A Way With Words

The AP:

SEOUL, South Korea - A North Korean official warned that the Communist state could test-fire a nuclear missile unless the U.S. acts to resolve its standoff with Pyongyang, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday.

“We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes,” the unnamed official said Monday, according to a Yonhap report from Beijing.
“That depends on how the U.S. will act.”

A photo accompanying the story is captioned: "Protesters set fire to a banner with photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il during an anti-North Korea rally in Seoul, October 9, 2006."

Recruiting '06

The NY Times notes an Army success story:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 — One year after the Army failed to meet its annual recruiting goal by the widest margin in two decades, the Pentagon is to announce this week that the ground forces, and the rest of the military, all reached their targets for recruits in 2006.
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For active-duty forces, the Army signed up 80,635 people in the 2006 fiscal year, which ended at midnight on Sept. 30, topping its goal of 80,000. The Navy recruited 36,679, after setting a goal of 36,656. The Marines enlisted 32,337, with a goal of 32,301, and the Air Force recruited 30,889, topping its goal of 30,750.
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Across the reserve component, the Air Force Reserve recruited 6,989 people, well over its goal of 6,607, and the Marine Corps Reserve topped its goal of 8,024 by signing up 8,056. The Air National Guard reached 97 percent of its goal, signing up 9,138 people, beneath a target of 9,380, and the Navy reserve attracted 9,722 people, just 87 percent of its goal of 11,180.

The Army National Guard approached its goal of 70,000 by recruiting 69,042, while the Army Reserve hit 95 percent of its goal, recruiting 34,379 of a goal of 36,032.

The Army has been criticized for raising the allowable age for recruits to 42, from 35. General van Antwerp said no more than 500 new soldiers were in that category.

Update: Don't miss Glenn and Helen Reynolds podcast interview with Army Secretary Francis Harvey on recruitment, retention, and force structure. Great comments from the Secretary on "lower standards", the draft, and more.

Birds of a Feather...

...recently flocked together.

Pillars of Government Week, Part I

Cassandra of Villanious Company has decided to take a whole week to respond to a piece I wrote last week called "Time for a Change," which argued that the fundamental institutions of our Federal government are breaking. It also looked at how they might be fixed. Cassandra wishes to explore some of the ideas in greater detail than a single post. This is surely a useful undertaking given the depth of problems discussed and the seriousness of the proposed remedies.

Part I is here, and treats something I didn't examine in detail at all -- the question of the military's stability and force structure. I thought that might be of interest to several of you. In keeping with the "seminar" idea put forward by the Castle, I'd like to suggest that we all get over to VC and read what she has to say.