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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (25474)	2/12/2008 8:45:24 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

Who Gets Stuck with North Korea? tcsdaily.com

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (25474)	3/5/2008 9:07:18 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

North Korea again shows that its the world's largest prison ----------- North Koreans 'shot at frontier' North Korea has executed 15 people in public for trying to flee or help others to escape across the border into China, according to an aid group. Good Friends, based in South Korea, said the 13 women and two men were shot on a bridge in the north-eastern town of Onseong two weeks ago. The aid group said those executed had been trying to get economic help from relatives already in China. Tens of thousands of North Koreans are thought to be in hiding in China. In a newsletter, Good Friends said residents who witnessed the shooting were shocked at the harshness of the punishment. Some were crying at the scene, it reported. The group quoted a woman as saying: "Everyone is anxious about a lack of food. The shooting has made people angry." 'Shot as a warning' A local North Korean official is also quoted in the newsletter. "It has become a daily routine for a few residents to disappear and illegally cross the border to visit relatives in China," he is reported as saying. "We shot them to send a warning to people over this."... news.bbc.co.uk

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (25474)	9/3/2008 10:03:12 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 71588

Death By A Thousand Cuts August 29, 2008: North Korea refuses to allow verification of its dismantling of its nuclear weapons program, and wants to be taken off the U.S. terrorism list immediately. The U.S. refuses to take North Korea off the list until there is verification. So North Korea has ceased its dismantling of its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has always been a hard bargainer, often to the point where they lost more than they could possibly gain. This makes no sense, but that's the way North Korea operates. North Korea wants off the terror list so they can move forward with their counterfeit money and illegal drug operations. These activities are much more profitable when the government has complete access to the international banking system. Being on the U.S. terrorist list hampers banking access. Radios that can receive foreign broadcasts, and MP3 players, are increasingly popular in the north. Some radio broadcasts are passed around as MP3 files, but mostly the MP3 players are mainly used to hear foreign pop music. There is a lot more money in North Korea, and most of it is illegal. There are a growing number of criminal gangs. The larger and wealthier gangs can go into business with government officials. This is often the case when it involves illegal drugs, like methamphetamine ("speed" or "ice"). The spreading corruption means that, eventually, the government will lose control of the country, piece by piece. Or, as the local says goes, "death by a thousand cuts." August 27, 2008: U.S. and South Korean military commanders are openly stating their belief that any North Korean invasion would fail. In the past, there was always some hesitation about being this confident. But apparently the readiness and capabilities of the North Korean armed forces have declined so much that even the professionals doubt the north could get very far if they went to war. August 24, 2008: North Korea has developed a new food (soybean noodles) which they claim are highly effective at making starving people feel less hungry. Soybeans have never been a staple dish in the north. But these days, after over a decade of food shortages, hunger has become a hot topic, and tips on how to eat anything are big news, even in the state controlled press. August 22, 2008: South Korean audits of aid given to North Korea continue to reveal many cases of theft and diversion of aid to other projects. August 17, 2008: Russia and North Korea are adjusting their border along the Tumen river. This was last done 18 years ago, and has to be done every decade or so because the river keeps changing its channel, and moving border markers. North Koreans also use the Tumen river bridges to escape into Russia (where life as an illegal migrant is possible, because of a labor shortage). But North Korea has increased the security along the Russian border, and the cost of bribing the North Korean guards to get across has now risen past $700 per person. strategypage.com