August 15, 2005

Seemingly out of nowhere, North Korea says it welcomes nuclear weapons inspections. Usually, when such offers are pursued, they prove to be worthless. But it is becoming clear that the leadership in the north is split over how to proceed. The country continues to fall apart, with discipline declining and corruption increasing. The military and security agencies fear that the government will lose control if their is any kind of large scale uprising. And this becomes more likely as more people get access to illegal cell phones and radios.