The North Koreans, will also receive food and fuel, the country is dark at night, from lack of electricity and there have been millions of North Koreans who have died from lack of food. This multi-level negotiation has been going on for seven years. The country has to agree to inspections to verify that specific actions have been accomplished. The North Koreans handed over a declaration, of their nuclear programs and activities to China. China was very instrumental in the negotiations, one main reason that the Chinese were so involved, was reported to be, the resistance, to the possibility of millions of refugees, coming into China, from North Korea, which would adversely, impact the country of China. The United States put pressure on North Korea through isolation, and squeezing its banking system.

The North Koreans, seemingly decided, eventually, that it would be in their best interest, to submit to the requests from the international community. The Bush administration, is well deserving of taking a bow, for this accomplishment, although there is criticism, that the United States gave too much. Let us all hope, that the North Koreans will follow through with the requirements, within the agreements. This is not the first agreement the North Koreans have been a party to, and not kept its word, let us try to believe that this time will be different, for the sake of the North Korean people and all the people of the world community, who desire less nuclear weapons, not more.

Since April 24, 2003, North Korea openly declared that they have manufactured nuclear weapons to “protect” themselves from the United States. Once their power was declared, they withdrew from disarmament talks. No one could convince the North to dispose of their nuclear plants and missiles.

North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, is the one responsible for its Nuclear power and production of nuclear weapons. There are as many as 22 nuclear facilities in 18 locations in North Korea. Most facilities are located in Yongbyon. Most weapons are produced in these facilities located in Yongbyon, although, as stated by globalsecurity.org, “[By April 18, 2004,] North Korea had shut down the reactor.” Reasons for the reactor's closing may be because North Korea wants to reprocess spent fuel rods into weapon material and reprocess spent plutonium into weapons fuel. Once these rods and plutonium were reprocessed, they reopened the reactor. This fuel and newly processed weapon material has greatly increased Kim Jong Il's power. These actions have made him into a greater threat.

During these last few years, Kim Jong Il has made many statements and speeches about North Korea's power. He has been trying to induce fear by threatening the world. Primarily, he targets the United States with these “threats,” which is what his speeches are meant to be.

On Monday, October 9, 2006, Kim Jong Il announced he had carried out his first nuclear bomb test. Confirmed by U.S. Intelligence, by detection of a seismic event, and Russia, saying they witnessed the test. As stated by CNN, “[The blast] was equivalent to about 500 metric tons of TNT, which a senior U.S. intelligence community official said was unusually small for a nuclear blast.” President George W. Bush made this comment as quoted by BBC News: "The United States condemns this provocative act; The transfer of nuclear weapons would be considered a grave threat to the United States; Today's claim by North Korea serves only to raise tensions.”

Since the blast, all talks and attempts to persuade Kim Jong Il to dismantle his weapons and shut down all nuclear facilities have failed. Kim Jong Il refuses to dismantle his weapons. Several meetings revolving around dismantling these weapons have not moved the North Korean leader. A few talks have been made between United States negotiators and lesser power North Korean government leaders. One talk has made much progress. CNN tell us that Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator with North Korea, met with Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan. Hill claims that the talks outlined denuclearization in return for $300 million in energy and financial aid. Hill and the United States remains optimistic about the denuclearization of North Korea.

Although these steps are being taken with the United States, North Korea is performing heinous acts against other countries. North Korea is currently abducting Japanese citizens. Reasons for these abductions are due to Japan's aggression towards North Korea between 1910 and 1945. They colonized the Korean Peninsula. Talks to resolve this issue are continuing after a one year break.

Talks in Washington D.C. are showing signs of North Korea moving closer to nuclear disarmament. February 13, 2007, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, and North and South Korea, the United States agreed to take 30 days to resolve its issues with a Macao bank as part of the nuclear disarmament plan in North Korea. March 14, 2007, Christopher Hill arrived in Beijing promising an early resolution to the issue.

The Macao bank had cut its ties with North Korea after being charged with laundering money and distributing counterfeit money in North Korea. This money was used for trading purposes. The United States' claims caused the bank to freeze all North Korean accounts. Now, North Korea refused to commence with negotiations until their accounts were unfrozen.

On March 22, 2007, talks revolving around North Korea's nuclear program ended with no progress towards disarmament of North Korea. Negotiations had lasted for four days, ended by the frozen bank accounts. A quote from Kim Kye-gwan states, “Our delegation went home because there was no progress on the promised transfer of the funds.” The money was to be transferred to the bank of China. The bank needs time to process the money and overcome legal issues too before transferring North Korea's funds to the bank of China. Christopher Hill stated that the money transfer should be overcome quickly to continue negotiations with North Korea.

