30 more days?

Once again, a flurry of stories echoing that it's all OK:

The United States said Tuesday that a financial deadlock stalling North Korean disarmament efforts has been broken and hinted that a looming deadline for action by the Stalinist state could be extended.

This AP report seems to confirm that the NK nuclear plant will not shut down as agreed:

North Korea will invite back U.N. weapons inspectors as soon as it can access the money from bank accounts in the Chinese territory of Macau and will return to international talks on shutting its nuclear program "at an early date," the official said.

However, North Korea wants to delay a Saturday deadline for switching off its sole operating nuclear reactor by 30 days, the official said, adding that any such change would require agreement from all countries involved in arms talks with the North.

So still no transfer of the money, even though everything is resolved, the deadlock broken, and the technical details ironed out by our hero from the Treasury Department, Daniel Glaser and his helpful entourage. I bet they ate well, at least.

China Hand cuts through the bullshit, amply handed out by Glenn Kessler of the WaPo in presenting a sanctioned and sanitized version of events that omits the Treasury sabotage, and points out that it is Groundhog Day, everyday. It's resolved except there is no resolution.

I'll repeat that I find this episode emblematic of the US' foreign policy black hole, its strange dependence on getting optimistic articles in the press to keep the ball of shit rolling without exciting comment, and on the ability of the press to swallow the bullshit with a smile and to continue to parrot talking points while avoiding any meaningful analysis.

So, once again, we are told that all is resolved, but why should we believe it now? At least pay us a reporter's salary, then we might believe anything!