北朝鮮が核の放棄という「戦略的決断」を下したのかどうかを確認する作業が必要となる。 もし米朝間のやりとりによって北朝鮮の核が廃棄されるのであれば、申し分のない話だ。 しかし反対に北朝鮮のウソであることがはっきりすれば、強硬姿勢に逆戻りするだけの名 分となる。その時には民主党主導の米国議会も、韓国や中国の政府も異議を唱えることは できないはずだ。 -------------------------------------------------------------------- この点について、アジアタイムズ掲載のDonald Kirkの評論 ttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/IC14Dg01.html North Korea hawks down but not out By Donald Kirk
Despite all such efforts, though, US officials hedge their bets on whether this agreement has any chance of succeeding. Much hinges on North Korea's willingness to tell all about its nuclear program in a declaration that is required under the terms of the agreement - and on US willingness not to press too hard for information North Korea is not likely to reveal.
But what if North Korea throws up reasons for postponing the "dismantlement" of the Yongbyon facilities - and still refuses to get around to acknowledging, much less stopping, the uranium program, presumably still going on at secret bases scattered around the country? ・・・・ As far as Koreans are concerned, US responses can be both unpredictable and violent.
昨日、今日のボラタリティの高さの原因のひとつは、金曜日にSQがらみの4重ウィッチの あるためらしい。 Friday’s approaching expiration of contracts for stock-index futures, stock-index options, stock options and single-stock futures, known as “quadruple witching,” was expected to create more volatility in stocks. It has delivered in spades. (WSJ)
ttp://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2007/81712.htm Afternoon Walk-Through at Six-Party Meetings Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs St. Regis Hotel Beijing, China March 14, 2007 国務省ファイル、3月14日、ヒル国務次官補、北京セントレジス・ホテル
ttp://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2007/81711.htm Remarks Upon Arrival for Working Groups and the Six-Party Meeting Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Arrival, Beijing Capital International Airport Beijing, China March 14, 2007 国務省ファイル、3月14日、ヒル国務次官補、北京国際空港にて
Parliament voted 409 to 161 in favor of a plan to spend 15 to 20 billion pounds ($29 to 39 billion) on new nuclear-armed submarines to replace ones that go out of service in 2024. 保守党は核武装継続を支持したが、与党労働党内部から85人の議員の反対投票があった。 労働党は4人の政治家が、この計画に反対して政府に役職を辞任している。
David Asher, a former State Department Asia expert who was involved in investigating North Korean illicit activities, said Pyongyang was even more concerned about the impact the Banco Delta Asia investigation had in sending a signal to the international banking community not to deal with North Korea. “This was a pin prick in a central artery, and there was a lot of bleeding,” said Mr Asher. 流石にFTらしい、冷静で沈着な報告と分析の記事; ------------------------------------------------- WSJでも、おなじようなトーンで ttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB117388592108136881.html?mod=home_whats_news_us U.S. Moves to Formally Shut Out Macau Bank for Money Laundering Associated Press March 14, 2007 2:16 p.m. AP:アメリカ政府はBDAを、マネーロンダリングの罪状で正式に取引停止に
The vast majority of American voters believe media bias is alive and well ? 83% of likely voters said the media is biased in one direction or another, while just 11% believe the media doesn’t take political sides, a recent IPDI/Zogby Interactive poll shows. 選挙の投票に行くと答えたアメリカ国民の大多数、83%はメディアはバイアスしていると答え た。11%の回答者はメディアには政治的バイアスは無いとした。
Nearly two-thirds of those online respondents who detected bias in the media (64%) said the media leans left, while slightly more than a quarter of respondents (28%) said they see a conservative bias on their TV sets and in their column inches. The survey, which focuses on perceptions of the “old” and “new” media, will be released today at the PoliticsOnline Conference 2007 at GWU.
Prime Ministers John Howard and Shinzo Abe inked the Australia-Japan Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation in Tokyo yesterday. While the security pact falls short of a mutual defense treaty -- which both nations enjoy with the U.S. -- it is a significant step toward enhancing the regional influence of Asia's two most prosperous democracies. ハワード豪首相と安倍首相の日豪共同宣言は、相互防衛の同盟には今一歩であるが、しかしなが ら、アジア地域に大きな影響を与えるもので、アジアの最も民主的で繁栄している二国の影響力 を増すものである。
That's good news for Asia. The region depends on Australia and Japan for humanitarian relief, quelling violence and economic investment. Given the increasing global trade linkages, a force for stability should be welcomed. Australia and Japan's respective linkages with other regional democracies, including Taiwan and India, are also gaining steam. If this is the beginning of a loosely defined coalition of like-minded democracies in Asia, then it's time to cheer. これはアジアにとっ良いニュースで、アジアは人道支援や経済開発、暴力の抑制などにおいて日 豪に依存するところが多い。グローバルな通商の発展の時代に安定化勢力は歓迎されよう。日豪 は、台湾やインドの民主主義国にも関連を持つので、その影響も強くなるであろう。もしこの共 同宣言が、緩やかなアジア民主主義国の連合の始まりであるのであれば、それを歓迎すべき時で ある。
The new strategic partnership might also mark a shift in Japan's foreign policy agenda. In the past, Tokyo has relied heavily on the United Nations. But as the U.N.'s failures to rein in North Korea's nuclear program show, linking up with a corrupt international institution with little military weight just doesn't mean much. While the U.S. remains Japan's chief military ally, Australia is an ideal partner for Tokyo to exercise some diplomatic independence.
Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru, a comedian-turned-rookie-politician, waded into a political minefield Wednesday, claiming it was hard to confirm as historical fact that the wartime Japanese military coerced women across Asia into frontline brothels. Asked by reporters for his opinion on Abe's comments, Higashikokubaru said, "It is very difficult to confirm as a historical fact that the 'comfort women' actually existed. Higashikokubaru said he believes there was nothing wrong with Japanese engaging in the sex trade in pre-1945 Korea, because under a "bilateral accord" in 1910, the Korean Peninsula became part of Japan, where the sex business had been allowed under certain regulations. But the Koreas say Japan's colonial rule was in fact an invasion and illegal, as was any sex trade on the peninsula involving Japanese, the governor said. "Arguments differ significantly between the winner and loser," Higashikokubaru said, as a general view. 注:日本語のマスコミの記事だと、何故かこの部分は報道されていません。
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. wholesale prices jumped 1.3% in February on big increases in food and energy. Core PPI rose 0.4%, suggesting underlying inflationary pressures persist. Full article coming soon. ttp://online.wsj.com/home/us
>>854 The producer-price index for finished goods rose 1.3% in February, the Labor Department said Thursday, after falling 0.6% in January and rising 0.9% in December. The core PPI, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, increased 0.4%, double the previous month's gain.
The numbers were well above Wall Street forecasts. The median forecast of 22 economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires was for a 0.6% PPI rise and 0.2% core increase.
In the 12 months ending in February, overall wholesale prices rose 2.5%, the highest reading since August 2006. The core PPI was up 1.8% from a year ago.
The PPI data may prove worrisome to Fed officials who expect price pressures to be on a downward path in coming months. The Labor Department releases the February consumer price index, a more closely-watched inflation gauge, on Friday. ttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB117396175489038079.html?mod=home_whats_news_us