I Think Miles O’Brien

…experienced a Freudian slip while reporting on North Korea’s nuclear test. He said:

“The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed a 4.2 magniturd…(!)…magnitude disturbance…”

I think he had it right the first time.
From NPR’s “Morning Edition” to MSNBC, the repeating theme is the resounding failure of diplomacy.

…The move, which Pyongyang had begun warning was imminent on Oct. 3, ends years of intensive diplomacy aimed at preventing the isolated Stalinist state from developing a nuclear capability. It struck a blow to Chinese leader Hu Jintao, who just hours before the detonation hosted a breakthrough summit meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, which ended with a joint call for Pyongyang to refrain from testing a weapon and rejoin six-party talks.

Even China’s completely put out, calling it “brazen”, which I guess is a big time slap in diplo-speak. Not to mention that it’s ruined a big week for the Chinese.

…But such speculation that Kim was staying his hand turned out to be grimly premature. Hu has another reason to be furious with Kim. Sunday was also the opening day of a key four-day Chinese communist party plenum in Beijing, during which Hu was slated to begin the political maneuvering required to reshuffle personnel and orchestrate his own succession. Now that important party conference is in shambles, upstaged by Kim’s nuclear test.

I can’t wait for Jimmy Carter’s spin on this.

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