North Korea, missile radar, and more

South Korea and the United States are taking a new approach toward North Korea to get talks started again. New approach ... same as the old approach, or just redrawing the line in the sand, again? But not to worry, the U.S. military has 'activated a high-powered radar outpost in northern Japan that will enable it to track ballistic missiles in the region amid concerns about North Korea'.

The so-called X-Band radar is so powerful it can identify baseball-size objects from thousands of miles away and is designed to differentiate between decoys and real missile warheads.

It is part of a sweeping, multibillion dollar defense shield that also includes the joint production of new missiles capable of intercepting and destroying incoming missiles and the deployment of advanced Patriot interceptor missiles around Japan. source

Walk softly and carry a big stick? Always be prepared? Trust and verify? How about don't trust anybody, verify everything, and have many big sticks.

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday that his country has informed North Korea of a South Korea-U.S. joint approach aimed at jump-starting the stalled talks on the North's nuclear weapons program, but that Pyongyang hasn't yet given a response.

In Washington earlier this month, Roh and President Bush agreed to formulate a "joint comprehensive approach" aimed at bringing the recalcitrant North back to the so-called six-party talks that also involve China, Russia and Japan.

Roh told MBC television in a program to be aired later Thursday that Seoul delivered the proposal to Pyongyang before his trip to Washington... [snip]

North Korea has refused to come to the nuclear talks since last year, demanding Washington to lift financial restrictions against a bank where it held accounts. The U.S. has launched an investigation into the bank, Macau-based Banco Delta Asia, accusing it of complicity in alleged counterfeiting and money laundering by the Pyongyang regime.

Seoul has previously indicated that Washington should lift the financial restrictions, with chief presidential security adviser Song Min-soon saying that the assets there could be unfrozen as part of a process where both sides take steps to resolve the impasse. source

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Karen's Korner, Here Comes The Brides by Gary L. Bauer
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Born Again Redneck, Al-Gore - oops - Al-Zawahiri says "Bush is a liar"
Dangerous Liberty, Are all Darwinists Intellectually Lazy? Or Intellectually Dishonest?
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bandit.three.six, B36 News - 29 September