diplomacy

While Bush yammers about development of nuclear weapons by Iraq (based on the word of Chalabi, someone KNOWN to be unreliable) and Iran, North Korea has largely been ignored since they actually showed they COULD detonate a nuke. The lesson Bush taught the world is better be ready to detonate before you talk because he's too scared to challenge you if you really have nukes.

Deals have been made and broken by N. Korea over and over. Recently, though, Bush out of the blue sends Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and candidate for President, to N. Korea supposedly to negotiate the return of the remains of US soldiers who died in the Korean War.

Well, Richardson succeeded in negotiating the return of the soldiers' remains, but what really made news was the fact that he ALSO seems to have negotiated some progress in the stalemate with N. Korea over their nuclear program. The deal that was apparently reached was some money N. Korea wants would be unfrozen in exchange for the return of UN inspectors.

Now it seems like maybe, just maybe, more was negotiated. There are reports on BBC News that N. Korea may be shutting down its controversial reactor:

Interestingly, Democrats are already starting to take over the job of President. Bush can't get anything done when it comes to North Korea. But in no time, Bill Richardson goes over there and negotiates a deal.

For those who only knows Richardson as a governor, keep in mind that he has diplomatic credentials: he has been US Ambassador to the UN under Clinton (back when we actually were respected in the world) and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times for his diplomatic efforts.

So, when Bush sent him to negotiate with North Korea it was an almost unprecedented event in the Bush administration: a good idea. Richardson was supposedly going to negotiate the return of the remains of a US serviceman. Honestly that always sounded a bit odd. The fanfare was too much for that. Turns out he was negotiating getting inspectors back in. From KOBTV in New Mexico:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s visit to North Korea appears to be yielding unexpected fruit.

Richardson, part of a bipartisan delegation dispatched to North Korea to return remains of U.S. MIAs, appears to have secured a concession from the communist state on its developing nuclear weapons program.

No...despite what it seems, we have not become the Bill Richardson blog. But each of us in our own way have started to take notice of the man. Edwards and Richardson seem the best of the candidates...except for the money issue.

Bill Richardson has great diplomatic experience and his skills as a negotiator have gotten him nominated for the Nobel Peace prize some four times. So this is a guy who should be used when there is a delicate diplomatic situation (and when our BEST diplomat, Nobel Prize WINNER Jimmy Carter, is unavailable).

And our usually dense President appears to have noticed that Richardson is a diplomatic resource worth using. Bill Richardson has been tapped by Bush to lead a delegation to North Korea to negotiate the return of the remains of missing US servicemen.

Best of luck Bill!