August 28, 2003

Soon We Can Play Two-Deck Blackjack

Exactly how naive does one have to be to be engaged in major league diplomacy?

North Korea startled a six-nation conference in China on East Asian security by announcing its intentions to formally declare its possession of nuclear weapons and to carry out a nuclear test, an administration official said Thursday.

Let's hope they plan to test them in North Korea.

North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il also told the gathering that his country has the means to deliver nuclear weapons, an apparent reference to the North's highly developed missile program.

Like, I said, let's hope they plan to test them in North Korea.

The comments cast a pall over Thursday's plenary session, which included representatives of the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia, in addition to North Korea.

Especially for those expecting North Korea to suddenly start acting rationally and in good faith.

James Kelly, the chief U.S. delegate, demanded that North Korea engage in the verifiable and permanent dismantling of its nuclear weapons programs, in return for which the United States would provide security guarantees and economic benefits.

Whew, for a while I thought all that talk about the US getting tough meant we were no longer going to submit to extortion. I'm sure Howard Dean and his brain dead minions are relieved.

The administration official, asking not to be identified, said that when Russia and Japan attempted to point out some positive elements of the U.S. presentation, the North Korean delegate attacked them by name and said they were lying at the instruction of the United States.

How about Mr. Kelly looking across the table at his North Korean counterparts and saying, "In all this confusion I've forgotten whether we've committed five carrier battle groups or six carrier battle groups to the War on Terror. So you're just going to have to ask yourself, 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you punk?"

According to the administration official, China's delegate appeared visibly angry over Kim's statement but responded in a moderate tone.

Ooo, that showed 'em!

Kim said his country was maintaining this position because the United States clearly had no intention of abandoning its hostile policy toward North Korea, the U.S. official said.

I think it's time for the Department of Defense to print up and start distributing a whole new deck of playing cards. Don't you?

Posted by Charles Austin at August 28, 2003 02:05 PM
Comments

I think it's time for the Department of Defense to print up and start distributing a whole new deck of playing cards. Don't you?

No. That would imply they'll still have 52 important people left alive for us to arrest.

Greg

Posted by: Greg D at 04:59 PM