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Briefing Book! Health of North Korea's Leader Still a Mystery

LibertySugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:09:43 -0800

North Korea: A picture of health? New photographs of Kim Jong-il at a football game fail to solve mystery of whether he is ill. — newsblog
Democrats: A happy ending? Obama's embrace of Clinton's domestic agenda and her respect for his political shrewdness has healed old wounds. — Politico
Voting: Would you wait that long? Waiting time in voting lines stretch to eight hours. — Huffington Post
Romney: The opposite of a sore loser? Mitt Romney has contributed energy and money to help over 80 GOP candidates win. — Townhall
Pollsters: Will "cell phone only" be the story of tomorrow? The failure of pollsters to reach voters without landlines could show in election results. —Donklephant

2.7 Million North Koreans Will Starve This Month Without Aid

CitizenSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:30:04 -0700

According to the World Food Program, North Korea may be facing one of the most serious food crisis in its history. Nearly 2.7 million people who live on the country's west coast are facing starvation this month unless food does not reach them. 2.7 million. Hungry millions recalls the similarly stark problem in India.

The cause of the food shortages are for a variety of reasons, devastating floods in 2007, lack of employment, and a centralized leadership that has mismanaged resources. It is estimated that a recent famine has been responsible for nearly 2 million deaths already. The country has been relying on aid to feed its 23 million people.

To see who's been called upon to give them aid,

North Korea No Longer State Sponsor of Terror

LibertySugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:00:12 -0700

North Korea just got cut from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. By presenting the isolated regime with the carrot of taking it off the bad-guy list, some in the Bush Administration hope Pyongyang will honor its promise to end its nuke program.

A few days ago North Korea banned inspectors, raising concerns that the deal, only a few months old, would collapse. But after he determined the country had cooperated with verification requirements of the agreement, Bush made the decision to take North Korea off the list.

Before Sarah Palin called Bush's move "wise," John McCain indicated that it was a mistake to take North Korea off the list, unless it clearly showed its commitment to stop pursuing nuclear weapons. If the US wants countries to start acting friendly, must the US treat them like friends first; or, is removal from the terror list something that must be earned unequivocally?

Source

White House Disappointed with North Korea Move

CitizenSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:40:19 -0700

White House Disappointed With North Korea Move The Bush administration warned Wednesday that North Korea would isolate itself from the world community if it backtracks and reactivates the plant that once provided plutonium for an atomic test explosion. North Korea barred UN nuclear inspectors from its main nuclear plant on Wednesday, and within a week, it plans to reactivate the plant that once provided the plutonium for the explosive test two years ago. The North ordered the removal of the UN seals and surveillance equipment from the Yongbyon reactor, a sign it is making good on threats to restart its nuclear program.

Lighten Up! North Koreans Protest Regime With Jokes

LibertySugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:47 -0700

While life in North Korea isn't a laughing matter, tough times have given birth to a unique sense of humor. According to defectors who have escaped Kim Jong Il's tight grip, jokes in the Stalinist country revolved around the regime, or the male reaction to women working outside the home to help families scrape by.

Here are some examples pulled together from Radio Free Asia.

Two men are talking on a Pyongyang subway train:

“How are you, comrade?”
“Fine, how are you doing?”
“Comrade, by any chance, do you work for the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Have you worked for the Central Committee before?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Then, are any of your family members working for the Central Committee?”
“Nope.”
“Then, get away from me! You’re standing on my foot!”
At High School No. 1 in Pyongyang, a girl brags to her teacher about the cat she’s got at home: “Our cat has just given birth to seven kittens. All of them just stick close to their mother, they feel really comfortable, and sleep all the time. They’re all true communists.”

A few days later, the teacher asks the girl: “Are the communist kittens at home growing up nicely?”

The girl says: “Comrade teacher, big trouble! They’ve all opened their eyes, and they’ve all renounced communism!”

To see a few more examples,

Front Page: Bush to Announce Troop Levels, Thai PM Told to Resign, Kim Jong-Il's Health Questioned

CitizenSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:00:05 -0700

Bush on Troop Levels:
In moments, President Bush is set to order a reduction of 8,000 more combat and support troops out of Iraq by February, leaving about the same level for the rest of the year. Bush's address today may be the final stamp on the war during his presidency. Of the 146,000 US troops in Iraq, there have been hints that troops could come home in the first half of 2009 if conditions improve.

Thai PM Told to Resign:
The Thai Prime Minister has been ordered to resign after being found guilty of constitutional misdeeds on a TV cooking show. He was found to have violated the ban on ministers having outside interests by accepting money to host the show. His entire cabinet must step down as well.

