What does it take to convince Kim Jong-il to do something the US wants?
It takes celebrity attention. Let me explain.
Earlier this year, two American journalists from California were imprisoned in North Korea. They had entered the country illegally from China. For this offence, they were sentenced to 12 years hard labour.
The US State Department immediately got involved. They spent weeks trying to negotiate a bargain with North Korea, treating the issue as completely separate to the most recent nuclear testing.
After all this hard work by the State Department, the only thing lacking was a face: Who would make this exchange actually happen?
North Korea wanted someone famous and influential. They wanted to be able to say that the US had spoken to them through a celebrity. Kim Jong-il wanted to show he was worth enough to the US to have them send someone important.
But who to send?
The inspired choice, in the end, was former President Bill Clinton.
Clinton is well-known enough to attract huge amounts of media to North Korea. He also has a personal charm and charisma that can disarm even an obstinate dictator.
Also, the journalists in question work for a news company owned partly by former Vice-President Al Gore. Gore had offered to go to North Korea himself, but they said no: they wanted Bill.
So, the State Department did the preparation and Bill swooped in to make everything happen with his trademark glamour. There were also the vital TV and press pictures.
However, I think this means something more to North Korea. They used the occasion to say that President Obama sent a personal message to Kim Jong-il, which the White House continues to deny. The photos appeared on the evening news across North Korea, albeit after a story about cleaning up a biscuit factory.
North Korea feels cut off. They are left on their own, not included in global talks, unable to function the same as many other East Asian states.
For North Korea to be visited by a former President, suddenly North Korea is cast into the limelight. All attention focused on them. This kind of publicity is also better than news stories about the abject poverty of its citizens. It’s a chance to make North Korea look good in the global spotlight.
Since Bill Clinton’s visit, North Korea has asked the US for bilateral talks, but the US has said that bilateral discussions will only resume as part of the six-nation consultations on disarmament.
I believe Kim Jong-il has begun to realise the predicament in which he has placed himself. he has reached an impasse in talks with the US his people are starving, and he himself is possibly dying. He has alienated almost the entire globe. The US has stated this episode does not change their demands regarding North Korea. But, this meeting with Bill Clinton may have been Kim Jong-il’s first step in the reconciliatory direction.
Disarmament will not be enough. Regime change is required in North Korea and when Kim dies, I suggest putting the country’s vicious propaganda machine to good use in emancipating its enslaved population. It really is totalitarianism at its very worst. They know the consequences, for example, of making eye contact with foreign visitors. They know that if they go not glorify the Great Leader and the Dear Leader, 12 years’ hard labour in the country’s death camps is the best hope they have.
North Korea has continually isolated itself and should continue to be isolated by the international community. Kim’s despotism knows no bounds. He’d rather starve his own citizens to death (as he is doing, Koreans in the North are an average 6 inches shorther than their counterparts in the South) than abandon this barmy nuclear programme that could completely destabilize the Far East.
‘Talks’ can only go so far. The best course of action would either be to encourage the regime to change on the death of its leader, or to send in agents to stir up a popular revolution.
“The Independent” suggested recently that it was some of WJ Clinton’s more dubious connections who enabled contact to be made with the N Korean junta.
William J Clinton is a crook. I’m not surprised he was able to spring these Americans from gaol. Sometimes having crooked connections can be to one’s advantage, especially when you are as slippery and slimy as Clinton. Let’s not forget, this is the man who stood by whilst eight hundred thousand people were massacred in Rwanda.
Kyle Mulholland:
There is so much more to the situation involving Rwanda than just the personal actions of Clinton. This is a completely separate matter that does not particularly relate to this one. Also, personal attacks on Clinton are not particularly constructive here.
Referring to your other arguments, I agree that a regime change is needed as soon as possible, but I maintain that dialogue is the place to start. You are correct in saying that “’Talks’ can only go so far”, but at this moment, talking is all the governments can do. Perhaps at a later date other options can be considered, but the six-nation discussions are the place to begin.
Thank you, Lord Taylor.
Well, yes, but Clinton cannot be absolved from the dealings with the Wahabi sadists in Saudi Arabia, or getting his pal Mark Rich, a notorious criminal, out of gaol in his pardons. It terrifies me that this man’s wife is their Foreign Secretary.
I wonder how many other people first heard of Kim Jong Il thanks to the film “Team America”?? Not being too well versed in international politics, that was my first ‘contact’ with him, so I’ve viewed him as an odd, malicious creep from the start. If anything, Clinton’s involvement in the affair reinforces that opinion.