| THE NORTH KOREA REPORT: NOVEMBER 4, 2002 Our statement on what should be done about North Korea (hint: regime change) can be found here. NEWS CONGRESSMEN CALL FOR �A FUTURE BEYOND THE CURRENT STALINIST REGIME� BIPARTISAN GROUP DEMANDS U.S. KILL WHAT�S LEFT OF 1994 NUCLEAER POWER DEAL, WORK FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE FROM STALINIST OPPRESSION A bipartisan group of three Senators and two Representatives have written President Bush calling on him to �work aggressively with its allies to prepare for a future beyond the current Stalinist regime in Pyongyang� (CNN). The five Congressmen also called for the 1994 nuclear power plant deal, which the Stalinists �nullified� when it admitted to its nuclear weapons program, to be �permanent terminated.� Senators Jesse Helms (R-North Carolina), Bob Smith (R-New Hampshire) and John Kyl (R-Arizona), and Representatives Chris Cox (R-California), and Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) stated the case boldly in saying, �We see no viable alternative given the proven failure of subsidizing North Korea and of relying upon that country's promises, as well as the regime's deplorable treatment of the North Korean people.� The group instead called for �bringing about the liberation of the people of this oppressed country, and ending the threat to global peace that its dangerous regime represents� (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). This could be done by �ending all subsidies, dramatically increasing Radio Free Asia broadcasting, and announcing a policy of temporary first asylum for people seeking to flee North Korea.� U.S. DEMANDS END TO NK NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM, CONSIDERING ACTIONS . . . The United States told North Korea that no bilateral talks would take place unless the Stalinist regime would �dismantle its nuclear program and honor its treaty obligations� (CNN). The statement came from Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary. The BBC reported that the U.S. is also �considering a number of steps to pressure the Stalinist state into scrapping its programme (UK sp).� . . . BUT NOVEMBER OIL SHIPMENT TO GO TO NORTH KOREA Meanwhile, indecision backs up an indefensible status quo once again. The Washington Times reports that North Korea will receive November�s fuel oil shipment as part of the �nullified� 1994 nuclear power plant deal. An Administration source said, �we need time to consult with our allies� (Washington Times). Consult about what? Stop the Nuclear Power Deal: North Korea has just admitted to continuing its nuclear weapons program, in violation of the 1994 agreement that won it a commitment from the United States to build two nuclear power plants there. The Stalinists now say the deal is dead. Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to react accordingly, and halt the building of the nuclear power plants. NORTH KOREAN LONG-RANGE MISSILE PROGRAM CONTINUES APACE Meanwhile, the Stalinist regime has not let up its quest for long-range missiles capable of hitting the United States, despite its self-imposed moratorium on testing. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish, in fact, told Bill Gertz (Washington Times) that the North could develop the missile, either as �a tool for deterrence and political coercion,� or for sale, without testing. In particular Radish projected this scenario: �During a conflict, the North also could attempt to strike U.S. and U.S. interests with ballistic missiles, if North Korea's leadership were attacked directly or was facing imminent destruction (emphasis added).� Cute, isn�t it? If a mass protest ever comes to Pyongyang, the Stalinists would use the missiles to threaten us into letting them � or maybe even helping them, crush it. NORTH KOREA TO JAPAN ON NUCLEAR AMBITION AND ABDUCTEES: BUZZ OFF SOUTH KOREAN INTELLIGENCE SAYS STALINISTS HAVE AT LEAST THREE NUCLEAR WEAPONS Talks designed to pave the way for �normalization� of diplomatic ties between Japan and North Korea hit the wall on the issues of nuclear weapons and the fate of the thirteen kidnap victims � of which the North says only five survived � and their families. Japan got nowhere on either issue. The Stalinists blamed the U.S. as the �root of the problem� regarding its nuclear weapons program. Report: CNN, BBC 10/30 Meanwhile, South Korean intelligence said the North �has built as many as three crude nuclear weapons,� plus �some 4,000 tonnes (UK sp) of biochemical weapons� (BBC 10/29). The North had pledged to �freeze� its nuclear program in 1994, in exchange for two nuclear power plants built by the U.S. and millions of dollars in fuel oil (see 10/21/02, and 10/28/02 NK Reports). Also reporting: Washington Post JAPANESE MEDIA MIFFED AT NORTH KOREA�S COLD SHOULDER The complete lack of progress in last week�s talks is leaving many in Japan to wonder if the North really meant it when it said it wanted to thaw its relationship with Japan (surprise!). Asahi Shimbun, cited in the Washington Times, said, �North Korea's response raises doubts about how serious it is about carrying out the content of the Pyongyang Declaration.� AUSTRALIA DEMANDS NK END NUKE AMBITION, KIM DAE-JUNG SAYS DON�T PUNISH NORTH Australia joined the U.S. and its allies in demanding North Korea drop its nuclear weapons program, saying the Stalinist regime should not be rewarded for �bad behavior� (Cybercast News). Meanwhile, outgoing South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, in keeping wit his widely reviled �sunshine� policy, went the other way, saying toughness on the North would create a �crisis.� This isn�t a crisis already? EVEN RUSSIA IS LESS THEN HAPPY WITH NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA Russia, who as the Soviet Union was one of North Korea�s most generous friends, ripped the Stalinist regime�s response to American evidence of its nuclear weapons program as �ambiguous� and �dangerous� (CNN). Such tough talk from Russia on any ally of the old U.S.S.R. is very rare indeed. TOKYO INSISTS KIDNAP VICTIMS WILL STAY IN JAPAN The fate of five survivors of the North Korean kidnappings in 1978-83 � the five the Stalinists will admit survived � is still up in the air. The Japanese government �says the five, visiting Japan for the first time since they were abducted to help train North Korean spies, will remain in Japan� (BBC). North Korea had wanted them to come back last week, and is still holding their children behind in the North. NORTH KOREA AGREES TO NEW �SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE� FOR INDUSTRIAL PARK North and South Korea reached an agreement over the weekend for an industrial park to be built in the Northern border town of Kaesung. The Stalinists agreed to create a "special economic zone" in the city (BBC). Of course, the last "special economic zone" fell apart when the man the North tipped to lead it ended up under arrest in the PRC for tax evasion. SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT LOSES ELEVEN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT Eleven Members of Parliaments from the Millennium Democratic Party of South Korean President Kim Dae-jung left the party today to �form a negotiating bloc to push for a single reformist candidate� (BBC) for President in December�s elections. The opposition Grand National Party � which opposes Kim�s �sunshine� policy towards the North � continues to lead in the polls, much to the MDP�s chagrin. COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS NORTH KOREA AND IRAQ Eric Margolis, Toronto Sun columnist, believes President Bush is too hard and Iraq, and too soft on North Korea. Harlan Ullman, in the Washington Times, also supports a policy that would be somewhat softer on Iraq, but quite a bit tougher on the Stalinists: �we should be prepared to wage a mini Cold War.� NORTH KOREA AND TAIWAN George Jonas, in the Canadian National Post, warns that the price of Communist Chinese cooperation on North Korea�s nuclear ambitions may have been �a freer hand� for the Communists on Taiwan. Of course, that assumes the recent Bush-Jiang summit actually led to that �cooperation,� outside of the usual PRC rhetoric about a �nuclear-free Korea,� which it has parroted for decades. THE 1994 NUCLEAR POWER DEAL Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, and a leading critic of the 1994 nuclear power deal, demands to know why repeated warnings about North Korea's non-compliance were ignored during the Clinton Administration. His incisive piece is in the Weekly Standard. 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