ANOTHER U.S. FOREIGN-POLICY VICTORY – AT 9:45 A.M. ET:   North Korea continues to laugh at us, signing agreements one day, breaking them the next.  They recently ran a missile test – unsuccessful, fortunately – that flew in the face of their international commitments.  Now a new nuclear test is clearly planned, and there's not a thing we're doing about it.  This is critical, not only because the North Koreans have the bomb, but because they export deadly technology:

(Reuters) - North Korea has almost completed preparations for a third nuclear test, a senior source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing told Reuters, which will draw further international condemnation following a failed rocket launch if it goes ahead.

The isolated and impoverished state sacrificed the chance of closer ties with the United States when it launched the long-range rocket on April 13 and was censured by the U.N. Security Council, including the North's sole major ally, China.

Critics say the rocket launch was aimed at honing the North's ability to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States, a move that would dramatically increase its military and diplomatic heft.

Now the North appears to be about to carry out a third nuclear test after two in 2006 and 2009.

"Soon. Preparations are almost complete," the source said when asked whether North Korea was planning to conduct a nuclear test.

This is the first time a senior official has confirmed the planned test and the source has correctly predicted events in the past, telling Reuters about the 2006 test days before it happened.

The rocket launch and nuclear test come as Kim Jong-un, the third of his line to rule North Korea, seeks to cement his grip on power.

COMMENT:  The failures of our North Korea policy were set in concrete during the Clinton administration.  The Clinton crowd actually believed it could reason with the most rogue of the rogue states.  The person in charge of negotiating agreements with North Korea, is now in charge of negotiations with Iran.  They never learn, do they?

And of course another actor played a role...Jimmy Carter, who never met a dictatorship he didn't like.  Jimmy made trips to North Korea and came back smiling.  The people of North Korea never smile.  They're too busy starving.

April 24,  2012