreement. So I guess I should say shame on us as well.

(Note: The following two paragraphs were written once before here)

If this had been the other way around (A North Korean soldier escaping from South Korea), you can surely bet that the North Koreans would openly be demanding that heads roll, in addition to demanding that the offending (responsible) person be removed from the talks, never to appear again. Too bad that the North Koreans know all too well who they are dealing with. For well over a decade, the US and other parties have been pretty soft-armed when it has come to disciplining North Korea. Another very dangerous problem is that it seems that too many people want to think that the North Koreans actually want a deal. That they are negotiating either in good faith, or at least with a goal towards betterment of their people. Well perhaps a review of the 2 minute extract from the Korean War 'Pork Chop Hill' is in order:

Video - Direct Link

The video makes a number of good points that are still relevant today. One of those is the answer to the question: what does North Korea have to lose by getting caught holding prisoners of war they agreed to release decades ago? Apparently nothing by the looks of the lack of pressure on North Korea to do anything they agreed to as part of the six-party talks. This soldier has at least gotten out of North Korea. What about the rest still trapped there?

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Previous:
North Korean Snipers Killing Refugees Along the Chinese Border - 24 May 08
Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection - 29 Apr 08
Anchor Countries - 27 Sept 07
The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying) - 1 Feb 07
Unconditional surrender – The only way to end Military Operations - 1 May 05
Seeing things in Black and white instead of in shades of gray. - 19 Dec 04

**********

North Korean Snipers Killing Refugees Along the Chinese Border

As the world still whines about 'US cruelty' at Guantanamo, they continue to ignore the crimes against humanity taking place in North Korea. Perhaps because they are all accomplices in sustaining the North Korean regime. Well, as things normally go when going badly, they get worse:

Credible reports of “shoot-on-sight” order given to NK border patrol re: NKRs trying to cross the border illegally. One activist reported that snipers are now being posted at elevated positions above the river, giving them a wider view and a longer time to train their scopes on fleeing NKRs. This same activist reported finding several NKRs floating in the Tumen River with telltale small bullet holes in one side of the body at the entry point, and a much larger hole at the bullet’s exit. Even in the five days I stayed near the river, I saw ample evidence of high-powered searchlights at night on the NK side and was later informed by local CN [Chinese national] residents that the searchlights are used to detect NKRs seeking to approach the river under the cover of darkness. - One * Free * Korea

The North Koreans are doing this because they know that they can. Because they know that no one is going to stop them. They know this because EVERY SINGLE TIME they have been caught red-handed, whether counterfeiting currency, smuggling drugs, selling weapons to rogue states, even killing US soldiers without being subject to any sort of punishment that meant anything to the country's leadership. It is that country's leadership that has held its citizens hostage. It is a relationship that has worked pretty well for them to this point, even getting the US to start delivering food again to them recently. This of course was out of some misguided attempt to try and save the North Korean people. As I pointed out before, you cannot save the North Koreans as long as the current Government remains in power.

This is what I wrote early last year:

Now I am going to make a safe guess and say that none of the UN Programs in North Korea have benefited anyone other than North Korea's leadership. Sure, you can point out all the food aid that has been delivered to the country, but you can't prove that it actually made it to the people, instead of say, being diverted to their army. Even if the food did make it to people last year, what about this year? The aid is just delaying a poor outcome. - 1 Feb 07

I guess that this is what I meant by delaying a poor outcome: Most of the population starving and those desperate enough to try and escape to China are being shot down like dogs.

The US, UN, South Korea and others might as well be giving the North Koreans the bullets to do it. Because giving the North Korean Government food, is freeing up food to feed the shooters.

NOTE: Read the whole story at the link below, including information on how the Chinese are aiding the North Koreans, partly to protect the Olympics.