Kim Jong-Il's Health Questioned:
North Korea's 60th anniversary today is marked by boasts of its "war-deterring" nuclear capabilities, and questions whether its leader, Kim Jong-Il would appear. No plans for the massive military parades usually seen have been made, and Kim Jong-Il hasn't been seen in public since mid-August. The conspicuous absence raises questions of his health.

Source

Front Page: US to Send $1 Billion to Georgia, New Orleans Residents to Return, North Korea Reassembling Nukes

CitizenSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:01:11 -0700

US to Send $1 Billion to Georgia:
The Bush administration is set to announce $1 billion in aid to help Georgia rebuild after its conflict with Russia last month. The package reflects an increase of support from the administration. In addition, Vice President Cheney has visited the region, and the aid and visit will probably increase tension with Russia.

New Orleans Residents to Return:
Mayor Ray Nagin has given New Orleans residents the go-ahead to return to their homes tomorrow — at their own risk. A curfew will still be in effect, and many homes are without electricity or working toilets. Nagin said, "It's my humble opinion that the city is still in a very, very vulnerable state." 800,000 people are still without power in the state.

North Korea Reassembling Nukes:
North Korea has begun to reassemble its main nuclear facility saying the US has delayed its removal from the list of terror sponsors. In response, Washington has reiterated its condition that North Korea commit to a plan verifying the accounting of the nuclear program submitted in June. The US is talking to North Korean officials to "look for solutions."

Source

UN: $60 Million Needed To Prevent 6.3 Million Hungry North Koreans

CitizenSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:23:36 -0700

UN: $60 Million Needed to Prevent 6.3 Million Hungry North Koreans The UN food agency urged donors Tuesday to separate politics from humanitarian aid as it appealed for $60 million to help impoverished North Korea avert its worst food crisis since the 1990s. The World Food Program said it needed the funds urgently for an emergency program to feed 6.3 million North Koreans.

North Korea Creates Special Noodle to Turn the Hungry Full

LibertySugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:00:42 -0700

North Korea may have found a way to get around relying on foreign food aid or producing enough food to feed its hungry population. Scientists in the communist country have developed a super noodle that leaves eaters feeling full for a longer time.

Thanks to flooding, six million North Koreans are in urgent need for food aid. The noodle, made of soybeans and corn, has twice as much protein and five times as much fat as a typical noodle. According to a Kim Jong Il-friendly newspaper, the noodle doesn't make people feel the sense of hunger that generally comes soon after eating noodles.

North Korea's leaders do not suffer from a lack of imagination. In March, Kim Jong Il announced plans to make extra cash by turning North Korea's embassy in Berlin into a hostel. Perhaps the noodle can save lives in North Korea, and become the latest diet fad in America. Do you have hope in this noodle, or do you think it's government big-fat propaganda?

Source

Front Page: Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe, N. Korea Blows, al-Qaeda Figure Dead

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:00:10 -0700

Voters Led to Polls in Zimbabwe:
As the Zimbabwe election dawns, any voter turnout could be credited to fear. Marshals are rounding up and leading voters to polling stations, with reports that voters fear punishment or even death if they can't produce the red-tipped finger that signifies a vote. One woman says, "I've got no option but to go and vote so that I can be safe." Not just a vote, a vote for current President Robert Mugabe, as a man concurs, “I voted for Mugabe because I didn’t want to risk my life.” Voters are being told to copy down the serial number on their ballot so that it could later be confirmed that they voted for Mugabe. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai (who dropped out on Sunday) said, “today is not an election. Today is a shameful humiliation, another tragic day in our nation’s history.”

North Korea Blows:
A huge explosion rocks North Korea as the country demolishes its nuclear cooling tower, one day after agreeing to release the details of it's nuclear program. The tower was the largest visual symbol of the problematic program; its destruction is seen as "a significant and very important step," according to a State Department official.

al-Qaeda Figure Dead:
The US military reports that a militant killed earlier this week has been identified as the leader of al-Qaeda in Mosul. The man whose goes by the name Abu Khalaf had planned and executed many attacks before being shot and killed by US troops during a raid in Mosul. For the past month, US and Iraqi forces have been battling to drive al-Qaeda from the city, which US and Iraqi officials say is al-Qaeda's last urban stronghold in Iraq. Mosul has seen several large attacks in past days, directed toward local anti-Qaeda leaders.

