US Pursues "Regime Transformation" in North Korea

There is now a name for our North Korea policy: Regime Transformation, according to Stephen Hadley*, expected to replace Condoleeza Rice. This jives with what we know about US efforts to distribute radios in North Korea, and Chinese and South Korean efforts to put cell-towers along the border. Maybe a grand bargain has been struck . . . (past posts on NK: here,here,and here.) In other NK news, North Korea has made a revision to its criminal laws. For example, the regime has stiffened its penalties for participation in an armed riot. Now one can be sentenced to more than 5 years for joining in. On the face of it, this seems bad news, but we think it is excellent. Notes the article:

Unconfirmed reports of rioting in protest of food shortages have been made recently.

And the law is for ARMED riots. So let's be clear: North Koreans are conducting armed riots against the government! Hmmmm..... [as always, we are attempting some aggressive pattern-spotting] *[Interesting . . . Hadley possesses a law degree, not a PhD. Seems like most National Security Advisors are academics.]