North Korea welches on deal in less than 24 hours

Why do we continue talking to these people? Everyone was all google-eyed in breathlessly complementing themselves when North Korea agreed to forego nuclear weapons ambitions in a "landmark" agreement signed on Monday. Now it's Tuesday and North Korea says, "Oh, yeah, and you gotta give us a nuclear reactor, too." The US negotiators say this was not the agreement that North Korea signed and the Japenese say the demand is unacceptable. Is anyone surprised by this?

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER US PRESIDENT, 1994:

I personally believe that the crisis is over. And I personally believe that Kim Il-sung wants to be sure that the crisis is over. The next step, obviously, is to make sure that the agreements that were worked out between me and him are carried out.

Well, that didn't happen. Sorry, Jimmy.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER US PRESIDENT, 2003:

I believe we can get an agreement that ends all their bomb and missile programs, subject to international verification, in return for the U.S. and North Korea's neighbors providing food, energy, and a non-aggression pact -- which of course would be void if they committed a hostile act against South Korea or Japan.

Well, that hasn't happened. Sorry, Bill.

FORMER SENATOR ROBERT DOLE, 2003:

Surprise! Guess What? Communist North Korea lied. They snookered us, took the loot and kept working on nuclear weapons.

You're right, Bob. And now they've done it yet again.

TAGS: North Korea, welchers