No Change

Some news from the Philippines-

MANILA, July 30 Asia Pulse - The Philippines has offered to host a continuation of the talks among the six countries on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said Saturday.

In his closing remarks after presiding over the 40th Meeting of the ASEAN Standing Committee held Saturday at the Philippine International Convention Centre (PICC) here, Romulo said that the Philippines is "aware of the precarious situation in the Korean Peninsula, which continues to grapple with the danger of nuclear proliferation.".

Romulo said that it is in the interest of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to support the Six-Party Talks and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"For this reason, the Philippines has offered the Six-Party members, all of whom are attending the ARF, the opportunity to continue their dialogue if they wish to, here in Manila," Romulo said.

Five of the members of the Six-Party Talks are also full dialogue partners of ASEAN. They are the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

Along with North Korea, the other member of the Six-Party Talks, the five are attending the 14th ARF.

Its a nice but meaningless offer from the Philippines. The talks could take place on Mt. Everest, 1,000 feet beneath in the front yard of my in-laws Tacloban home, the outcome is unlikely to change. Kim Il-Jong sees posession of nuclear weapons as a safeguard against attack by either the US or South Korea. The Knucklehead in Pyongyang is right, as long as the threat is there, he's secure. Dictators are very insecure by nature, their self preservation is almost always their #1 goal.

History has shown us that Pyongyang will promise changes in trade of some concessions. When North Korea gets what it wants, the stalling begins.

Bottom line- As much as we dislike it, the world is going to have to have to live with a nuclear North Korea.

Linked to- Big Dog, High Desert Wanderer, Is it just me?, Right Voices,