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A Korean Ghost Lurks at U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks
(Wall Street Journal) John Bolton - Are Iran and North Korea cooperating on their nuclear-weapons programs? If so, their efforts undermine, and may preclude, Barack Obama's diplomatic attempts to address these threats separately. The issue is especially timely now as Mr. Obama's negotiators rush to make a deal with Iran. Back in North Korea, the Kim regime has been enriching uranium for more than a decade, as Washington concluded in 2002 and Pyongyang admitted shortly thereafter. The enrichment program significantly expanded in 2010, in full public view at Yongbyon, unlike earlier efforts which were concealed at a still-unknown location. The U.S. and its allies clearly have significant gaps in their knowledge about nuclear cooperation between Iran and North Korea. But the implications of any such cooperation are profound. Given the closed nature of both rogue states, Washington is long overdue in increasing its relevant intelligence-collection efforts and re-examining whether Russia or China are also involved. The writer is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.