U.S. Said to Weigh a New Approach on North Korea

The clearest signal yet of the complete failure that constitutes George Bush's handling of foreign policy is illustrated with his latest reversal in how to treat the North Koreans.

When he came to office he sought to dismantle the Clinton deal with North Korea and replaced pragmatism with the brute force of economic and diplomatic isolation as his way of preventing the North Korean's from obtaining the nuclear bomb.

In his first term, Mr. Bush said repeatedly that he would never "tolerate" a nuclear North Korea. Now he rarely discusses the country's suspected weapons.

Now he is said to be considering offering the North Koreans a peace treaty, the same peace treaty that the North Koreans have always insisted upon and that Bush has always refused to give.

The major difference is that he is now offering this peace treaty after North Korea have developed the nuclear bomb, so there is still some chance that Kim Jong Il may refuse to play along.

Had Bush made this offer at the beginning of his Presidency it would almost certainly have been accepted.

It is at moments like this that one realises that there is still a lot to be said for diplomacy over Bush's bullying. The former would appear, in this case at least, to have been far more successful.

Vice President Dick Cheney has been widely described by current and former officials as leading the drive in Mr. Bush's first term to make sure the North Korean government received no concessions from the United States until all of its weapons and weapons sites were taken apart. It is unclear where Mr. Cheney stands on the new approach that emerged from the State Department.

Now, said one official who has participated in the recent internal debate, "I think it is fair to say that many in the administration have come to the conclusion that dealing head-on with the nuclear problem is simply too difficult."

The official added, "So the question is whether it would help to try to end the perpetual state of war" that has existed, at least on paper, for 53 years. "It may be another way to get there."

Wouldn't you just know that big fat Dick had a hand in all this?

Click title for article.

Tags: Bush, Cheney, North Korea, peace treaty, nuclear weapons,