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:

North Korea may be preparing to shut its main nuclear reactor, according to media reports from the South.

Satellite images have detected unusual activity at the Yongbyon base, reports in the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper and Yonhap news agency say.

While the reason for this activity is still unclear, the reports raise hope that North Korea still intends to comply with an international deal...

As with everything to do with North Korea, everything is secretive, shady and strange. (For those who want to get a glimpse into just how creepy North Korea really is, check out this segment from Current TV where one of their film crews got to go to North Korea for three days). So Bill Richardson's success, though great, unexpected and more than has been accomplished for some time when dealing with such an odd nation, may end up being just one more broken promise by North Korea. But, the signs that the reactor is shutting down are positive.