Much as we'd love to believe Communist North Korea's latest promise to suspend its nuclear weapons work in exchange for massive food aid from the United States, history gives no reason to think such a promise will be fulfilled.
Repeatedly over the past couple of decades, North Korea has made the same pledge -- in exchange for vast amounts of aid from the United States and other nations. It has also promised to open its nuclear sites to international monitoring.
But time and again, it has received the aid and, before long, ejected the international inspectors and again pursued its nuclear aims. It is now believed to possess nuclear weapons.
If our nation wishes to send the admittedly suffering North Korean people food aid, that is a discussion worth having.
But we should drop the pretense that our charitable efforts will reduce the threat posed by that country's nuclear program.