President Bush to Meet Kim Jong-il?

I’ll have to see this to ever believe it. From the Chosun:

U.S. President George W. Bush told his South Korean counterpart he is willing to sign a document declaring the end of the Korean War with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il if Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear program. A diplomatic source in Seoul on Wednesday said Bush made the offer during a meeting with President Roh Moo-hyun in Hanoi, Vietnam on Nov. 18. “President Bush made remarks while talking about building a permanent peace framework on the peninsula,” the source said. “As far as I know, he made remarks to effect that he is willing to sign an agreement with the two Koreas.” That means Bush could meet with Kim, the source added.

I believe President Bush would be willing to sign a peace agreement with North Korea in exchange for dismantling their nuclear program, but I have a hard time believing he would actually sit down with Kim Jong-il and sign anything with him much less a peace treaty considering how much he despises the Kim regime. This is probably either sensationalism by the media or a product of mistranslation.

None of this matters anyway because Kim Jong-il has no intentions of ever giving up his nuclear weapons. Kim figured North Korea would get hit by increased sanctions, but China would keep the oil flowing and the South Koreans would keep the food and fertilizer coming in because neither country wants to deal with a collapse of North Korea. China doesn’t want a possible war or a humanitarian crisis to threaten their hosting of the 2008 Olympics and the South Koreans do not want to pay both the financial and social costs that reunifying with North Korea would cost plus the possibility of war would devestate the peninsula.

Plus Kim also figured correctly that he would be allowed to keep bringing in hard currency through North Korean weapons sales, counterfeiting, and other illicit activities without a naval blockade, which means that the Kim Jong-il regime will survive with more time to develop and perfect their nuclear weapons, while our political leaders aided by the irresponsible US media continue to play politics and blame each other for the crisis, which is just what Kim Jong-il counted on. He will keep playing the diplomatic game as long as possible to make it appear he is considering giving up his nuclear weapons, but he won’t because it is not in his interest to do so.

By keeping his nuclear weapons he ensures his regime’s survival, further consolidates power within North Korea by winning the domestic praise of his military for becoming a nuclear power, while simultaneously making the foreign aid coming into North Korea from neighboring countries appear to be tribute rather than the voluntary assistance that is keeping the country afloat. Kim Jong-il is playing his hand brilliantly. Anyone out there still think Kim Jong-il is stupid?