Monday, February 25, 2008

North Korea Nutshell: Bob Woodruff at Yongbyon

Although Woodruff has been to North Korea before, this time he was allowed into the plant at Yongbyon and got to see and videotape the process of disablement himself. As I still remain skeptical about the possible overall outcome of the negotiations, I can't help but be amazed about the contrast of where we are now when compared to just a few years ago. An American journalist in the heart of the North Korean nuclear complex. I had to see it to believe it. Make sure to catch the stylish yellow shoes everyone is wearing inside the plant.

This visit is a part of a week-long series of reports by Woodruff that will culminate tomorrow when the New York Philharmonic will perform inside Pyongyang. The performance will be simulcast live, if you live in New York. Otherwise, you can catch it nationwide Thursday on PBS. Secretary of State Rice will be in Seoul on the 25th for the inauguration of President Lee Myung-bak. Some sources have claimed that Rice will take this opportunity to make a surprise visit to Pyongyang. My personal opinion is that she would not do so unless she was able to present a breakthrough in the negotiations while she was there. She would not likely give Kim Jong-Il that kind of diplomatic victory without getting something serious in return. We'll just have to wait and see.

5 comments:

dohhh said...

Why does Bob Woodruff's presence at an old nuclear facility in North Korea make this "inspection" legitimate?

What a joke.

Does anyone remember U.N.'s Hans Blix? Why is the media so gullible? WAKE UP media! Do you really think this is the only nuclear facility in North Korea?

If the American people relied on Bob Woodruff for their understanding of North Korea's intentions by this so-called "inspection", (a site that has little to do with North Korea's nuclear ambitions [remember Mr. Woodruff was "allowed in", gee, I wonder why?}), then they should cut the military budget in half and use those hard earned tax dollars to have a barbeque at Woodruff's backyard.

'An American journalist in the heart of the North Korean nuclear complex', pleeeaaase.....

Grow Up!

Onlythereal said...

Yeah those poor poor North Koreans. I just watched a documentary on North Korea's leader Kim Jon Il who thinks he is "god". All must bow to him and never speak a word against him or they and their entire family will end up in a lift-time concentration camp. He drinks the best imported alcohol while his countries children starve and the rate for blindness because of poor nutrition it the highest in the world. This article says, "Parts of the plant are now dismantled, wrapped in plastic and put into storage." I'm sure they are, only to be brought out as soon as the media leaves and be reassembled. Sorry ,the only sympathy you'll get from me is for the poor brainwashed people forced to bow to their human "god" who is living high of the hog while they starve. They are also denied any contact with the outside world, no news, no internet.

Onlythereal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

To "onlythereal":

It's unclear how your comment relates to the post. Did you mean to post that on another blog?

Eli Lewine said...

To Dohhh,
First off, Woodruff's visit is not considered an "inspection". It was just a visit by an American journalist to what has been considered a "closed site" by the North Koreans for several decades. Foreign journalists are almost never allowed into North Korea, now an American one is let in. See the difference?
Oh and you called Yongbyon "a site that has little to do with North Korea's nuclear ambitions". Considering they 1)Got the spent uranium from the reactor 2)Reprocessed it on site, its likely that Yongbyon actually is fairly vital to North Korea's nuclear program. If you have clear information to the otherwise, I'd love for you to share it with all of us.

To onlythereal,
I'm not really sure what point you are trying to make, but let me just make it clear that I'm pretty sick and tired of having those who favor some diplomacy with North Korea called apologists for the regime.