Source

Front Page: North Korea Declares Nuclear Program, Iraq Bombings, Immigration Raid

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:02:25 -0700

North Korea Declares Nuclear Program:
North Korea has submitted for inspection the long-awaited declaration of the extent of its nuclear program. Immediately after the move, the Bush administration announced it would remove the country, formerly on the "axis of evil" list, from the list of states who sponsor terrorism, as well as lifting commercial restriction on the country. President Bush said, "this can be a moment of opportunity for North Korea. If it continues to make the right choices it can repair its relationship with the international community."

Attack Kills 33 in Iraq:
At least 33 people have been killed in two massive bombings in Iraq today, including 18 people hit by a car bomb in the northern city of Mosul. The US military gave initial reports from Mosul saying that another 71 civilians and nine policemen were wounded. The second attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, killing the mayor and 14 senior members of an anti-Qaeda group. US commanders have said that Mosul is the country's last urban stronghold of al-Qaeda.
Immigration Raid Leads to 160 Arrests:
Federal immigration agents raided a used clothing plant in Houston, leading to 160 arrests, 70 percent of whom were women. The raid was the largest ever in the area, and the second major raid in Houston in the past two months. Two hundred immigration agents were involved in what was part of a yearlong investigation. A lawyer for the company said, “We want to abide by the law, and we're going to abide by the law. If we have an illegal employee, we don’t know it. No way. Tell us what the law is, and we’ll obey it.”

Source

See North Koreans Flee For China in the Middle of the Night

LibertySugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:42 -0700

Starving and desperate North Koreans flee their homes for relative paradise in China. But as this astonishing footage shows, the journey to China is nightmarish. Naked North Koreans swim across a freezing river, often trading drugs or women with corrupt boarder police.

Get Flash to see this player.

North Korea is facing a grave food shortage and hunger crisis right now. During the 1990s, 1 million of the country's 23-million citizens perished during a famine caused by a mismanaged farm sector and flooding. Another disaster appears on the horizon. Unfortunately, North Korea's isolationist character, as well as South Korean political demands, are preventing South Korea from providing crucial food aid. Thus, many people have no choice but to flee.

China does not consider North Koreans refugees but rather economic migrants. To find out what that means for the escapees,

Front Page: Afghanistan Attack, North Korea Agreement, Kenya Riots, San Francisco Torch

CitizenSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:58:08 -0700

In Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents ambushed a group of road construction workers and their security guards, killing 18 of the guards and wounding seven. It was one of the worst attacks in months. The security guards killed were young boys working for $150 a month. The president of the International Committee for the Red Cross said, “we are extremely concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. There is growing insecurity and a clear intensification of the armed conflict, which is no longer limited to the south but has spread to the east and west."

The US and North Korea have reached an agreement on what North Korea will receive from the US in exchange for disclosing its nuclear activities. Negotiations on US political compensation for the declaration have been holding up progress in disarmament talks. The US had accused Pyongyang of missing a year-end deadline to make a full nuclear declaration as promised.
Renewed riots erupted in Kenya yesterday after opposition leaders announced that they were suspending talks with the government over a stalled power-sharing agreement. Protesters took to the streets shouting, “no cabinet, no peace!” referring to the division of power after the disputed presidential election last December. The riots are the first major incident since Feb. 28. At the center of the conflict is the division of power. The government headed by President Mwai Kibaki is refusing to cede enough powerful ministries, like finance, foreign affairs, or internal security, to satisfy the opposition. The post-election violence has left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands still displaced.
San Francisco is preparing for the US leg of the Olympic torch relay today. The run will start at 1:00 p.m. PDT, and heavy protests are expected. Mayor Gavin Newsom said he had been in touch with officials in the UK and France to discuss ways of handling the controversy saying, "I'm not naive to the challenge associated with this event."

Front Page: Air Strikes in Basra, North Korea Fires Missiles, Cubans Get Cell Phones

CitizenSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:01:35 -0700

The US dropped bombs over Basra in an effort to support Iraqi forces in their clash with the Mehdi army. The fighting has stretched all week and last night's air strikes were the first. The Iraqi vice president's offices were hit during the shelling, killing two guards and wounding four. It's said that Iraqi security forces asked for these air attacks as they attempt to regain control of the oil-rich port city of Basra, against Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi army.

North Korea has test-fired short-range missiles off its western coast, according to South Korea. The explosions come just one day after North Korea expelled South Korean managers from a joint border project and are seen as a diplomatic protest and a political statement. North Korea is supposed to be in the midst of a deal requiring it to disarm to receive aid.
In perhaps another show of expanding freedoms and modernization in Cuba, President Raul Castro's government has authorized cell phones for ordinary Cubans. Owning a cell phone was a luxury previously preserved for top officials or people who worked for foreign companies. Service is expected to begin in the next few days.

