Norks Celebrate 100 Days of Change by Threatening to Enrich Uranium

Kim Jong "Mentally" Il might by a psychopathic nutcase, but he can read Obama like Mao's Little Red Book. Last month when Barack Obama absurdly called for the end of nukes, the little freakazoid lobbed a long-range rocket. Today, on Obama's 100th day of fecklessness laughably called Smart Power, Dear Leader threatened to start up his uranium enrichment program again.

Ah, thank goodness the world loves us again.

North Korea said Wednesday that it would start an uranium enrichment program, declaring for the first time that it intended to pursue a second project unless the United Nations lifted sanctions.

Calling the Security Council “a tool for the U.S. highhanded and arbitrary practices,” North Korea also threatened to conduct nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

It would take North Korea months to prepare a nuclear or ballistic missile test, and some Western intelligence agencies suspect that North Korea has already been pursuing a covert uranium-based nuclear program in parallel to its known plutonium-based program. New nuclear tests would use up some of North Korea’s fissile material, but give it more information to improve its technology, as would new missile tests.

By making public threats, the North used a familiar tactic to raise the stakes in the standoff between itself and Washington. Analysts say the country needs outside aid to feed its own people and outside enemies to justify its harsh rule. Since the collapse of the Soviet bloc, when North Korea lost most of its trade partners and aid providers, the impoverished country has used threats as a survival tactic. (When the United States and South Korea provide the North with aid, the government internally tells its people that the “enemies come groveling with tributes.”).

I wonder if any of the slobbering media Obama deigns to call on tonight will mention this?

More Iranian Appeasement On The Way

It seems the UN Security council, of which the US is a member, have agreed to a new package of bribes, er, concessions, durnnit, incentives, that's the word, to present to Ahmadinejad when they come bowing and scraping on their knees in front of the Lilliputian Islamic revolutionary dictator.

Friday's deal was agreed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Russia, China, the UK and France - plus Germany.

None of the details of this latest gesture of appeasement are being made public yet, and none of this groveling is going to make Ahmadinejaid stop his constant march towards having nuclear weapons like an old time runaway vibrating football game (think 1960's before Playstation and John Madden).

It doesn't matter whether this latest jizya is accepted or rejected by the little man, his course is set and he will not be deterred. In the meantime, it justs continues to reinforce into this mental midget the belief that he is just as powerful as any other country on the planet and, in fact, more powerful, because while he is offering no compromise the infidels continue to try and appease him.

Appeasement does not work. When you reward bad behavior that is exactly what you are going to get--more bad behavior.

Bush, Putin United Against Iran?

We'll have to see how this plays out. Somehow I doubt Putin is being genuine.

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine - President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin projected a united front Monday against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.

"When Russia and the United States speak along the same lines, it tends to have an effect and therefore I appreciate the Russians' attitude in the United Nations," Bush said. "We're close on recognizing that we got to work together to send a common message."

Putin predicted that "we will continue to be successful" as they work through the U.N. Security Council.

Security Council members have begun discussing a U.S. proposal for sanctions against Iran because of its refusal to stop enriching uranium. The U.S., Russia and their fellow permanent U.N. Security Council members, however, have told Iran they will hold off on new sanctions if it stops expanding its enrichment activities while they seek to restart talks about the program with Tehran. Diplomats say the Iranian government has not yet responded to the proposal.

Putin suggested there would be "further substantial intercourse on this issue."

It was unclear whether the leaders had agreed on methods or merely wanted to gloss over for public consumption any differences on strategy.

Why am I suspicious whenever the UN is involved?

Meanwhile, it's high time Iran is held accountable for their actions in Iraq.

Iranian forces helped plan one of the most sophisticated militant assaults of the Iraq war -- a January raid in which gunmen posed as an American security team and launched an attack that killed five U.S. soldiers, an American general said today.

U.S. military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner also accused Iran of using its Lebanese ally, the Shiite militia Hezbollah, as a "proxy" to arm Shiite militants in Iraq.

The claims were an escalation in U.S. accusations that Iran is fueling Iraq's violence, which the government in Tehran has denied. It was also the first time the U.S. military has said Hezbollah has a direct role -- which, if true, would bring a dangerous new player into Iraq's conflict.

Hezbollah has denied any activities in Iraq, saying it operates only in Lebanon.

Peacekeepers Will Not Succeed

Undoubtedly, the UN and their intrepid partners, the State Department, will ultimately ignore this observation.

Belgium, which currently holds the presidency of the U.N. Security Council, said Friday that a peacekeeping force for the Gaza strip would stand no chance of success under the current circumstances.

''At this stage, there is not even the beginning of the conditions under which a possible peacekeeping force could operate,'' said Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht ''At this point, a proposal would stand no chance.''

Jean-Pierre Kerry was begging 'foreign leaders' to listen to his mindless pontificating and was unavailable for comment.

Europe Threatens Action Against Iran

The Iranians must be quaking in their boots.

Europe threatens action as Iran airs new 'confession'

The EU threatened to act against Iran last night if it did not immediately and unconditionally release the 15 British sailors and marines it has been holding for more than a week.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Bremen, Germany, threatened "appropriate measures" if Tehran did not let the group go, supporting Britain's position that the crew had been in Iraqi waters when they were seized eight days ago. The ministers did not spell out what measures would be taken, but British diplomats hoped they would involve an escalating array of punitive steps.

The tough statement was the kind of direct rebuke Britain had sought in vain from the UN security council on Thursday night when, in the face of resistance from Russia and others, the council only expressed concern but threatened no action. Despite the EU statement, prospects for a quick resolution to the crisis dwindled yesterday after another propaganda video and letter featuring more dubious confessions and apologies by the captives.

Forget statements. Here's a few suggestions: naval blockade, destruction of oil facilities, monetary freeze, sending home all their students, seizure of their assets.

A few more recommendations can be found here and here.

British Sailors "Admit" Entering Iran Waters

Sure they do. We shouldn't doubt what the Iranians say, right?

Fifteen British sailors and marines detained off Iraq by the Iranian navy have admitted illegally entering Iranian waters, senior Iranian commander General Alireza Afshar said Saturday.

"They are currently being questioned and have admitted to violating the territorial waters of the Islamic repubic," Afshar, the official spokesman of the army chief of staff, told the semi-official Fars news agency.

He told the Arabic language service of state television: "We have solid evidence that they were detained in our territorial waters. They themselves have confessed and admitted their mistake."

I question the timing.

The UN Security Council is due to vote in New York on whether to impose further sanctions against Iran.

The move was announced by Britain's UN envoy, who predicted a unanimous vote.

The sanctions would block Iranian arms exports and freeze the assets of individuals and companies involved in Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.

Elsewhere, Pajamas Media has High Stakes Hold 'em in the Persian Gulf.

Also see the American Thinker: Did Mahmoud Blink?