
Cautious optimism concerning North Korea, a watchful eye on Iran....
Concerned that a possible naval blockade by the United States, coupled with United Nations sanctions, could lead to the collapse of their North Korean vassal, Chinese leaders are pressuring Pyongyang to return to nuclear disarmament talks. And the pressure seems to be working, raising hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough among analysts in China, South Korea, Japan, and the US ... where Republican control of both houses of Congress is at stake in the November 7 midterm elections.
A North Korean breakthrough, following frantic US and Chinese diplomatic efforts and Beijing's plea for "coolheadedness," could provide the White House with an "Ooctober surprise" that could prove helpful in the looming vote.
Ironies abound. In addition to being fed up with North Korean defiance, China's Communist Party rulers may have looked at the possibility of serious change in the US Congress and decided that China prefers the party in power. Democrats at all levels are turning against free trade, blaming globalization for policies that have benefited Beijing at the expense of US manufacturers and workers.
At Asia's other end, however, America's avowed enemies--Iran and its Shiite militia allies in Iraq--apparently prefer the Democrats. While Stalinist North Korea may be backing off from making good on threats and hints of conducting more missile and nuclear tests, its Islamist tag-team partner is increasing tensions internationally in keeping with a pattern we first detected back in June.
In an exceptionally bold act of defiance, approximately 800, black-clad Mahdi Army figthers, members of a Shiite militia with close ties to Iran, seized total control of the southern Iraqi city of Amarah on Friday.
Mahdi Army militiamen, who are led by Moqtada Sadr, an anti-American cleric the US once vowed to kill or bring to justice, have long enjoyed a free rein in Amarah, the provincial capital of the southern province of Maysan. The militiamen often summon local government officials for meetings at their offices, and they roam the city with their weapons, manipulate the local police and set up checkpoints at will.
In Tehran, Iranian maniac-in-chief Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected UN resolutions aimed at ending the mullahocracy's nuclear standoff with the West, and warned Europe on Friday that it "may get hurt" by supporting Israel.
"You should believe that this regime (Israel) cannot last and has no more benefit to you," Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast on state radio." What benefit have you got in supporting this regime, except the hatred of the nations?
"We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbors of the nations in this region. We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt."
Regarding the UN, Ahmadinejad said any decisions by the Security Council, which is considering imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, were illegitimate.
"The Security Council, in its current situation, lacks legitimacy," he said. "Its decisions are illegitimate. You (the Council) want to be the judge, the prosecutor and the executor at the same time? Those times are gone."
Iran's nuclear standoff with the West is a growing problem for its ally, China, which, as shown by its moves regarding North Korea, wants to be seen as a responsible stakeholder in the international system. Beijing is indicating that it wants to play a "constructive role" in efforts to resolve Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West. Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing made the remark in a joint news conference with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Beijing Friday.
Li said China is ready to continue its constructive role in the process of peacefully resolving the Iranian nuclear issue.
Rice said the two sides discussed efforts at the United Nations Security Council to draft a resolution that is likely to impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to stop its uranium enrichment activity.
China and Russia have been resisting tougher measures against Iran, while urging negotiations to end the standoff.
Iran's intransigence and threats reinforce our view that while it may be possible to appease North Korea, loathsome as this may seem, appeasing Iran is simply suicidal. The oil-rich, nuclear arming nation seeks to destroy Israel, dominate and drive the US from the Middle East, and change the power relations among nations globally, in line with its self-image and ideology as the vanguard of a radical Islamic revival.
Back to North Korea.
Thousands of citizens and soldiers rallied Friday in the North Korean capital to cheer the country's recent nuclear test, North Korea's official news agency reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, meanwhile, was reported to have told a visiting Chinese delegation that the communist nation wasn't planning more nuclear tests.
Condoleezza Rice met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other officials, hoping to allay some of Beijing's concerns about UN sanctions approved last week in response to North Korea's nuclear test.
At the start of her visit Friday, Rice met with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and said they spoke about the importance of fully implementing the resolution to stop North Korea from shipping banned weapons materials.
"We also talked about the importance of leaving open a path to negotiation through the six-party talks because after all, President Hu and President Bush are both committed to a diplomatic solution to this problem," Rice said.
China offered hope of a diplomatic solution on Friday. Tang Jiaxuan, Hu's envoy to Pyongyang, told Rice that his visit to North Korea has "not been in vain." Tang met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, his first known meeting with a foreign dignitary since the October 9 nuclear test.
Chinese officials shared no details on Tang's Pyongyang visit, but Foreign Minister Li said Friday that both sides discussed how to restart the stalled six-nation talks, which also include Japan, Russia, and South Korea. The talks aim to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear programs.
Rice also met with Premier Wen Jiabao, who said he saw "no other choice" but to resolve the nuclear crisis through dialogue.
China is the third stop on Rice's tour, which is aimed at building support for implementing the sanctions against the North. She earlier visited Tokyo and Seoul, and heads to Russia Saturday.
Speaking in South Korea, Rice said that while the US seeks full implementation of sanctions, Washington would not try to dictate to other governments what they should do.