A Blast From The Recent Past

[AnnieBW]

Anybody remember these headlines about North Korea's nuclear program from about a year ago?

North Korea demands reactor first
Pyongyang: Ending weapons program tied to civilian power (September 19, 2005)
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea said Tuesday it would begin dismantling its nuclear program only if the United States provides a light-water reactor for civilian power. The demand could threaten a day-old agreement between North Korea and the five nations involved in nuclear disarmament talks.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/korea.north.talks/index.html

Victory, reserve in N. Korea deal (September 20, 2005)
WASHINGTON -- President Bush yesterday hailed North Korea's pledge to abandon its nuclear weapons, and independent analysts described the breakthrough as a key victory for diplomacy in one of the world's most volatile and dangerous confrontations.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/09/20/victory_reserve_in_n_korea_deal/

Talks Without End (October 10, 2005)
On September 19 at the six-party talks in Beijing, North Korea and the United States signed a "joint statement" in which North Korea committed itself to "abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs" and rejoining the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. For its part the United States agreed to "respect" North Korea's "sovereignty" and "discuss at an appropriate time the subject of the provision of a light-water reactor." Initially, this seemed cause for celebration, especially by those who had opposed the Bush Administration's hard-line policy and had favored negotiations. A New York Times editorial, for instance, stated, "Diplomacy, it seems, does work after all."
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051010/schell

How conveeeenient that the Bushies are forgetting this while they're blaming Clinton for losing North Korea!

[Eric J in MN]

1. The Bush Administration is awful and we're paying the price...

...in our safety from nuclear attack.