Bush Lifts Sanctions on North Korea

In light of North Korea turning over its nuclear dossier to China, the Bush Administration has lifted most of the sanctions against the Stalinist Republic led by Kim Jong-Il. It will also soon remove North Korea from the State Department's list of nations that sponsor terrorism.

While I don't think this is nearly as bad as Jimmy Carter taking Kim Il-Sung at his word I think this will hit us in the face one day. The North Koreans do not have a stellar reputation for honesty and there's little reason to believe they have changed their fundamental character. The North Koreans have not only disclosed their activity pertaining to plutonium, not the enrichment of uranium. Remember we have strong objections to the Iranians enriching uranium. Are we not troubled that North Korea is doing the same? Let us remember the North Koreans had their fingerprints on the Syrian nuclear facility that Israel levelled last fall. Last time I checked Syria is a state sponsor of terrorism.

So why is the Bush Administration lifting sanctions and removing its status as a supporter of terrorism? Because it needs a victory and it doesn't look like a Middle East peace agreement is going to come about. I am sure that under other circumstances, the United States would have wanted a little more than what the North Koreans have disclosed to the Chinese. But with President Bush leaving office in less than seven months, I gather the White House has concluded that this will simply have to do and if North Korea doesn't keep it word it will be Barack Obama or John McCain's problem.