Kim Jong-il flexing his muscles

The daily La Tribune de Genève analyses North Korea's threat of war: "These provocations are subject to the twin constraint of domestic and external causes.They coincide with the numerous and persistent speculations about Kim Jong-il's health. The victim of a heart attack last summer, the 'dear leader' is said to have lost part of his authority over the army. ... The nuclear test allowed him to show his aptitude at wielding power. ... Nothing has been left untried ... neither sanctions nor direct talks with the US after November 2006. Both attempts have failed. Pyongyang's escalatory actions are an embarrassment to the US administration, because they may oblige it to reverse its priorities at the expense of Iran. And they could be a major exasperation for Beijing."

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