North Korea Strikes It Rich: The State Department's response to nuclear betrayal? Free oil!

Wall St Journal ^ | 10-24-02

[SJackson]

North Korea can be forgiven if it is beginning to think that nuclear weapons are the best investment it's ever made. Only a day after the Bush Administration exposed Pyongyang's secret program to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs, another shipment of free fuel oil arrived on its shores, courtesy of U.S. taxpayers.

[Eternal_Bear]

After we take over Iraq, maybe we will give Kim their oil if he promises to be nice? Bizarre.

[taxed2death]

Is this how my tax money is to be spent? Free oil? I wish the Gub-mint would back a tanker truck up to my home as it is heated by oil also. Can anyone tell me how one might get in on this government program.......aside from owning nukes of course. Where do I sign up for MY "free" oil?

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

I hope FR would have a category of PATHETIC because this is where this belongs. The righteous and bellicose W admin turns into jelly as soon as somene says N Korea.

[elfman2]

"At a minimum, we'd think this would warrant an immediate U.S. withdrawal from the 1994 Agreed Framework, which even the North itself now declares "nullified." That would mean a halt to further U.S. oil shipments, and no more construction of two light-water nuclear reactors. "

Psst, After Iraq…, and maybe Iran. No need to split our forces right now.

[Tallguy]

We would have expected this from the Clinton officials who first turned bribery into policy back in 1994. And sure enough, in the Washington Post on Sunday former Defense Secretary William Perry argued that appeasement is more important than ever.

This is a case where practical considerations (the coming war with Iraq) trump the theoretical (no WMD's for 3rd world dictators). Just like Abraham Lincoln said during the Trent Affair: "One war at a time."

[FBDinNJ]

This article disgusts me. The last thing we should be doing is rewarding those Stalinists for attaining Nuclear Status.

The Government is playing right into Kim's hands. Kim only stated that he has Nukes because he wants more aid to his country. Why does he want this aid? Because the damn place is falling apart. If our food aid was cut off tommorow we wouldn't have to worry about a war with North Korea because half of their population would be dead by the end of Winter.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

This is a case where practical considerations (the coming war with Iraq) trump the theoretical (no WMD's for 3rd world dictators).

What does 'war' have to do with giving the Commies free oil. It's so pathetic, it makes one puke - or sick to the stomach, as W would say

[Tallguy]

What does 'war' have to do with giving the Commies free oil?

Gee, I dunno? I guess it could have something to do with the proximity of Seoul to the DMZ?

C'mon, get with it! It's generally agreed that the US oil embargo against Japan forced the Japanese to accelerate there war plans against the US (Pearl Harbor). Don't ya think that North Korea is in EXACTLY the same spot if we cut off their oil?

I'm not saying don't cut off their oil. I'm just saying that we shouldn't be in a hurry to do so. First things first.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

Funny, funny, funny... but still pathetic.

Warrior W is afraid that the N K's are going to blow up Seoul unless W gives the N K's free oil?

They should do this on Saturday Night Live.

[Tallguy]

Ever hear of Task Force Smith? The US Army is shifting the bulk of it's deployable combat power to the Persian Gulf. There will be only light, air transportable 'contingency' forces remaining. Tankers call light infantry "crunchies" -- and NK has lots of tanks.

Most experts agree that NK has the power to destroy Seoul, and take a good chunk of southern real estate before the US can do much of anything. This is even more the case given the current situation in the Gulf.

If NK is put into a "Use it or Lose it" situation, I have no doubt that which they will choose. You can call it 'Pathetic' if you want. But if we are to take-on NK, I'd like to do so on our terms, not theirs.

[ffusco]

can you say carrot and stick? The NK's assume we will cut off their oil, and fuel their mistrust of the west. Let them see first our reslove in removing saddam while they enjoy oil courtesy of U.S. taxpayers. I bet they blink first- they told us about their nuke program- do we trust them or are they bluffing?

[ffusco]

I agree w/ you. BTW we have little proof of their claims and need not act rashly.

[secretagent]

I read in other articles that we supply N Korea with 500,000 tons of free fuel oil each year. At one point we supplied, free, 1/3 of their entire food supply.

Forget about bombing them, don't even have to sanction them. Just quit paying them extortion money.

They see it as their superior warrior spirit exacting tribute, and it just encourages more of the same.

[wcbtinman]

"...Ari Fleischer on Monday defended the oil shipment as a price worth paying for peace..."

Next time the Bush administration says we "don't negotiate with/payoff terrorists", they should be reminded of this.

[wcbtinman]

"If food aid was cut off tommorrow..."

If food aid was cut off, we wouldn't have to worry about Kim very much longer.

Starving citizens with nothing to lose would kill this bastard in a nanosecond in order to eat.

[rmmcdaniell]

This is a case where practical considerations (the coming war with Iraq) trump the theoretical (no WMD's for 3rd world dictators). Just like Abraham Lincoln said during the Trent Affair: "One war at a time."

They've already broken thier word. If they think they can invade South Korea while we're in Iraq they will do it irregardless of wether we attempt to pacify them or not. In fact giving them oil will only provide them more resourses and make it easier to invade the South. More of Dubya's spinelessness.

[rmmcdaniell]

Ever hear of Task Force Smith? The US Army is shifting the bulk of it's deployable combat power to the Persian Gulf. There will be only light, air transportable 'contingency' forces remaining. Tankers call light infantry "crunchies" -- and NK has lots of tanks.

Most experts agree that NK has the power to destroy Seoul, and take a good chunk of southern real estate before the US can do much of anything. This is even more the case given the current situation in the Gulf.

Which is why giving away this oil is so incredibly stupid. The oil we are sending them will fuel the tanks as they overrun Seol.

[rmmcdaniell]

Ever hear of Task Force Smith? The US Army is shifting the bulk of it's deployable combat power to the Persian Gulf. There will be only light, air transportable 'contingency' forces remaining. Tankers call light infantry "crunchies" -- and NK has lots of tanks.

Most experts agree that NK has the power to destroy Seoul, and take a good chunk of southern real estate before the US can do much of anything. This is even more the case given the current situation in the Gulf.

Which is why giving away this oil is so incredibly stupid. The oil we are sending them will fuel the tanks as they overrun Seol.

[ServesURight]

If Gore was president, he'd had given NK not only free oil, but SK thrown in as well.

Don't worry, Bush has a plan to deal with NK, otherwise he wouldn't have included them in his axis of evil speech.

Besides, NK is extremely isolated and backwards. The state of Rhode Island could probably kick their behinds.