I think the multi-lateral talks are going just fine. All N. Korea wants is a guarantee that the US won't attack and then they will disarm. I do think however that if we were to cut China, S. Korea, and Japan out of the talks that if it did escalate we could run into a problem of them not wanting to help us and possibly even siding with N. Korea (ex. China) since we cut them out of the peace process.
