North Korea: Deal Or No Deal?
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
I am so happy that all of our problems with North Korea are over. Soon relations between the U.S. and the People's Republic of Kim Jung Il will be normalized, and Pyongyang will pop up as a destination in the travel section of your local newspaper.
But, wait. In the immortal words of Howie Mandel: deal or no deal? Today on North Korean TV, the anchor said there would be no closing of the nuke plant. Michael O'Hanlon from the Brookings Institution was quick to point out that what gets said on North Korean TV is rarely the truth, so maybe it shouldn't matter. He said the deal is an important step in the right direction.
If the idea of a North Korean selling dirty bombs to the highest bidder disturbs you, then maybe this deal is a way to get in a position to stop that.
But it's interesting that the deal has gotten so much heat from the left and the right. The right says the deal does not go far enough, while the left says we should have done this four years ago.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on many CBS Radio News affiliates across the country.
By Harry Smith