| Submit your comments on this article | |
| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Japanese official calls for N. Korea deadline: Kyodo | |
| 2005-03-20 | |
TOKYO - A Japanese official has proposed ending six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions and taking the issue to the United Nations Security Council if Pyongyang does not return to the stalled talks before June, Kyodo news agency reported.
The comment marked a departure from previous public comments by Japanese government officials, who have never publicly mentioned any specific deadline for ending the six-way talks or spoken of referring the issue to the UN Security Council, Kyodo said. However, the proposal may have been put forward to gauge the reaction of other parties to the talks rather than as the official stance of the Japanese government, Kyodo quoted the sources as saying. The comments were made at an informal conference attended by envoys and scholars from the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea—all the parties to the six-way talks besides North Korea. Conference participants included Joseph DeTrani, the US special envoy to the six-way talks, Kyodo said. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #10 Spavimble - I believe that you may be overly optimistic on the ROK Army's acquiring significant hands-on experience. The Seoul regime is so reluctant to suffer any casualties that they have, essentially, restricted themselves to their own base. The Korean newspapers have reported VERY little on their activities. The only article I saw recently (and I read five Korean [English language] Korean newspapers every day) discussed the possibility of the ROK Army installing bidots in their latrines(!). A comment to a reporter by one of the locals in the town of Irbil said something to the effect that ROK Army personnel seemed to be really nice people and that the locals might get to like them even more ... if they were to ever actually get out into the town. |
| Posted by: Michael Sheehan 2005-03-20 9:17:52 PM |
| #9 Since the US and EU love to give money away, we could together cover the cost of reunification of Korea if it came to that. Or at least share the cost. The Norks need to go. They are a menace to everyone, especially their own people. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-03-20 7:08:36 PM |
| #8 The US might have made a deal with China that once it's been mulled over by the UNSC, the other powers will give China permission for a regime change, as long as they do it quick and clean, without letting it spread. Everyone who likes the status quo will be happy, the Norks will still be a buffer between the South and the US and China, yet will start on the path to development and away from the whole Stalinist thing. Everybody wins something. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-03-20 3:26:18 PM |
| #7 I'll trust to your expertise on the military stuff, Spavimble ;-) but everything I've seen out of South Korea says they have absolutely no enthusiasm for using violence to end Kim's regime. (I'm not sure they actually want Kim to fall -- they've seen the cost borne by W.Germany post-unification.) I realize my imagination is limited by my ignorance, but I don't see how a UNSC resolution would change their attitude. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-03-20 11:54:24 AM |
| #6 Woops. Monikor left over from yesterday. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-03-20 11:16:39 AM |
| #5 The widely celebrated Six-Way Talks have and will do absolutely nothing. The quickest way to solve the North Korea problem is to have the Nork government fall, followed by a massive relief operation. In that way, the most North Koreans will be saved. If the Chicoms want to enable the Norks by giving aid, fuel, etc, then let them be the sugar daddies and bear the cost. That cost will not only include a cash drain, but nuclar armed Japan and possibliy Taiwan. The Six-Way Talks are just a way for Kimmie to get attention and intimidate his neighbors with the "Sea O' Fire" thing. |
| Posted by: Al-Aska Saul 2005-03-20 11:15:32 AM |
| #4 The last time something like this went to the Security Council, didn't France get Iraq invaded? Amb. Bolton ought to make sure that fact gets pointed out :-) |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-03-20 10:41:26 AM |
| #3 TW - other than our Air Force, recon and intel capability, and logistical resupply of some materials, I suspect the S.Koreans could pretty much handle the job on their own. BTW, as the third largest contingent in Iraq, I'm sure their Army is getting some real valuable hands on experience in civil affairs and infrastructure rebuilding that they might see in the near future. |
| Posted by: Spavimble Hupeart2664 2005-03-20 9:34:17 AM |
| #2 I'd asy it's China that's getting the pressure, not France. It will be interesting to watch East Asian reaction to this statement. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-03-20 7:14:36 AM |
| #1 The last time something like this went to the Security Council, didn't France get Iraq invaded? This feels like a big stick to me. The only problem is, right now we're a bit busy with Syria and Iran. France stalling a bit isn't necessarily a bad thing; let them expend diplomatic capital stalling the wrong battle. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-03-20 6:31:21 AM |