US and Allies won't build North Korean reactors

[alapolitical]

The United States and its key allies agreed Wednesday to suspend construction of two nuclear power plants in North Korea, saying that the energy-starved communist state won't get them unless it gives up its nuclear weapons program.

This portends many bad and ugly things.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1068113731314400.xml

[teryang]

1. The deal went sour when...

...it became apparent that the American side was not making a good faith effort to complete the facility as promised under the 1994 agreement. No surprise since the neocons and the commander in thief had been harsh critics of the agreement for some time. The agreement was breached unilaterally by the American side.

Now the administration wants to represent this as some sort of multi-lateral effort when the crisis was precipitated by their own unilateral decision to breach the agreement. Now they expect to take the N.Koreans in again on the same scheme. The only way this is going to have a prayer of working is if fuel shipments are promised during the interim and resumed while N.Korea waits several more years for the plants promised in 1994.

[GRClarkesq]

2. NK in breach also?

North Korea envoy says nuclear deterrent ready to use

LONDON - North Korea's envoy in Britain said on Thursday that Pyongyang had a nuclear deterrent that was ready to use and powerful enough to deter any US attack.

Ambassador Ri Yong Ho told Reuters in an interview that North Korea would only use its capability in self-defence. Asked if North Korea had a nuclear bomb, he said: "What we are saying is, a nuclear deterrent capability."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3533004&thesection=news&thesubsection=world