Kim-jong-il, from Wikipedia

The news of North Korea’s latest nuclear weapons test shocked no-one; but did put Pyongyang back into focus after months of worldwide attention on the muslim world. Not surprisingly, national security types are spooked. The U.N. has just issued their response; Susan Rice describes it as “a grave violation of international law and a threat to regional and international peace and security”. Interestingly, in a move sure to back up Fareed Zakaria’s latest Newsweek piece, the Iranians also issued a response condemning the test.

I’ve posted Obama’s statement, in full, below.

North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose a grave threat to the peace and security of the world, and I strongly condemn their reckless action. North Korea’s actions endanger the people of Northeast Asia, they are a blatant violation of international law, and they contradict North Korea’s own prior commitments. Now, the United States and the international community must take action in response.

The record’s clear: North Korea has previously committed to abandoning its nuclear program. Instead of following through on that commitment, it has chosen to ignore that commitment. Its actions have also flown in the face of United Nations resolutions. As a result, North Korea is not only deepening its own isolation, it’s also inviting stronger international pressure. That’s evident overnight, as Russia and China, as well as our traditional allies of South Korea and Japan, have all come to the same conclusion: North Korea will not find security and respect through threats and illegal weapons.

We will work with our friends and allies to stand up to this behavior, and we will redouble our efforts toward a more robust international nonproliferation regime that all countries have responsibilities to meet. In this effort, the United States will never waver from our determination to protect our people and the peace and security of the world.

Gershom Gorenberg takes aim at Netanyahu:

Bibi, it appears, sought a gesture that would show good will toward the Americans, but so inconsequential that it would not upset his coalition partners or his own party’s Knesset members.  It’s useful for him that the sheds have been put back up at Ma’oz Esther. That way he and Barak can order it demolished again in a couple of months, when they need another gesture.

Of course, folks at the White House and the State Department aren’t going to be placated by petty gestures for very long; my sense is that — given the consistency of his statements on the matter — Obama is serious about trying to end the Israeli settler movement. Whether he is successful or not is an entirely different matter.

Via Jonathan Chait, by way of Matthew Yglesias and Ezra Klein, comes word of conservative radio host Eric “Mancow” Muller’s brief encounter with a waterboard. Mancow, who was Hannityesque in his dismissal of of the inquisition-era interrogation technique, lasted 6 seconds before declaring “absolutely torture”:

“It is way worse than I thought it would be, and that’s no joke,”Mancow said, likening it to a time when he nearly drowned as a child.  “It is such an odd feeling to have water poured down your nose with your head back…It was instantaneous…and I don’t want to say this: absolutely torture.”

Yglesias wants Michael Goldfarb, who provocatively refers to it as “dunking”, to step up next; I’m still holding out for Hannity.

Israel has removed one illegal settler outpost consisting of… 4 families. Israeli officials say the timing is not significant, and Netanyahu has not signaled any modulation in his coalition’s official policy on the settler movement (one suspects Avigdor Lieberman would have thrown an almighty hissy fit if he had).

John McCain’s decade long fight to reform the military procurement process bore fruit today as the Senate passed S. 454:

The Senate voted Wednesday to bring new discipline to a Pentagon weapons acquisition system that too often goes off target with exploding costs and lengthy delays.

The Senate’s 95-0 vote, and expected House action on Thursday, would send the legislation to the White House and meet a request by President Barack Obama to get an acquisition overhaul to his desk before the Memorial Day recess.

One of the great things about McCain’s nomination and defeat — along with Secretary Gates’ retention — is the cover it gives Obama to propose and sign legislation reforming how the Pentagon receives and spends cash; S.454 and the new defense budget are good examples of this.