I believe that the situation in North Korea will be resolved. I have hopes that Christopher Hill and other negotiators will succeed in the disarmament of North Korea. Although, Kim Jong Il is a stubborn man, he will have to give in to disarmament eventually. He is in a very negotiable position in which he could achieve and gain a higher power.

In my opinion, Kim Jong Il will give into disarmament in exchange for the offers made by the negotiating countries. Most offers involve giving financial aid and oil in exchange for reactors and other nuclear facilities to be shut down. So far, Kim has excepted the deal to close the Yongbyon reactor, but will not shut it down until their money from the frozen accounts has been received. Progress is being made to achieve disarmament and the progress we've made gives me confidence that disarmament of North Korea will be successful.

The nation planned to test its missiles on Sunday, October 08, 2006. Countries take certain actions every once in a while to clearly state their international position and power. Depending on the event, it triggers a chain of succeeding actions taken by other nations. An arms race around the world will occur if North Korea continues to act foolishly and does not heed to China or Japan 's warnings. “ Japan and China agreed Sunday that a North Korea nuclear test "cannot be tolerated" and that Pyongyang should return unconditionally to six-party negotiations on its nuclear programs, the Japanese prime minister said.” Militarization has been a looming rumor in recent days, expecting the worst and how to defend themselves. Sadly, in our world countries are constantly trying to prove themselves to each other and many times, people will die.

Tension increased globally on Tuesday when North Korea announced that it would carry out a nuclear test “at an unspecified time.” This is messing with the balance of power around the world and threatening countries. There is no need to test nuclear weapons, and if there was one it would be to prepare for what is forthcoming. Apparently Kim Jong-Il and the North Koreans are preparing for a full-scale nuclear war. America will do anything to prevent a catastrophic nuclear mess that could leave the world in ruins. Red flags are should be going up when a nation is just “testing out some weapons that could wipe out entire metropolitan areas.” One should ask themselves “Why?”

Even its neighbor, communist China has released several warnings. It plays a big role in the North Korean economy as most of North Korea 's essential imports such as food and lumber are from China . The Japanese are pondering over changing their pacifist constitution to mold into a more defensive country in the event of a nuclear occurrence. Going through with its nuclear plans would put the United States between a rock and a hard place, causing them to take action as it is “the world's police” and has to defend its title as an international mega power. If the nuclear tests do seem to work, North Korea could sell it to its potential allies.

Looking back into history, it is clear what can happen if an arms race were to begin. The Cold War still lingers in the minds of Americans even though it was a war of words, then tension and uneasiness and mind-rattling. It was a war of insecurity and thinking what the opposing nation was thinking. The US continued to militarize because it feared Russia , while Russia continued to buy weapons because it feared the US . Accidents happen during arms races and the blame quickly goes to the opposing party. Confusion usually leads to pointing fingers and retaliating on impulse.

This might mean nothing to the average American, but what we have to realize is that this little occurrence that is just another headline in the New York Times can change our lives forever. Increased security and prosecution of not only terrorists but also North Korean spies makes anyone uneasy. The bigger picture is a war not only fought with fighter jets, but bombs than can turn the Miami metro area into a deserted wasteland. This can kill our president, our neighbors, our children; we have to stop it now before the snowball effect begins. North Korea 's future actions are out of the US 's control if they choose not to conform and decrease its hostile nature.

It was clear some years ago that China had lost control of North Korea's government. The fall of the Soviet Union removed a fairly chunky export market for the North and as China has moved forward into the industrialised world, North Korea's economy has shrunk at a rapid rate. Coupled with the complete collapse of the Communist bloc as a result of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the North has languished while the South, powered by the incredible chaebols such as Hyundai, LG and Samsung, has pushed rapidly ahead.

Leaving the North looking like the lonely kid at the school dance with the dorky hair and ugly glasses. Much like their 'Dear Leader', as it happens. The North's perfectly mad leader, Kim Jong-Il is under pressure from his military and has therefore thought that exploding a nuclear weapon would be a way to shut everyone up. All it has done is evaporated any sympathy the world had for the North after the inimitable George W Bush tagged them with the Axis of Evil slur.

China, who traditionally backs the dopey government of the North in order to save face, lashed out with 'brazen' as its reaction to the nuclear test. The US carried on as per usual but assured us all that military action was some way off because they preferred diplomacy. And, strangely enough, not getting spanked by China at the UN and then in the battlefield.

