A step backward

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

A snapshot of the world today shows wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, saber rattling in Iran, political uncertainties in Pakistan, aggressive military action by Russia and simmering tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is still on the run. Against that backdrop, foreign policy achievements by the Bush administration have been rare.

Now, one of those rare successes is in doubt.

The United States achieved what President Bush termed “measurable results” in November when he announced that North Korea had begun to dismantle its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon, the result of negotiations that also included China, Japan, Russia and South Korea. North Korea, in turn, was to receive aid for its impoverished people and had counted on no longer being viewed as a sponsor of terrorism.

Less than a year later the agreement looks as if it is unraveling. Last week North Korea threatened to restart its Yongbyon reactor because the United States hasn’t removed its terrorism designation. The United States hasn’t done so because North Korea hasn’t fully disclosed all of its nuclear programs.

This situation can be viewed only as another setback for the Bush administration, which has had more than its share on the international stage.

Making matters worse have been reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke and is seriously ill. That makes it difficult to determine whether the isolated country might be in political disarray. That uncertainty presents an entirely new set of problems in our quest to disarm the communist regime.

We now find ourselves in the situation where we may be forced to turn once again to China — another communist nation with a poor record on human rights — to help straighten out this mess before it gets out of hand.

Like his untimely declaration of victory in Iraq, it appears the president’s proclamation of measurable results in North Korea will go down as a boast that was uttered prematurely.