North Korea Curbs Brinksmanship During Iraq War

Since the Iraq War began, North Korea has been waiting its turn, expecting to become either a target or a dialogue partner for the US. Notably, Pyongyang hasn't made any moves to further develop nuclear weapons, in what one observer describes as "an unspoken pact" to keep the peace while the US focuses on Iraq. "The bottom line is they want to have talks with the U.S. That's why they aren't crossing really important red lines. That's why they have been waiting," the observer said. North Korea's strategy seems to be winning at least some visible support from China, too. Yesterday China agreed with North Korea that a US-proposed meeting on the North Korean nuclear crisis in the UN Security Council would be pointless. – YaleGlobal