What's interesting about the North's sabre-rattling is that much of the aggression is aimed at Japan. This is troubling to just about everyone. Japan doesn't much like being threatened and has often gone out of its way to ensure that no-one does threaten them. The Japanese occupied the Korean peninsula between 1911 and 1945 and perpetrated unspeakable atrocities on the Korean people. This, you might imagine, has not been forgotten. So those in the North are not at all fussed by the idea of Japan quaking in their boots. Neither, it must be said, would be large parts of the population of the South.

Then there's the Chinese. In line with Japan's colonial past, Japan had attacked and occupied Manchuria, forcing its expulsion from the League of Nations. It then signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany and promptly started another war with China which lasted until the end of World War II. Japan were of course bundled unceremoniously out of China and Korea by the victorious allies.

There are two big chances here, one for China and one for Japan. China has the opportunity to establish itself as a credible, statesman-like power. The Chinese government has the chance to sit down with Kim and tell him his time is up, he's had his fun, but now is neither the time or the place. Attacking Japan verbally or, worse, physically, will end up with North Korea being completely squished by Japan and the US and China will have no option but to participate as an attack on Japan, a huge trading partner for China, just wouldn't be pleasant.

Japan also has the opportunity to turn the other cheek and just get on with it. The new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won't be very popular with anyone in the region who have suffered at the hands of Japan (which is to say just about everyone) if he decides to abandon the Pacifist constitution of 1947 and start re-arming. He might be popular with those elements who reckon they got a raw deal after WWII

This is a test for the entire region. The US are pretty much left powerless by China, Japan and Russia being major stakeholders. The US have been reduced to being bit-players, scrambling to make sure everyone looks at them by flying Condoleeza Rice about the place to 'shore up support for the UN sanctions' as if that were needed. China has a chance to take a sensible leadership position, pull North Korea into line and, if they're clever, start the process of edging Kim out and installing a moderate, initially military, government to take his place. China are the only country who can do this.

Hopes are dwindling that there will be reunification of the two Koreas despite the Sunshine policy of the south. Reunification would be a nightmare as the two economies will crash into each other like a speeding Eurostar ploughing into a horse-drawn buggy crossing the lines. Those in the South who are enjoying unprecedented economic prosperity aren't all that keen on the idea and are hoping that North Korea will start to reform sooner rather than later without destroying the work of the last 40 years.

It's a telling time and this will be the real proof of whether China can hack it in international diplomacy. It would be hard to see them get it wrong, but let's hope they don't just get it right but that they excel and neutralise the threat they have allowed to evolve on their doorstep.

But this was nothing compared to how I felt a few days later when I heard that both China and Russia were against sanctioning North Korea for their blatant disregard for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT]. I sat in front of my computer mouth agape as I suddenly realized that it didn’t matter what the US said or did on the UN Security Council or what we wanted to see happen on the world stage, so long as China had a UNSC veto, they could derail any plan to contain North Korean, Iran, or any other expansionist/hostile nation. Never mind the neutron bomb, Chinas veto was the single most destructive weapon on the planet.

Oh how cried and moaned and kvetched about how in one seemingly innocuous headline, the United States was made to look toothless on all but the least important of geopolitical issues. I lamented that the NOKO Bomb (as all the hipsters are calling it) had made China the real superpower in the world and they seemed to be hell bent on making sure that the United States was roundly supplanted as the leader in world affairs and impotent to do much of anything in the way of stopping nuclear proliferation.

I suddenly became the child who suddenly realizes that there is no Santa Clause.

However, after all the crying, moaning and most importantly, the kvetching, I found a series of headlines that has turned a rather bleak situation into one where there is a glimmer of hope.

According to an article in The Australian, Beijing is openly considering "regime change" in Pyongyang after last week's nuclear test by their confrontational client state.

"In today's DPRK Government, there are two factions, sinophile and royalist," one Chinese analyst wrote online. "The objective of the sinophiles is reform, Chinese-style, and then to bring down Kim Jong-il's royal family. That's why Kim is against reform. He's not stupid."

More than one Chinese academic agreed that China yearned for an uprising similar to the one that swept away the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989 and replaced him with communist reformers and generals. The Chinese made an intense political study of the Romanian revolution and even questioned president Ion Iliescu, who took over, about how it was done and what roles were played by the KGB and by Russia.

Mr. Kim, for his part, ordered North Korean leaders to watch videos of the swift and chaotic trial and execution of Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, the vice-prime minister, as a salutary exercise.

The balance of risk between reform and chaos dominated arguments within China's ruling elite. The Chinese have also permitted an astonishing range of vituperative Internet comment about an ally with which Beijing maintains a treaty of friendship and co-operation. Academic Wu Jianguo published an article in a Singapore newspaper - available online in China - bluntly saying: "I suggest China should make an end of Kim's Government."

