Posted on 07/06/2009 6:35:08 PM PDT by Kaslin
North Korea has tested still more missiles, apparently moving from intermittent to constant provocation. The only nation with real influence in Pyongyang is China. U.S. diplomacy should focus on encouraging Beijing to do its utmost to "solve" the problem of the North's criminal regime.
The challenge posed by the so-called Democratic People's Republic of Korea is obvious. Eliminating his regime would be an obvious humanitarian and security plus.
Unfortunately, no easy solution presents itself. Kim Jong-il's latest confrontational tactics do not prevent a negotiated settlement, but the likelihood of diplomacy resulting in a demilitarized peninsula grows smaller.
Tighter sanctions also offer but a forlorn hope. The U.N. Security Council recently voted to tighten sanctions, but the measure offers little in the way of increased enforcement. Moreover, the Kim regime has never let the suffering of its people affect its policies.
Only Beijing has clout with the DPRK. It provides the bulk of the North's food, fuel and consumer goods. Severing that economic lifeline could bring the North Korean economy to a standstill.
So far, however, the People's Republic of China appears to fear a North Korean collapse more than a North Korean nuclear weapon.
The last option is a military strike. Whether doing so would permanently block the North's nuclear efforts and eliminate its existing atomic capabilities is not clear.
Moreover, an attack probably would result in war. The Kim regime likely would see an attack as an attempt at coercive regime change. To do nothing would wreck its credibility at home and stature abroad. Although the North would lose any conflict, it could cause massive damage to the South. So is a North Korean nuclear arsenal inevitable? Maybe not. The China Card has yet to be played.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...
By pressuring the Koreans to nuke China.
But Doug is right that Beijing holds the keys. But ending this charade is easy. If Tapei, Seoul and Tokyo were to threaten to nuke up on Tuesday, the Kim Family Regime would be gone by Wednesday. It is as simple as that.
Want to make “Dear Leader” fill his diaper? Give US Nuclear know how to Japan. Watch all the NK’s head for the toilet. Japan has lots of love for NK.
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