"All we need to do is start a dialogue" alert!
Gweilo Diaries administers a well deserved spanking to inveterate whiner, Joshua Marshall, on North Korea:

Marshall is of the opinion:

"What got us into this situation was our refusal -- a refusal based apparently on principle -- to talk with the North Koreans or to assuage their security concerns."

Funny, I thought the North's pursuit of a nuclear weapons program in violation of international agreements had something to do with it.

Marshall further asserts that the Clinton administration was aware of North Korea's violations and informed the Bush team during the transition. Incomprehensibly, Marshall seems to think this reflects well on Clinton and poorly on Bush.

If true, if Clinton knew of Kim's pursuit of nuclear weapons, did nothing about it, continued supplying oil, and left this odiferous, rotting fish behind for Bush to clean up, then it constitutes self-serving irresponsibility of nearly criminal proportions.

I look forward to the Congressional investigations asking the Clintonistas "what did you know and when did you know it." If the reply is that they were aware and ignored it, the Democrats will have lost whatever remaining shred of credibility they have regarding defense issues.

C'mon everyone, sing Kumbaya along with Joshua and Bubba!