"The Chinese have given up on Kim Jong-il," commented one diplomat. "The question is, what are they going to do about it?"

What will they do about it indeed. The NOKO Bomb may have inadvertently led to the demise of Jong Il dynasty in North Korea, by of all hands China. I have said in the past and it has been affirmed by many analysts that N. Korea does the dirty work for China. They are something like Chinas personal mafia, what with all the counterfeiting of US dollars, drug running by N. Korean diplomats and large scale spy training going on. I would not have thought in a million years that Hu Jintao would throw his buddy the “Dear Leader” over the falls to safe face with the world community. But if the reporting in The Australian is indeed sound, that may in fact become a welcomed reality.

It all depends on what exactly China wants for themselves or sees as their needs. They want to dominate South East Asia and the Pacific in a sort of Big Brother way like the US used to do in Latin America. They are accomplishing this obviously through military build-up but more importantly through becoming a major economic impact player.

For example, the latest doings in Chinas markets report that, “Wal-Mart Stores Inc., stymied this month in its attempt to expand in Japan, plans to double its stores in China by acquiring Trust-Mart for about $1 billion, a person familiar with the proposal said.

Trust-Mart, a closely held chain of grocery and appliance stores, is in talks with Wal-Mart and other overseas companies, said a spokesman, Huang Shiying. A Wal-Mart deal needs regulatory approval and may not be announced for weeks, the person familiar with the proposed acquisition said yesterday, declining to be identified before an announcement.

Expansion in the world's fourth-largest economy may counteract slowing U.S. sales and bolster revenue at Wal-Mart. The retailer's overseas ambitions were thwarted by its midyear withdrawal from Germany and South Korea, and after Japan's Aeon won exclusive rights to acquire the supermarket company Daiei this month.” (source)

I could name at least a dozen more stories from just yesterday alone that show how the Red Dragon is extending its economic reach further and deeper in the world at an exponential rate. If they do not have designs on violently crippling the US, just nudging it out of its position of power on the global economic stage, then the last thing they want is to go to war with anyone or set up a scenario where we exert our military might in their sphere of influence. Where making money is concerned, sometimes you have to trade in your old destructive friends for the more prominent crowd.

I’m willing to go along with the idea that China might throw Mr. Il over the falls because of yet another story that happened to have brightened my day. Real Clear Politics opinion writer James Lewis writes that because Iran and North Korea have been working hand-in-hand on weapons that endanger China along with everybody else, China may move away from their unabashed love fest with that wild and crazy anti-Semite, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and back workable sanctions against Iran.

The other reason why Beijing may turn on Tehran is because of the old adage that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Lewis makes the point that China has its own radical Islamists, the restless Ughuirs. “Beijing doesn't want a bloody Chechnyan rebellion, or its own intifada, like the one foolish France is now experiencing. It especially doesn't want an Islamofascist Pakistan on its borders, armed with nukes and ICBMs and run by expansionist martyrs.”

I’ve been following the story of nuclear proliferation in South East Asian and Middle East since early 2005 and generally it’s not pretty. There’s a whole lot of diplomacy, broken promises and subterfuge to cover malicious intent. The most frustrating part covering this mess has been having to watch the European Union hold mad tea parties with disingenuous thugs under the umbrella of “negotiations.” It’s an exercise in masturbation at best and serious threat to world stability at worst.

However, now that I’m learning to love the fallout from the NOKO Bomb, I’ve realized that the world may have taken a sharp turn to the right. Not only does China slowly seem to be seeing the light, but those dusty old codgers from the EU may also have finally grown a set of grapefruits and opted to make an executive decision on Iran.

Reuters reports that, “The European Union, spurred by North Korea's nuclear test, was set to back limited United Nations sanctions against Iran on Tuesday after Tehran spurned conditions for opening negotiations on its nuclear program.

The EU's 25 foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, were to discuss incremental measures targeted first at individuals and materials involved in Iranian uranium enrichment activities, which the West suspects is aimed at making a bomb.

After four months of talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Iran this month rejected a U.N. demand that it suspend enrichment.

"For that reason, we will not be able to avoid the Security Council now taking up consultations with the aim of a resolution on the first step in sanctions," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters.

Ministers arriving at the meeting made clear that alarm at North Korea's nuclear test and its implications for other countries were a key factor in the way they approached Iran, although their economic interests with Tehran are far greater.

"The most important thing is to have a united response as we showed with North Korea. We must show Iran that the international community is completely determined to remain united," European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said.”

As Rush Limbaugh would say, hubba hubba.

