At least Condi has not been photographed dancing with and toasting the Great Leader.

Shh, James! That's adding facts to the discussion.

As long as no one mentions that Yongbyon had reached the end of its life we should be cool.

You do realize that they've actually dismantled is scheduled to "blow up the cooling tower of its nuclear plant at Yongbyon" today?

Yes I do. I've even seen the picture at this point! The problem is we have a rather large problem with existing weapons, uranium and proliferation. We have a history of NK playing us for everything they can, ultimately resulting, essentially with our help, in becoming a nuclear power.

Just as I have seen the picture of the tower blown up, I assume you've seen the pictures of a Syrian facility blown up by other means? This is easily reversible by NK. Let me know when their stuff (from both programs) is sitting in Tennessee.

I really, really hope you're right and I'm wrong. Few things would be better news. But at this point I think it's quite rational for me to want to have a friendly poker game with State.

Let's see. A promise by serial liars that we can take a look at their plutonium projects. We can't see anything regarding uranium or proliferation.

You do realize that they've actually dismantled is scheduled to "blow up the cooling tower of its nuclear plant at Yongbyon" today?

What is this a satire blog?

It sort of reads like those "Lowered Expectations Dating Service" SNL skits. Perhaps more bleakly it seems like a case of battered wife syndrome to call this progress.

Let's see. A promise by serial liars that we can take a look at their plutonium projects. We can't see anything regarding uranium or proliferation.

When do we get to send these guys the Statue of Liberty in exchange for some grainy photographs they've given us?

As for missed opportunities and all that crap, we achieved a great deal of what we wanted to achieve regarding NK and Iraq is looking like it's firmly on the road to stability... both things people said could never be accomplished by this President. So before you all go off on how this President is screwing up yet again, maybe you should zip it for a little while and let recent history sink in.

What a wasted opportunity the last 7 years have been. If we had been focused on fighting our literal enemies instead of our political ones, think what we could have done BESIDES disarming 2 states and liberating 2 others.

What is this a satire blog?

I just heard that the North Koreans have just handed over 19 thousand pages of data so that there program can be verified.

I would suggest that this means the US and the other five countries involved have not even reviewed the data.

WTF?

Capitulation is what we have here.

One problem down. Now lets declare peace in Galilee, agree with MOHAMED EL-BAREDEI's earlier statemets that Iran is not really a threat, and all go home. Yea.

"We've blown it? The Iranians have desperately been wanting to tango, but we just refuse or are too clumsy to dance?"

Yes

This has been another installment in Simple Answers to Simple Questions.

Iran isn't the North Korea of its region, it's the China—the regional superpower.

Yes, and it would not kill us to treat Iran with a modicum of respect, even if they do have lousy leadership (as if they are the only ones)

Enmity between the US & Iran is a blunder for both countries. Potentially, we have a lot to offer each other.

But I agree that it looks as if we’ve blown it with Iran.

We've blown it? The Iranians have desperately been wanting to tango, but we just refuse or are too clumsy to dance?

I don't think it has been noted enough that this makes two out of three for the Axis of Evil. Only Iran remains, but for how long?

Over two administrations this is one of the most incompetent policies we have ever pursued. North Korea has yet to do anything concrete over 15 years and the State Dept. high fives themselves over this nonsense. Sweet!

The key there is not Chinese altruism but rather the harnessing of common interests.

That, I think, is the key. Iran isn't the North Korea of its region, it's the China—the regional superpower. We need to continue our active negotiations with Iran and the key is identifying common interests. Despite the mau-mauing going on WRT Iran we do have them.

I don't think it's too late. We referred to China in rhetoric much stronger than we've used against Iran for 30 or more years before the mutual relationship improved materially.