Should we really be so afraid of a nuclear North Korea?
A different point of view from two academics who specialize in Korean matters, one American, one in the UK. Two paragraphs near the start:
Quote:
Successive US governments have used a range of carrots and sticks to entice or pressure the North Korean leadership to give up its nuclear programme. The North’s missile launches and nuclear tests in 2016 make plain that these efforts have failed; in short, the West has to accept that it is now a nuclear power and focus instead on limiting the risks a nuclear North Korea presents. But it also pays to consider what sounds like a perverse question: could a North Korean bomb actually benefit both the country’s people and the world at large?
They conclude:
Quote:
As far as Pyongyang is concerned, its militaristic strategy has worked: It has kept the Kim government internally stable, the population dependent on the government, and the country’s enemies at bay. Accepting the country’s nuclear status, rather than trying to head it off with sanctions and threats, could bring it back to the diplomatic bargaining table.
Link:https://theconversation.com/should-we-really-be-so-afraid-of-a-nuclear-north-korea-71855?
Brothers fall out and needles are used
A marked contrast here between the BBC and Daily Teelgraph's reporting on the suspicious death in Malaysia of Kim Jong Un's older brother. From the DT:
Quote:
Quoting government sources, other media reports claim Mr Kim died after being jabbed by a poisoned needle by two women in the city's airport. The women are believed to be North Korean agents but have so far been able to evade a police hunt.
The possible poisoning was not mentioned on BBC News a few minutes ago.
BBC:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38971655
DT has quite an extensive background report:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...spies-poison1/
Why North Korea Seems to Be Pushing Trump Toward a Potential Crisis
Why North Korea Seems to Be Pushing Trump Toward a Potential Crisis
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The Basis of Negotiations with North Korea Should be Quiet Old-Fashioned Kissingerian
North Korean Ships Head Home After China Orders Coal Returned
So China decides "No more coking coal from North Korea". Who gains? Well both Russia & USA are now exporting coking coal to China!
This report starts with:
Quote:
A fleet of North Korean cargo ships is heading home to the port of Nampo, the majority of it fully laden, after the Chinese regime ordered its trading companies to return coal from the isolated country, shipping data shows. Following repeated missile tests that drew international criticism, the Chinese regime banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off the country’s most important export product.
Link:http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2241283-north-korean-ships-head-home-after-china-orders-coal-returned/?