$30 a Night Could Bankroll North Korea

LibertySugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:00:57 -0700

Now that the dollar is so low, and the federal government is handing out billions of dollars a day to investment banks, the United States may need to find creative ways to raise foreign currency — just like North Korea! The Dear Leader Kim Jong Il has decided to turn North Korea's embassy in Berlin, Germany, into a hostel.

Kim Jong Il is hoping that his Cityhostel Berlin, with its 37 rooms at a rate of 20 Euros ($31) a night, will help the broke regime collect foreign currency. Since the Cold War ended, North Korea has sized down the embassy staff that used to foster relations between its fellow communist country — East Germany. Wow, the Euro really is strong, if less than 800 Euros a night can make a difference to an entire country!

If the United States opened a hostel, what would they call it? The Guantanamo Guest Lodge?

Source

Front Page: Airlines Grounded, FL on Slavery, North Korea

CitizenSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:02:10 -0700

The two Democratic candidates are both giving speeches on the economy this morning. Obama is speaking in New York now, Clinton to follow in North Carolina. More to come as the speeches develop.
Delta Air Lines became the second major airline in two days to announce cancellations in service. Delta grounded about 325 flights to let engineers inspect two types of planes in its fleet in what they're calling a "voluntary" safety review. The day before, American Airlines halted 200 flights for similar reasons, prompted by questions raised by the FAA and American safety officials about how a certain bundle of wires is secured to the MD-80 aircraft. Hundreds of passengers have been affected.

In Florida, the Legislature has formally apologized for the state’s “shameful” history of slavery. Florida joins five other states that have expressed public regret for the practice. The resolution passed overwhelmingly in both houses in an emotional vote. Governor Charlie Crist quoted Edmund Burke saying, “All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. I think we are reminded of that today because it takes courage to do the right thing, and it’s not always easy.”
North Korea expelled all but two of the South Korean managers from a joint industrial park. The park is on the border of the two countries and has been a key symbol of reconciliation. No reason was given for the expulsion, but South Korea has recently said it would link progress at the park with progress on the North's denuclearization effort. Both the US and South Korea have warned North Korea that time was running out for it to declare the full extent of its nuclear capabilities.

Headline: China to Give US Access to POW Records

LibertySugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:00:54 -0800

China is set to give the US access to sensitive military records which will help answer questions about thousands of US soldiers that went missing during the Korean War and other Cold War conflicts. As a result of the Korean War, which lasted between 1950 and 1953, 8,100 US soldiers are still classified as missing in action (MIA) or as a prisoner of war (POW). During the war, China fought with the North, managing POW camps, while killing and capturing Americans, eventually pushing the US out of the North.

Since the end of the conflict, the US has been urging China to open its archives, in the hopes of locating American remains, or answering questions for the families of missing soldiers. Under the deal which will be announced Friday, Chinese archivists will do searches and provide information to the Pentagon. While the US won't have direct access to the files, the limited opening is a positive step forward for US-Chinese relations.

Source

Front Page: Philharmonic, Iran, Dodd to Endorse

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:03:27 -0800

The New York Philharmonic performed in North Korea yesterday. The musicians represented the largest delegation of Americans on North Korean soil since the end of the Korean War. Coinciding with a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was there to discuss North Korea's nuclear disarmament, the event began with both the Korean national anthem, and the Star Spangled Banner. Some have drawn parallels between the orchestra's visit to North Korea, and the ping-pong players who went to China in the 1970s, and their "ping-pong" diplomacy.
European countries are swiftly developing incentives to present to Iran, after the country declared sanctions will not stop its uranium enrichment program. At the same time at the United Nations, Iran's ambassador said that his country will continue to defy Security Council demands to halt the program because the documents submitted as evidence of Iran's effort to develop weapons were "forgeries." The United States is not opposed to the European incentives plan, but will not join in, standing by sanctions instead.
Senator Chris Dodd is set to endorse Barack Obama this morning. A former candidate himself, Dodd waited to endorse until his home state of Connecticut had voted. A new poll released in Texas shows a virtual tie between Democratic candidates Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Though Obama collected 50 percent to Clinton's 46 percent, the results are within the margin of error indicating a tight contest. The Democratic candidates are set to debate in Ohio tonight ahead of next Tuesday's critical primaries.