AsiaFile

It’s good news that North Korea has agreed to come back to the bargaining table (even if the announcement comes exactly one week before crucial mid-term elections.)

This announcement, however, hardly represents a “victory” for Bush Korea policies now that Kim Jong-il has shown the world he can explode a nuclear device.
The world cannot expect the DPRK to unilaterally relinquish its nuclear capabilities without receiving something in return. So it’s good that there will be talks.

BUT the agreement to get back to the bargaining table would never been hammered out if US Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill had not flown to Beijing for a  secret bilateral meeting with senior North Korean representatives, arranged with the help of the Chinese.

Yes a BILATERAL meeting. Imagine! A conversation with the “adversary.”
In other words, without a significant break from past Bush administration policies –which can be summarized as ‘we won’t even talk to you evil people until you back down from all your stated goals’ — even the agreement to sit down again for 6-party negotiations would not have been reached.

There is no reason to believe that the deep divisions in this administration –between the “appeasers” and the “hardliners” — has been eased by Tuesday’s news. So once the parties all agree to talk, ulimately will there be anything new to talk about? Has the Bush team figured out whether it will ultimately be willing to offer any “carrots” to Kim Jong-il, or only sticks? Or is this just another pre-election gimmick to mask some major policy blunders?
Agreeing to sit and talk again allows the DPRK to divert some of the international criticism…but don’t start spending that peace dividend yet.