NORTH KOREA THREATENS AGAIN - AT 8:27 A.M. ET: 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea threatened Wednesday to conduct nuclear and missile tests unless the U.N. apologizes for criticizing its April 5 rocket launch, dramatically raising its stake in the worsening standoff over its atomic programs.

Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the country ''will be compelled to take additional self-defensive measures'' unless the U.N. Security Council apologizes immediately. ''The measures will include nuclear tests and test-firings of intercontinental ballistic missiles.''

COMMENT:  The North Korean style is to make an agreement, break it over some perceived grievance, then return to the negotiating table to negotiate again about the same things they negotiated about before.  North Korea knows that it has a compliant, talk-obsessed administration in Washington.  Why shouldn't it do what it's doing?  Have there been any consequences?  Will there be any?

April 29, 2009