Link:

Murder, Plain and Simple: North Korean Snipers Killing Refugees Along the Chinese Border - One * Free * Korea

Previous:
Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection - 29 Apr 08
Anchor Countries - 27 Sept 07
The UN Cannot Save the North Koreans (So Stop Trying) - 1 Feb 07
Unconditional surrender – The only way to end Military Operations - 1 May 05
Seeing things in Black and white instead of in shades of gray. - 19 Dec 04

**********

President Bush Enters 2008 Race with Direct Hit

In case you were asleep, President Bush while speaking in the Israeli Knesset, enters fully into the 2008 election battle with a direct hit:

in a speech to Israel's Knesset, Bush said: "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along.

"We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is—the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history." - Breitbart

We here at Fred Fry International fully condemn all acts of appeasement. As you can see, the footer of this blog has long carried the statement that 'Appeasement is for suckers'. I don't care who you are. Giving tyrants what they want is the wrong policy, even if it is the option that costs the least in the short-term, as your bound to pay much more over the longer term. North Korea is a perfect example of that.

Almost immediately, the Democrats pop a blood vessel by correctly linking (my opinion) the comment as criticism against Barak Obama, who has said repeatedly in the past that he was willing to negotiate with madmen like President Ahmadinejad of Iran who threatens to wipe Israel off the map just about every other day.

“Nothing has changed with respect to my belief that strong countries and strong presidents talk to their enemies and talk to their adversaries,” Obama told reporters at a press conference after receiving an endorsement from the New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association. - CBS News 24 Sept 07

Now maybe Senator Obama and the other Democrats have been refraining from criticizing foreign leaders who are enemies of the United States in some bizarre attempt not to damage their credibility with them if he gets to be President and decides to give them a call. If that is the case, then perhaps he should say so, because the only time he opens his mouth to complain, is against other Americans.

So anyway, maybe Senators Obama, Joe Biden (who accused the President of long-distance swiftboating), John Kerry, Clinton, Congresswoman Pelosi and the others can explain how meeting with our enemies is a good idea. They should know. For starters, perhaps they could explain how all those meetings with Syria were a good idea. Especially considering that Syria was building an illegal nuclear reactor in secret at the same time.

DAMASCUS -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi challenged the White House on Middle East policy yesterday, meeting with Syria's leader and insisting "the road to Damascus is a road to peace." - Boston.com 5 April 2007

AND:

Senator Kerry meeting with nuclear criminal and Syria'a President Bashar al-Assad.

Here is Senator Kerry said just over a year ago about appeasement meetings:

"It's important to engage in some kind of discussion," added Kerry, on a nine-day tour that also includes stops in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and the West Bank.

"It's important to ask questions, to probe, and to get a feel for what the dynamics are, and I'm confident that I can share those with the administration." - Boston.com 15 Dec 06

Related to this is North Korea being caught spreading their nuclear technology to Syria. The two countries were so intent on making this happen at high levels that one of the senior North Korea scientists participating in the Syria nuke project was also one of the senior negotiations at the six-party disarmament talks. Appeasing people on the other side of the table only gets you blindsided later.

Funny thing, is, with all these Democrats beating a trail to Iran's doorstep through Syria, it is not hard to Swiftboat a Democrat, when swiftboating is merely pointing out the obvious. That these guys are not much more than useful idiots. The problem is that they are dangerous persons to let run the country.

This incident brings another player into the 2008 campaign. Like it or not, the Democrats just realized that they have a huge campaign problem in the form of President George Bush. Clearly, the President is not going to sit this election out. Hell, he has stated before that he loves to campaign. The problem for the Dems and specifically Obama, is that Bush can give John McCain all the space he wants to run a clean and positive campaign, while all the time delivering broadsides against Obama with little options for them to fight back at him. After all, he is not running for re-election. He is not concerned about his approval rating dropping any further. And he is not worried about any direct attacks, as the Democrats have basically thrown everything they could at him already, including fake documents and fabricated stories intended to discredit him. Even better is that President Bush can and has denied that the attack was an intentional attack or an attack at all. Given that Democrats have hammered home the point that the President is an idiot, then of course anything seen as an attack must be pure coincidence. After all, he's not bright enough to do these things on purpose, right?

