Quality Leadership Weblog :-)

N. Korea: U.S. Must Alter ‘Hostile’ Policy, (Houston Chronicle)…Jean H. Lee, Associated Press. North Korea said it refuses to give up its nuclear weapons until after the U.S. alters its “hostile policy” toward the North’s government and proves it does not pose an atomic threat to the wartime rival.
 
North Korea Maintains Its Tough Stance, (New [...]

The Tony Soprano of North Korea, Time Magazine, By Bill Powell, Jul. 12, 2007
Illicit Activity and Proliferation, North Korean Smuggling Networks, by Sheena Chestnut, International Security
THE “SOPRANOS STATE”? NORTH KOREAN INVOLVEMENT IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY, SHEENA E. CHESTNUT, 20 May 2005.

A timeline on missile development in North Korea: Staff and Wire ReportsTuesday, February 13, 2007;

White House Voices Concern On North Korea and Uranium, (Washington Post)…Glenn Kessler
The White House yesterday raised anew the possibility that North Korea has an active program to enrich uranium, an issue the administration had played down in recent years as it sought to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear programs.
In 2002, the administration accused [...]

Huge Rally Backs Kim, Military, (Washington Times)…Unattributed, Jan 6, 2009.
Tens of thousands of North Koreans rallied Monday in Pyongyang’s main square to show their support for new year’s policies laid out by leader Kim Jong-il calling for bolstering the military.
Pumping their fists in unison and waving red flags as they marched through Kim Il-sung Square [...]

China and North Korea in new diplomatic dance. Together, both can gain with new U.S. administration, JoongAng Dailey, Jan 3, 2009
North Korea and China are showing growing signs of cementing stronger political ties this year in what many experts here said is an effort to secure a better position in the upcoming diplomatic dialogue with [...]

OPINION: Obama Promises Bush III On Iran,  (Wall Street Journal)…John R. Bolton, January 2, 2009, Pg. 15
“You’d have to be an idiot to trust the North Koreans,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said recently … 
… the biggest problem ahead is countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
… The (six party) talks are classic [...]

A Neutral Note For The New Year, (Los Angeles Times)…Times Wire ReportsNorth Korea issued a New Year’s message with a promise to strengthen its military, but it broke with tradition by not accusing the U.S. of anything and only briefly mentioning its controversial nuclear program.
Frustrating Editorial, Jan 2, 2009. JoongAng Dailey
The usual tirades and hostile [...]

Damages Awarded In USS Pueblo Case, (Washington Post)…Unattributed, December 31, 2008 , Pg. 5  

A federal judge awarded more than $65 million to several men who were captured and tortured by North Korea after the communist country seized the U.S. spy ship USS Pueblo during the Cold War.
In entering the judgment against North Korea, which [...]

 Moral Surrender To Pyongyang, (Washington Post)…Michael Gerson, Dec 19, 2008
…The negotiations with North Korea were worth a try. But diplomatic engagement does not require moral surrender. And when diplomats such as Christopher Hill are deployed, it does not signify that the adults have arrived. It means that hope is fading.
The argument was simple: In an [...]