I have learned to stop kvetching and am loving the NOKO Bomb. It may have become the high water mark for steering the rest of the world in the general direction of the United States, which I should remind all of you, said we should have been dealing with these issues back in 2002. I’m just saying is all.

NK’s nuclear program matters most to Japan and South Korea, whom will most immediately feel the brunt of any aggressive move on the part of Pyongyang. The dynamic between these three nations are intriguing. Seoul and Pyongyang have in recent years attempted to find a way to negotiate a reconstitution of the whole Korean state, beginning of course with the former sending aid to the latter. Certainly a nuclear North Korea throws the prospect of creating one Korea into chaos for at least the time being.

Japan is a different story altogether. Korea was annexed and controlled by Japan until the end of World War II and much like China; they apparently have long memories regarding being imperialized. The North Korean regime has admitted to wide spread kidnapping of Japanese citizens for a variety of purposes, not the least of which to provide their “Dear Leader” with a fresh supply of sex slaves. In response to this the Japanese threatened to impose sanctions on the already impoverished nation and they in turn responded by threatening Japan with nuclear war. It is important to note here that officially, Japan is still a “pacifist” government and has been since two of their cities were decimated by the world’s first atomic bomb attack.

It is also widely believed that since North Korea already shares missile technology with Iran, it would not be a leap of faith to think that said Korean nuclear technology will find its way to Bushehr, Natanz, or Arak just as soon as the Stalinist Korean dictator can get it there.

Now here is the connection; Iran has made it perfectly clear that despite all this talk about how Islam is a peaceful religion and all of that, it is every good Muslims goal to help in the effort to push Israel into the sea. In other words, Iran, along with many Islamic terrorist groups has dedicated themselves to destroying Israel once and for all (though they may settle initially for just moving Israel to Europe or anywhere that isn’t the Middle East).

Because Israel has been under constant threat of total destruction nearly since its inception (as declared by both the League of Nations and the United Nations for those keeping score) by the Muslims/Arabs/Persians, it has made it a moral and security imperative to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. According to a Reuters article, “Based on estimates of the plutonium production capacity of the Dimona reactor, where the programme is based, Israel has approximately 100-200 nuclear explosive devices. Israel has not signed the NPT treaty.”

In short folks, Israel has allegedly armed itself to the teeth in order to defend itself from its neighbors whom are bent on Tel Aviv’s destruction. Now if North Korea is going to run around Asia making all kinds of vile threats again Japan, not to mention continuing to kidnap its citizens while supplying them with a steady supply of heroin, I think Japan has every right to forgo its “pacifist” military structure to pursue nuclear bombs for themselves.

As I’ve said in the past, if an arms race is what the majority of the world seems to want then let’s just get to it then. It seems to have worked wonders for Pakistan and India, whom were mortal enemies until the most recent years. Both of those nations have nuclear arsenals and yet they have found a way not to use them at the slightest provocation. Instead is actually making headway in establishing something resembling a modest peace.

While I doubt this model will provide for peace between either Israel and Iran or North Korea and Japan, the world should not be forced to suffer only the most mad regimes or the UN Security Council Permanent members being the only ones to possess nuclear weapons. In the case of Japan, I think they need to get on with developing their own nuclear program as soon as possible. Furthermore, I think for all of the above reasons, Israel should be as helpful as possible to Japan. Hell, if North Korea can just give Iran nuclear technology, why can’t Israel give their goods to Japan?

As a matter of fact, Israel and Japan have a long history of economic cooperation and diplomatic relations. For example, Israel exports to Japan polished diamonds, chemical products, machinery, electrical equipment and citrus fruit while importing from Japan automobiles, machinery, electrical equipment and other chemical products. Japan is one of the many countries that actually recognizes Israel, as opposed to others who apparently still think that piece of property is still trans-Jordan. There is also a lively exchange between scientists of both nations through ongoing joint projects and academic exchanges among universities. It would appear that since North Korea aids Iran in fomenting terror world wide, including in Japan, that Israel and Japan should be natural allies.

Japan needs to have a nuclear arsenal in order to defend itself from North Korea and what crazy designs they may be harboring. Sanctions do not work for the most part as other countries will just flout or institutions like the UN will make a mockery of them (UN Oil-For-Food I’m looking in your direction). Not to mention that China is one that proves that if you really want to have influence in the way the world works, it helps to have a strong economy and lots of your own nuclear bombs. Let us face facts here; NK wouldn’t have even tried this maneuver if China and its own arsenal of atomic bombs weren’t propping it up.

The once great Samurai nation needs to shake off its trauma from Hiroshima and Nagasaki fashion itself a new sword for the next great battle and dip into its ready supply of plutonium. Let the Asian arms race begin.