Previous:
Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection - 29 Apr 08
Traffic on the Useful Idiot Highway to Syria - 17 Dec 06
Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. - 23 Aug 05
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Most Disturbing Part of North Korea-Syria Connection

I think the most disturbing news in the evidence released last week about North Korea's proliferation of nuclear weapons technology to Syria was the news that North Korea's Senior Scientist who is pictured below in Syria overseeing the project also happens to be a negotiator sitting at the six-party talks discussing North Korea's path to denuclearization. If this is not an indicator to the US (and others) that North Korea is just wasting our time, again, then I don't know what is.

If this had been the other way around, you can surely bet that the North Koreans would openly be demanding that heads rolls, in addition to demanding that the offending person be removed from the talks, never to appear again. Too bad that the North Koreans know all too well who they are dealing with. for well over a decade, the US has been pretty soft-armed when it has come to disciplining North Korea. Another very dangerous problem is that it seems that too many people want to think that the North Koreans actually want a deal. that they are negotiating either in good faith, or at least with a goal towards betterment of their people. Well perhaps a review of the 2 minute extract from the Korean War 'Pork Chop Hill' is in order:

Video - Direct Link

The video makes a number of good points that are still relevant today. One of those is the answer to the question: what does North Korea lose by getting caught helping Syria? Apparently nothing by the looks of the lack of pressure on North Korea at the moment to either explain their assistance to Syria or their lack of action they agreed to as part of the six-party talks.

In the last seconds of the fight shown in the video above, the US woke up and decided to beat the North Koreans off the worthless hill instead of just giving it to them in hopes that it is the final demand that will result in a deal. The joke is, there never is a final demand, just more demands. The question now is has the US forgot what it learned the last time it had to fight them. Apparently so given the lack of pressure being placed on them to live up to this deal. Sadly, it seems that the North has gotten stronger in will, and those who we have placed in charge have gotten softer. And about that 'quiet diplomacy' in dealing with these and other thugs around the world, (as in giving them a way to 'save face') this Wall Street Journal piece sums it up:

Perhaps this is the same "quiet diplomacy" advocated by U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley a few weeks ago, when he was asked about the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. In other words, we are not going to hear this U.S. president say "I am a Tibetan" any time soon.

I have had a painfully close-up view of over seven years of Western quiet diplomacy toward Russia. "Quiet diplomacy" can be roughly translated as, "we'll cut a deal no matter what." During this period we have moved from a frail new democracy to a KGB dictatorship. Based on such results, it is long past time to try something noisier. - WSJ

It is surely about time that North Korea lose face. If for no other reason than the face that nothing else seems to be working at the moment. There is still no permanent peace between the North and the South. I suspect one reason why is that it would be much harder to blackmail the South for whatever they want at any particular moment. And speaking of the war not being over, one small fact that never seems to come up are the number of US Servicemen who have died after the cease fire of 1955.

Although the shooting war officially ended on January 31, 1955, from February 1, 1955 to date, another 98 men would die in Korea as a result of "Hostile" and combat-related actions. According to researcher Tom Murray, Kingman, AZ, "…another 814 American soldiers died from non-hostile causes in Korea from 1961 to the present." They too must be remembered. - Korean War Educator

Some of the more notable incidents:

- 'Axe Murders Incident'

The Axe Murder Incident (Korean: 판문점 도끼 살인 사건) refers to the killing of two United States Army officers by North Korean soldiers on August 18, 1976 in the Joint Security Area (JSA) located in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which forms the de facto border between North and South Korea. The killings and the response three days later (Operation Paul Bunyan) heightened tensions between North and South Korea and as well as their respective allies, China and the United States of America. - Wikipedia

- 'Major Henderson Incident'

The Major Henderson Incident occurred on June 30, 1975. A dozen North Korean guards and reporters assaulted US Army Major W. D. Henderson, a United Nations Command (UNC) security officer in the Joint Security Area (JSA), injuring him seriously. Henderson was trampled on by the North Koreans and suffered a fractured larynx before he was rescued by United Nations Command guards. - Wikipedia

Three north Korean guards are about to attack Maj. W.D. Henderson, a UNC security officer, as another north Korean guard holds Henderson, outside the truce conference room during the 364th Military Armistice Commission meeting on June 30, 1975. - Axe-wielding Murder at Panmunjom. (PDF Document) Seoul: UN Korean War Allies Association, 1976

Then there is the capture of the USS PUEBLO.

