Condi To China: Cooperate Or Not…Whatever

The tough-talking, tough-acting powerless US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Security Council Resolution which was passed on October 14th, “demands very clear cooperation of member states to make certain that dangerous goods are not getting in and out of North Korea.” She was “quite certain”, she said, that China would act in accordance with this objective, but she declined to offer details. However on Sunday she said she didn’t know exactly how China would cooperate and that the US would not be in any hurry to confront North Korean ships at sea. For its part, China said it had no intention of inspecting border shipments coming over its 870-mile border with North Korea since the resolution does not specifically require the inspection of cross-border shipments. In fact, much of the border between China and North Korea is defined by the Yalu River. When the Yalu freezes during the winter everyone from both sides cross into each other’s country with no detection or punishment. And there is little China can do or intends to do about that porous border situation. As far as South Korea is concerned, it intends to continue its program of cooperation with North Korea. And in fact, South Korea is planning to expand an industrial park and tourist resort because, as South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Choo Kyu-ho said, “We judged that the contents of the resolution of the U.N. Security Council do not directly affect the economic cooperation programs between the two Koreas.” So…up yours, Condi. And because Condi Rice, the Prez, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the entire Bush administration have made the US an impoverished, impotent has-been world power, the US is in no position to threaten China and South Korea or even offer enticements. Rice said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” yesterday, “There will be some matters to be worked out.” No kidding! You mean like the US backing down but trying to appear as though it’s hanging tough? Those kinds of matters? There is something so unconvincing about Condoleezza Rice hitching up her pants and scratching her balls.