Sanctions Changing Nork Behavior?

A rare victory for sanctions? This article suggests that North Korea's overtures to China may have been sparked, at least in part, by increasing financial hardships due to the sanctions' success in halting illicit arms sales.

And outside, U.N. sanctions are reportedly limiting the North's ability to profit from weapons sales

Track of the Day: Busted!

This song goes out to North Korea. The news today is that the plane seized by Thai authorities was shipping 35 tons of arms to Iran, according to Thai sources. These new sanctions seem to actually have teeth! Nice.

Spot on

David Axe has "Kim Jong Il" blogging for him over at War is Boring, and the latest installment is perfect. Whoever is writing this manages to nail the best understanding of the Dear Leader's objectives:

Some have been so fixated on me coming over the border they haven’t realized that I’ve long since circled the wagons. From my point of view I’m alone, encircled by more powerful countries, and there is no cavalry coming. Under the circumstances, the sanest thing to do is to act crazy.

Sounds about right.

Track of the Day

Kurupt & DJ Quik with a good description of dispute and conflict on the Korean peninsula...

When it stops
9 times out of 10
it's gonna start again
where it started at
ended up
then we start again
get your mind in the right position
before it start again
'cause when it drops
9 times out of 10
it's gonna drop again