A16 The World


EZ SU


Plenty of theories about North Korean meeting


Analysts link delay to Kim’s health, possible policy debate, floods


BY CHICO HARLAN


seoul — When North Korea three months ago announced a rare political meeting, schedul- ing it for “early September,” out- side analysts spentmonths spec- ulating about the meeting’s pur- pose. Now that the first half of September has passed with no evidence of the Workers’ Party conference, analysts are wonder- ing less about what will happen and more about when and whether it will happen. South Korea’s government ac-


knowledged Wednesday that the meeting, presumed to be a vehi- cle for solidifying North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s hereditary succession plan, apparently had been delayed. Less clear is the reason for the delay and when themeeting will be held. Pyongyang’s state newspaper


has remained silent about the meeting since Sept. 6, when it reported


from across the country had arrived in the capital. Experts and officials in Seoul


dismiss the idea that the North has held the conference in secret, saying that such a gathering would involve thousands of par- ticipating party members and colorful celebrations in the city streets. There is no consensus among


observers on the cause of the delay. Perhaps Kim is having health problems, experts say. Perhaps party and military lead- ers are debating policy changes that will be announced at the meeting. Perhaps typhoon-relat- ed flood devastation has soured the country’s mood, spoiling the timing for the ascension of Kim’s youngest son, KimJong Eun. “It could be floods, or any


other various reasons, but there seem to be internal reasons,” Hyun In-taek, head of South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, told reportersWednesday. If the party conference is not held this week, it is unlikely to


that delegates


happen next week; that is when the Korean Peninsula celebrate- sChuseok, a Thanksgiving-like heritage festival when many re- turn to their home towns. According to analysts, barring


significant problems, Pyongyang is likely to reschedule itsmeeting for before Oct. 10, the 65th anniversary of the Workers’ Par- ty.


Cheong Seong-chang, a North


Korea expert at Seoul’s Sejong Institute, thinks the government will wait until flood damage has subsided. “The conference should be


held in an uplifting and festival mood, but with severe damages, the regime cannot win the pub- lic,” Cheong said. “North Korea is monitoring howthe public senti-


“There seem to be internal reasons.”


—Hyun In-taek, South Korea’s unification minister


ment is. The top level of North Korea has accepted Kim Jong Eun, but he does not have the authority set among the middle- level officials and public.” On Wednesday, North Korea’s


statemedia did report—belated- ly — on flood damage, the result of Typhoon Kompasu, which hit at the beginning of the month. The flooding, North Korea said, killed dozens and destroyed thousands of homes. South Ko- rea is supplying aid to the flood- stricken regions. The conference was supposed


to be the largest political gather- ing in the North since 1980, when the Workers’ Party made public the planned power trans- fer from leader Kim Il Sung to son KimJong Il. Since Kim Jong Il’s apparent


stroke in August 2008, he has accelerated his own hereditary power transfer, seeking to keep his family in power after his death.


harlanc@washpost.com


Special correspondent Yoonjung Seo contributed to this report.


SHAH MARAI/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE VIA GETTY IMAGES


Ashepherd tends his flock in the Dara district of Panjshir province in Afghanistan. The nation is set to hold parliamentary elections Saturday in which more than 2,500 candidates will vie for the 249 seats in the lower house. The campaigning formally ended at midnightWednesday.


Many share blame for oil spill, BP chief tells British committee BY DAVID STRINGER


london — Outgoing BP chief executive Tony Hayward said Wednesday that he understands the anger directed at the energy giant in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but he insisted that his company had a strong safety record and was not solely to blame for the disaster. Testifying before a British par-


liamentary committee, Hayward acknowledged that BP had failed both to stop the spill and to plan adequately to respond to an


accident of that scale. “I understand why people feel


theway they do, and there is little doubt that the inability of BP, and the industry, to intervene to seal the leak . . . was unaccept- able,” he said. Hayward appeared relaxed


and confident addressing law- makers in his native Britain, unlike at a testy June hearing in Washington before the House Energy and Commerce Commit- tee,which angrily accused himof stonewalling. He said the Macondo well’s April 20 explosion, which killed


11 workers and triggered the massive spill,was “devastating to me personally,” and he insisted that safety and training stan- dardswill improve industrywide. But he said it is wrong to


attach blame only to BP. “No single factor caused the


accident, and multiple parties, including BP, Halliburton and Transocean, were involved,” he said, echoing his comments last week when BP released the re- sults of an internal investigation. Halliburton cemented the Ma- condo wellhead, and Transocean operated the oil rig.


Hayward — who will be re-


placed Oct. 1 by Bob Dudley, an American — also told Parlia- ment’s Energy and Climate Change Committee that the ex- tent of the spill’s environmental impact is unclear. “No one knows today the environmental impact of this,” he said. The committee is considering


whether additional regulation is needed in Britain and whether the U.K. government was right not to follow President Obama’s lead in imposing a moratorium on new deepwater drilling. — Associated Press


KLMNO On the road in Afghanistan


THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2010


SAVINGS FA LL EV EN T Save on tax day. Installation day.And every day.


If you call now to set up an in-home consultation, Pella can help you qualify for up to a $1,500 tax credit.1


Plus, we’re offering a limited-time discount on installation of select Pella® products — including windows and doors that can help you save on your energy bills!


Hurry! TAX CREDIT EXPIRES SOON.


$ 500 1, UP TOA TAXCREDIT 25% 1


IF PRODUCTS ARE INSTALLED BY DECEMBER 31


$501AYEAR UP TO IN ENERGY SAVINGS4 To learn moreorschedule your free, no-pressurein-home consultation:


888-510-1888 pellareplacement.com/WSHPST1


your local Pella Showroom window & door replacement


1Consult with your local Pella professional to determine which products areeligible.Windows and doors must be purchased and installed by 12/31/10 to be eligible for the $1,500 tax credit.Consult withaqualified tax advisor to confirm eligibility.Visit pella.com/taxcredit for moreinformation. 2Valid for installation on replacement projects only and must be installed by Pella professionals.Only valid on select Pella® products.Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Prior sales excluded. Other restrictionsmayapply.See storefor details.Offer ends 10/31/10. 3 Financing available to qualified customers only. Financingmaynot be combined with product offers. Prior sales excluded. 4TheU.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.Savings estimates based on an even mix of one- and two-story detached homes of 1700 or 2600 sq. ft.respectively,with15%of their floor space in windows that areequally distributed acrosscompassdirections.Heating and cooling systems aremodeled as either natural gas heat with electric air conditioning or electric heatpump,according to the regional breakdown reported in the Energy Information Administration’s(EIA) 2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.Estimates use the EIA’s 2006 average natural gas prices and 2007 electricity prices.Actual savings will vary by local climatic conditions, utility rates,and individualhomecharacteristics.Foradditional information,go to energystar.gov/windows.MHIC#38731 KC Company©2010 Pella Corporation


Lewes,DE 34382 CarpentersWay, Suite 2, Dartmouth BusinessCenter | Annapolis,MD150 Jennifer Road, SuiteN Beltsville,MD12100 BaltimoreAvenue, Suite 1| Bethesda,MD7613 Wisconsin Avenue Easton,MD29466 Pintail Drive, Unit 2, Carlton Station | Hunt Valley,MD 11309 York Road (Cockeysville) Falls Church,VA 7505 DLeesburgPike, Idylwood Plaza | Springfield,VA 8410 Old Keene Mill Road


OFF PROFESSIONAL PELLA INSTALLATION2


OR FLEXIBLE FINANCING AVAILABLE3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92