North Korean military proposes direct talks with the U.S. military

[wuushew]

Source: MSNBC

North Korea’s military proposed Friday holding direct talks with U.S. forces, an unusual plea amid recent progress on the nuclear standoff between the two countries.

The North’s Korean Peoples Army proposed the talks, also be attended by a U.N. representative, “for the purpose of discussing the issues related to ensuring the peace and security on the Korean peninsula,” the chief of the North Korean military’s mission at the truce village of Panmunjom said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19737762/

[Spinzonner]

1. SO, do they both consider their political leaders

to be dangerous wackos ?

[David in Canada]

2. Kim Jong-il

Rumour on the net is that Kim Jong-il's health is rapidly deteriorating from a lifetime of fast cars, fast women, Hennessey XO and Foie Gras each night for appetizer.

He suffers from hypertension, diabetes and circulation problems, if the rumours are to be believed...

[David__77]

4. Take everything with a grain of salt.

The CIA, and the intelligence agencies of the north and south all are spreading rumors with various ends in mind. Much of the narrative for Kim is concocted by the south agency, not that he is somehow good or anything.

[David__77]

3. North Korea has been seeking normalized relations for years.

This isn't new. North Korea wants a peace treaty with the US to formally put an end to the Korean war. It's the US that has consistently refused to recognize North Korea's sovereignty.

[Socal31]

5. So testing nuclear devices

is how they show they want a treaty?

[David__77]

6. Doesn't the US have nuclear weapons?

I don't understand your point. Are you saying that in order to want peace with the US, a country must not have any weapons?

[Socal31]

7. You can use that logic....

to say that we should just give nukes to EVERYONE! Hell, screw the Non-proliferation idea, lets just hand them out! If we have them, then why cant Mosambique?


Sorry, but the fewer countries with them, the better. Especially countries with militant dictators. (yea yea Bush, I know, I know)

[Eugene]

8. North Korea wants the U.S. to treat it as an equal.

If the North Koreans haven't gotten our respect,
they certainly got our undivided attention.
It's brinkmanship. It's perverse. It's "peace
through strength" on steroids.