North Korea agrees to nuclear disarmament

N. Korea agreed to nuclear disarmament today after reaching a resolution during six party talks. The resolution calls for N. Korea to shut down it's main nuclear reactor and dismantle it's atomic weapons program within four months in exchange for aid, specifically 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil. If N. Korea continues with it's dis-armament then the US will continue to provide aid.

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton stated, “It sends exactly the wrong signal to would-be proliferators around the world: 'If we hold out long enough, wear down the State Department negotiators, eventually you get rewarded,' in this case with massive shipments of heavy fuel oil for doing only partially what needs to be done."

Although I appreciate the worthy goal of disarming N. Korea and discontinuing their nuclear proliferation, I am hesitant to believe that this resolution is anything but a stall tactic perpetrated by the Communist government. I believe that Pyongyang will bid by the resolution until initial shipments of aid come in, then he will force inspectors out of the country or not cooperate with inspectors who will have the monumental task of trying to find all of his weapons depots. This is a re-creation of the Iraq conflict between 1992 and 2002.

In addition, why are we providing fuel aid to N. Korea when the United State's own fuel dilemma is in question? Currently, President Bush has ordered our oil reserves to be stockpiled in fear of a possible showdown with Iran. If we are stockpiling oil and do not have a steady supply from a country that is not torn with conflict then why are we promising that kind of aid to N. Korea.

Finally, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, stated that N. Korea could still face sanctions from the international community including Russia. Isn't it funny that just two days ago, Russian President Putin berated the United States for getting too involved in international affairs, specifically referring to Iranian nuclear development, but yet here he is involved in talks with N. Korean in regards to their nuclear development? Could it be because Russia has provided military support to Iran?