Bush officials hope Putin will encourage Kim to stop proliferating missiles, resume talks with South Korea and agree to full inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. If Putin can deliver, he will have helped Kim shed his status as leader of a “rogue” state and Bush will be in Putin’s debt for finessing his troubles with Europe. If countering North Korea’s missiles is the raison d’etre of missile defense, and suddenly Kim’s no longer a rogue…
