The Blog @ Spolitics

Kim Jong-il Wants to Flex His Muscles

by Heywood U. Reedmore -- June 16, 2006 at 4:06 pm | In No, Seriously | No Comments

With Iran getting all the attention these days, it looks like The Big Il is feeling left out. According to Reuters:

The United States on Friday warned North Korea against conducting a “provocative” intercontinental missile test after U.S. officials said there were signs a test could take place as early as this weekend.

A test would be Pyongyang’s first launch of a long-range missile since it stunned the world in August 1998 by firing a Taepodong 1 over Japan that landed in the Pacific Ocean.

“Such a launch would be a provocative act and we would instead urge them to focus their energies and their activities on returning to the six-party talks,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. He was referring to talks on curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear program involving the United States, China, Russia, North and South Korea and Japan.

The article later states:

Some U.S. analysts believe North Korea, feeling ignored, would test to assert its importance or its pique over President George W. Bush’s willingness to show flexibility to Iran even as he has held a tough line on Pyongyang.

Senators Clinton and Levin sent a letter to President Bush about the issue. Their vague proposition can be summarized as “do something.” Here is their detailed suggestion:

“We urge you to develop a single, coordinated Presidential strategy to diplomatically address North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat. We also urge you to appoint a senior Presidential envoy to ensure implementation of this strategy.”

Since we already have one of those we can assume they mean a new diplomatic (read: non-military) strategy. And since the current strategy is to take a hard line and not succumb to North Korea’s threats, senators Clinton and Levin seem to be calling for a strategy based on appeasement. Didn’t someone try that already?

They don’t mention a suggestion for who the envoy should be, but standard Democratic logic would suggest they have Joe Wilson in mind. Only Wilson would be able to go to Pyongyang and come back with evidence that they have no intentions of developing nuclear weapons, thus freeing up the U.S. to give The Big Il what he wants.