Hell, just last year, two North Koreans assaulted customs and police officers while on a train in Finland. Just another reason why every North Korean official should be treated as dangerous.

How many more times does the US have to be blindsided by the North Koreans while they hold their entire population hostage?

While we are at it, what about rumors that popped up last year about a city fill of North Koreans in Iran? It seems like questions need to be asked about that as well.

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Be Warned About the North Koreans - Pork Chop Hill - Google Video

Click on the tab 'North Korea' below to find my other posts on Communist Korea.
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US Assistance to Russia Funding Iranian Nukes

Back in August of last year I asked why are we still giving Russia about a billion dollars a year when they clearly have money to act as a rogue country. Since then their actions have continued to grow, such as bomber overflights of US Navy carriers and threats to start a new arms race, as well as once again threatening to point their missiles at Eastern Europe. (Notice how nobody bothers to ask where they have them pointed now.) All the while we continue to pay to clean up the nuclear messes of the Soviet Union.

Now there is news that our assistance money is reaching as far as Iran's nuclear program:

In the continuing US Congressional investigation of a post-Soviet programme to employ Russian nuclear weapons scientists to prevent them from selling their expertise, a congressional committee has said US Department of Energy (DOE) funding has assisted in building Iran’s Bushehr reactor. - Bellona

And, the following confirms a point I have made before, in that giving Russia money frees them up to use their own money to do things that are harmful to the US.

At the hearing last month on the anti-proliferation program, a State Department official, Richard Stratford, acknowledged that “you could argue if you give Russia a dollar for whatever purpose, it frees up a dollar that can then be spent elsewhere.” But he said the programme would reduce the risk of proliferation. - Bellona

This is what I said last year. The problem is that Russia is not going to clean up their mess with their own money. As far as I'm concerned, if they want their country littered with nuclear radiation, then so be it. Giving them a free pass may very likely result in a much larger mess later on as there is no incentive to be responsible. This is just like providing support to North Korea. Providing aid money provides a lifeline that keeps enemy regimes afloat where they might have collapsed otherwise.

We can thank President Clinton for the fact that we are dealing with North Korea problems at all. North Korea lost it's major aid provider when the Soviet Union collapsed. As a result, most of North Korea, including all of the factories spiraled into collapse. Then there was a severe drought that killed around a million North Koreans. With the country falling apart around them, North Korea managed negotiations with the US that resulted in aid in exchange for the North quitting it's nuclear program. In reality, they took the aid to keep the regime afloat, and continued on developing the weapon in secret.

South Korea also paid for the North's nukes as part of their 'Sunshine Policy.' Funny, that the 'sunshine' that the North is going to send back might be in the form of nuclear radiation. - FFI (Follow a chart summaring US Aid to North Korea which started in 1995 by President Clinton)

We all know how well paying North Korea to stop its nuke program worked out. When will we wake up and stop making the same mistakes over and over? What next, humanitarian aid to Hugo Chavez's Venezuela? You know, in order to help the 'people'.

Links:
When looking at the following two articles, one wonders if there who was plagerizing who:
US –Russian aid programme said to help finance Iran’s nuclear ambitions - Bellona
Energy Dept. Funding Institutes with Iranian Ties - NY Times

Previous:
US Assistance to Russia (2006) $949.3 Million - 15 Aug 07 - FFI
President Clinton, savior of North Korea? - 8 Oct 06 - FFI