North Korea and NL deal

This just in from the IPF Newswire. . . .

While it hasn't been made public in this country (or either of these countries yet), part of Danny's trade mission out west involved a secret, unannounced trip to North Korea.

This trip explains the recent flurry of activity around Makkovik and Postville.

Premier Williams has signed a deal giving North Korea unlimited access to Labrador uranium, as the article says, "for Peaceful Purposes Of National Development And Advancement Of Peaceful North Korean Peoples'". (See attached from the People's Republic Worker's Standard.)

In exchange, the Williams government is getting the very best of North Korean expertise in economics, state-owned enterprise, and diplomacy, with options on 20,000 fish plant workers.

Kim Jong Il has already dispatched the first several installments of expert advisers to Newfoundland, who have been at work behind the scenes for some months now. The head North Korean in Confederation Building, Park Sun Yee, is said to be one of the North Korean best.

He will be taking office in the space previously occupied by former economic development czar, Alfred Valdmanis.

The uranium is only being processed to "yellowcake" in the province. The North Koreans would not agree to the fuel rod plant that Williams was demanding for Stephenville, which he was hoping to announce during the Port-au-Port by-election. However, the Williams administration, desperate for an economic win, had to agree to the terms as proposed by the North Koreans.

Controversy over this deal has already erupted.

Sue Kelland-Dyer, president of ANL (Autarky NewfoundlandLabrador) is harshly critical of the deal. "I thought Danny would be taking the valuable principles of Juche and adapting them to this province. But as long as this province is not fully processing this uranium into value-added final products like fuel rods, we are giving away jobs. If countries like Pakistan and Iran can produce and export highly-enriched uranium for the world market, why can't we? We can learn much from them."

"This may be the biggest giveaway yet. If we can't export world-class completed nuclear weapons, then we should leave the uranium in the ground," she said.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Defense League (NLDL) released a statement through their spokesperson. "Finally this province would be recognized as a global nuclear center of excellence. We look forward to the growth of this industry and the important role it will have in defending this province's place in the world."

Premier Williams had no comment.