| Home page To receive this publication via e-mail, click here. THE NORTHERN KOREA REPORT: NOVEMBER 22, 2004 Dragon in the Dark: How and Why Communist China Helps Our Enemies in the War on Terror is now available: here, at Amazon, or at 1-888-280-7715. Our statement on why northern Korea must be liberated can be found here. TOP STORY: PRESIDENT BUSH DEMANDS STALINISTS END NUCLEAR AMBITIONS At last weekend�s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, President Bush �demand(ed) that North Korea and Iran halt their nuclear arms programmes (UK sp)� (London Times). The president also �pressed for a tougher line on the isolated communist state� in talks with Russia, Japan, Communist China, and the Republic of Korea. Those are the other four participants in the now-suspended six-party talks on ending Stalinist-controlled northern Korea's nuclear ambitions. Outside of U.S. concessions and Stalinist hyperbole (see 10/21/02, 12/8/03, 12/22/03, 6/7, 6/28, 9/20, and 9/28 NKRs), the talks have not produced much. Bush said the four were �united� (Washington Times) and with him. How �united� they really are � given the dovish tendencies of the elected government of the Republic of Korea, a.k.a. South Korea (Cybercast News) � remains to be seen. As for the Stalinist regime itself, did not follow Bush�s advice to �get rid of your nuclear weapons programmes (UK sp)� (BBC). Also reporting: Voice of America via Epoch Times WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION NEWS U.S. TROOP COMMANDER SAYS SCNK COULD SELL PLUTONIUM TO TERRORISTS The commander of U.S. military forces in Korea expressed concern �that North Korea may sell its weapons-grade plutonium to international terrorists� (United Press International via Washington Times). General Leon J. LaPorte noted that Stalinist-controlled northern Korea �is a known proliferator of missiles, missile technology and other military hardware.� OUTGOING POWELL SAYS SCNK MAY COME BACK TO SIX-PARTY TALKS Outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell (see Other American-Related News) said Stalinist-controlled northern Korea that �North Korea may be ready to resume multi-party talks to defuse a crisis over its nuclear ambitions� (Voice of America via Epoch Times). As noted in the Top Story three previous rounds of six-party talks, which included SCNK, the U.S., Communist China, Japan, Russia, and the Republic of Korea (�South Korea�), have led only to American concessions and Stalinist hyperbole. �LEFT-LEANING� THINK TANK SAYS GIVE SCNK WHAT IT WANTS, DROP HUMAN RIGHTS The International Crisis Group, called a �politically left-leaning organization� by VOA (via Epoch Times) called for the U.S. �to provide Pyongyang with a detailed energy assistance and security package available as soon as North Korea disarms,� and not to �load the agenda with human rights and other concerns.� Apparently the folks at ICG didn�t notice the last time this was tried � the horrendous 1994 Agreed Framework (see 10/21/02 NKR). Stop the SCNK Nuclear Power Plants: Are the plants dead or aren�t they? You can make sure they don�t come back! Use this China e-Lobby fact sheet and tell the President to kill the power plants from the 1994 agreement that SCNK broke. OTHER AMERICAN-RELATED NEWS POWELL AND ARMITAGE RESIGN Secretary of State Colin Powell and his deputy Richard Armitage resigned on Monday (CNN). Armitage �has played a leading role in handling . . . North Korean nuclear crisis� (Cybercast News). From this quarter, it would be more accurate to say Armitage mishandled SCNK�s nuclear ambitions. THINK TANK CALLS FOR DIRECT TALKS WITH SCNK, STAYS SILENT ON LIBERATION A report from the Asia Foundation called on the U.S. to accept one-on-one talks with SCNK, �if the U.S. truly wants to find a way to terminate North Korea's nuclear program� (Cybercast News). Neither the report nor Foundation co-chairman Michael Armacost said anything about liberating northern Korea. ABDUCTION NEWS JAPANESE NOT HAPPY OVER SCNK ABDUCTION INTRANSIGENCE The continuing lack of cooperation from Stalinist-controlled northern Korea on the issue of the Japanese abducted by the regime from 1978 to 1983 has infuriated Japan�s media. As the BBC notes in its summary of Japanese media opinion, �the latest developments have made Japan even more suspicious of its neighbour (UK sp).