Talks concerning nuclear demilitarization have been under strain lately as North Korea reacts poorly to America's suggested restrictions to the North Korean nuclear programs before talks may even progress. The increased sanctions have recently pushed the Hermit Kingdom into rejoining the talks since their halt in 2008. This comes as no surprise as the North Korean economy has not exactly been booming as of late. The sanctions and continued pressure that they provide have proved effective in the past as seen with Iran, a country that was infamous for refusing inspections but has recently agreed to quasi-limited UN inspections as the cost of reduced sanctions. The US diplomat in charge of these negotiations, Glyn Davies, is hopeful towards the prospect of sanctions pushing the North Koreans into accepting the United States' terms. I personally find that the North Koreans have never reacted favorably with such antics and this will likely be no different. North Korea is not Iran and to draw similarities between the two is a slippery slope at best. It would be such a disappointment if the North Koreans were to once again drop out of the six party talks due to what they believe are "draconian measures" coming from the US. This is a real opportunity for positive change but the US's uncompromising stance is seriously jeopardizing positive results. On the other hand, sometimes a misbehaving child requires a stern hand.
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