international relations - US main problem in North Korea talks

I'm going here a bit off-beat, but the North Korea talks in Beijing raise enough interest to do so. The Chinese media, like the China Daily, try to cover this event and signal even a US plan.
The real problem here are is more the US itself than North Korea, say anonymous sources close to the negotiations. North Korea felt the need for a deterrence only last year, as the US invaded Iraq and North Korea felt threatened. Efforts to resolve the problem - and nobody really is in a position to put effective pressure on North Korea - have failed, because of internal differences within the US administration.
US president Bush agreed to multilateral talks with North Korea, but the Pentagon more or less ignored that new policy and went on to fight their imaginary 'axis of evil'. We all need a purpose in life, don't we. So, the question is not only whether the US have a plan, but also whether the president has enough leverage over the US ministry of Defense.
Well, better read the experts on this, for example the website of colleague Rebecca MacKinnon, whose beat this really is. Oops, her website is down now: you can find it for later at your right hand side.

Update: Rebecca back in action at NK zone.