� The �latest developments� refers to the recent talks between Japan and SCNK on the fate of the abductees. SCNK admits to having captured thirteen Japanese citizens, but it insists that eight of the thirteen abduction victims are dead � the other five were allowed to return to Japan. The regime�s previous lies on this subject have left everyone skeptical (MSNBC). Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was not happy with the miniscule evidence the Stalinists gave him this time � all supposedly on Megumi Yokota, who the regime claims killed herself over ten years ago. Several high-ranking members of Japan�s ruling Liberal Democratic Party have recently called for economic sanctions against the Stalinists. Dozens of other Japanese believe their relatives were also abducted; the Koizumi government agrees with them in two cases. For more on the plight of the abductees and their families, see 9/23/02, 9/30/02, 10/7/02, 10/14/02, 10/21/02, 10/28/02, 11/18/02, 12/19/02, 5/24, 7/19, 7/27, 8/10, and last NKRs. HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNAL NEWS WHO TOOK DOWN KIM JONG-IL�S PORTRAITS? Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il has such a hammer lock on the people suffering under his rule that the removal of his pictures has become news. Speculation had it that Kim ordered the move himself to make it easier on his successor (likely one of his sons), or �some attempt at a power-grab by anti-Kim forces in the military� (Cybercast News) was at work. That theory was put forward by activist Douglas Shin, although even he considered it the �least likely� of possible explanations. Meanwhile, the Stalinists insisted the reports were �groundless fabrication� (BBC, VOA via Epoch Times), and highlighted another leg in Kim�s unending Stalinist military tour (Washington Post, seventh item). SCNK HOSTS ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE The Television Trust for the Environment, a UK-based environmentalist group, �sponsored a meeting in Pyongyang for the international diplomatic corps in which participants shared about the successes of the Stalinist nation in the field of environmental protection� (World Net Daily). Animal-rights activist Jane Goodall also attended the gathering. As WND put it (and very well): �It's not unusual for North Korea to promote the environmentalist agenda, even while making life a living hell for its own population.� COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS ON SCNK AND THE U.S. Nicholas Eberstadt, of the American Enterprise Institute, has not one column but two on President Bush and SCNK. He predicts the president�s future policies in Time Asia, and gives his recommendation for policy (which does include liberation) in the Weekly Standard. Paul Reynolds, BBC, weighs in on SCNK and Iran�s nuclear ambitions. ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTHERN KOREA Patrick Goodenough, Cybercast News, talks to human rights activists dealing with SCNK who have high hopes for President Bush�s second term. Bush�s pre-election signing of the North Korea Human Rights Act (see 10/25 NKR) and other refugee policy changes were praised by activist Douglas Shin as �the most promising (actions) he has seen in years.� ON THE ROK AND JAPAN The BBC gauges reaction from the Republic of Korea press (and Communist China) on Japan�s possible return to a normal nation with a normal military. ON THE ROK NATIONAL SECURITY LAW Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, examines the debate in the ROK over ruling Uri Party�s plans to abolish the National Security Law, which bans supporting Stalinist-controlled northern Korea. The debate has pitted the dovish Uri Party � led by President Roh Moo-hyun � against the more hawkish opposition Grand National Party (see also 9/14 NKR). ON COMMUNIST CHINA�S ROLE Mr. Goodenough also talked to analysts contemplating the prospects of building �a sub-regional security architecture� in northeast Asia. Liberation gets nary a word of mention, let alone support, from the aforementioned analysts in the Cybercast News piece. Check out the Communist China and the Terrorist War page. Sign the petition for an American boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Miss an Update, Week's Links, or a Northern Korea Report? Find it via our home page. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested in receiving it. Anyone who wishes to join (or unsubscribe or change their address) can send his/her name to [email protected]. Please feel free to send any news on Communist China or Stalinist-controlled northern Korea that you find to the same address. |