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The Joongang Ilbo is reporting a rumor, still unconfirmed, that Kim Jong Il is inviting Condi Rice to Pyongyang for a visit. If it’s true, feel free to speculate that the Dear Leader is scared and ready to crack–for now. A “bilateral” meeting with a senior U.S. official would give him a face-saving way to do it. His real goal? To buy time, hopefully another three and a half years.

If the Bush Administration sticks to the “verifiable” and “irreversible” parts of CVID, it’s a non-starter. The real intent will be to set the U.S. up for blame for refusing to accept the invitation. Expect South Korea and China to willingly accept that opportunity.

Here’s my question–and admittedly, the factual premises are still murky: what’s he so afraid of?