Obviously, this is bad news:
North Korea has barred international inspectors from a nuclear reprocessing plant that produces weapons-grade plutonium and intends to restart activity there in a week, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday. The decision by North Korea came as the Vienna-based nuclear agency also announced it had completed the removal of all seals and surveillance cameras from the plant, one of several sites at its vast Yongbyon nuclear complex, which processes spent nuclear fuel rods for plutonium. The removal was carried out following a formal request to the agency by the North two days ago. The reprocessing of nuclear fuel from spent fuel rods could begin within months, according to arms control experts.
Jeffrey Lewis thinks we're still in the midst of bargaining, and outlines a possible deal. Let's hope it works out. I'm wondering whether Russia has been playing a role in North Korea's thinking on this issue; do the North Koreans perceive themselves as having more latitude because of Russia's more confrontational attitude toward the US?
--Robert Farley
