Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Play “Layla” For Me

The cables from WikiLeaks have made a lot of news, but this is the first one that really grabbed my attention.

One of the diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks reveals that North Korean officials suggested the U.S. government make arrangements for rock icon Eric Clapton to perform in Pyongyang as a way of building “good will” between the countries.

The suggestion was relayed to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, through an intermediary whose name was redacted from the document.

“Arranging an Eric Clapton concert in Pyongyang could also be useful, [the intermediary] said, given Kim Jong-Il’s second son’s devotion to the rock legend,” the cable begins. “As Kim Jong-Il’s second son, Kim Jong-chol, is reported to be a great fan, the performance could be an opportunity to build good will.”

I must say that when they’re asking for iconic rockers, the North Koreans have good taste. And if they’d asked for Ted Nugent, we could have said sure, as long as you keep him.