News of the Day (October 17)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: One Free Korea has more on South Korean silliness (see also BBC, Washington Times) and Communist China's duplicity (see also Chicago Sun-Times, National Review Online, United Press Int'l via Washington Times, and Washington Post) in re Stalinist North Korea.

More on the Korean colony: The Stalinists appear to be prepping for a second nuclear test (BBC and Kyodo News Agency via Breitbart) while calling the UN resolution (third item) a "declaration of war" (Fox News, Newsmax, UPI via Washington Times). Said UN resolution is still unenforced at this hour (UPI via Washington Times). Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins a trip to East Asia for talks on SNK (Voice of America via Epoch Times and Washington Times). Australians are pondering becoming a nuclear power themselves (Epoch Times). Daily NK ponders the effects of international reaction from the nuclear test. Samanthi Dissanayake (BBC) asks a defector what average northern Koreans think about all of this, and gets this answer: "There's only one television news and the announcer told them to be proud of the test and that it was a good thing, so they believe this" (emphasis added). Martin Sieff (UPI via Washington Times) ponders possible U.S. actions with analysts from the do-what-Communist-China-wants school, and thus liberation is never mentioned.

On Middle Eastern Proxy Number One: The as-of-yet unenforced UN resolution on SNK is held up as an example of what the mullahcracy would face if it becomes a nuclear power (VOA via Epoch Times). However, Germany's foreign minister (UPI via Washington Times) and Iraq panel head James Baker (Worldwide Standard) hold out talking to the mullahs. Meanwhile, mouthpiece Mahmoud Ahmadinejad added "Satan inspires Mr. Bush" (World Net Daily) to his sound-bite lexicon.

On the other Middle Eastern Proxies: The UN and France go back on their word to prevent arms flowing from Syria to Hezbollah (Small Dead Animals).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Taiwan's Vice President rips Communist organ harvesting (Epoch Times). The cadres' foreign reserves approach $1 trillion (UPI via Washington Times).