Gregory D.

Lee

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April 17, 2009

North Korea: Words Suddenly Matter

North Korea’s launch of a multi-staged rocket, which was allegedly to put a satellite into space, but in reality was a test flight of an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking anywhere from Anchorage to San Francisco, has prompted condemnation from the United Nations, and in particular the United States.

President Obama, while in Europe at the time of the launch, said in a speech, "North Korea's development of a ballistic missile capability, regardless of the stated purpose of this launch, is aimed at providing it with the ability to threaten countries near and far with weapons of mass destruction. This action demands a response from . . . the United Nations Security Council, to demonstrate that its resolution cannot be defied with impunity. This morning, we were reminded again why we need a new and more rigorous approach to address this threat . . . this provocation underscores the need for action, not just . . . at the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons. Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something” (emphasis added).

Defied with impunity? New and more rigorous approach to address this threat? Action? Words must mean something? Is this President Obama speaking, or President Bush?

Let’s not forget that Saddam Hussein defied the U.N. by ignoring 17 U.N. resolutions and then kicked out its inspectors looking for weapons of mass destruction. Saddam’s multiple violations were not enough to convince then-Illinois State Senator Obama that Iraq needed to be punished. President Bush took a political beating for exercising a “new and more rigorous approach” to address the threat: Military action instead of empty words. So what changed?

Then, as now, there is a perceived significant direct threat to the United States. North Korea has demonstrated it possesses a nuclear weapon and has the capability of launching an ICBM that can reach the west coast of the United States. The only question that remains is whether North Korea has the ability to reduce the size of its nuke to fit inside the missile’s warhead.

And how did the U.N. respond? The Security Council wrote a sternly worded statement condemning North Korea’s actions and threatened, once again, financial and travel sanctions. Now that’s punishment for you. How about two sternly worded statements? That should persuade Kim Jong Il not to conduct another test, shouldn’t it? The U.N.’s weak response is typical, predictable and in line with many other weak U.N. responses. It will hardly convince Kim Jong Il that the U.N. is serious about punishing him for violating Security Council resolution 1718, issued in October 2006, after North Korea launched a test flight of an identical missile that self-destructed within a minute of its launch. The resolution demands that North Korea "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile.” Yet it did, and who can blame it given the U.N.’s long, dismal track record of not enforcing its resolutions?

North Korea’s response to U.N. was equally predictable. After being pummeled with the U.N.’s words of condemnation, it immediately kicked out its nuclear inspectors and announced it will restart its plutonium factory. Further, it will no longer participate in the six-party talks with the U.S., South Korea, Japan, Russia and China.

There are definitely parallels between Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and this situation. Will President Obama unilaterally “punish” North Korea because the U.N.’s words suddenly matter? I don’t think Kim Jong Il is crazy or desperate enough to attack the United States with a nuke because he knows that even the Obama Administration would retaliate with many nukes of its own.

But considering Kim Jong Il is a nut job who is masterful in extorting the U.S. and the world for billions of dollars in aid to keep his subjects fed and happy, anything could happen. He is using this self-made crisis to receive future foreign aid when he softens his rhetoric. But he might finally take his own words seriously and wait until the U.S. has “rid itself of nuclear weapons,” as President Obama has suggested, before attacking us with his own.  

Gregory D. Lee is a nationally syndicated columnist for North Star Writers Group. He can be reached through is web site: www.gregorydlee.com.

© 2009 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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