US Threatens North Korea With Ruinous Economic Stranglehold

The Bush administration is preparing to enforce an economic and political stranglehold on North Korea after deciding against an immediate military response to the nuclear weap-ons crisis. Washington is also seeking to open back-channel discussions with Pyongyang.

Under the plan, America could seek economic sanctions through the UN, which could bring the impoverished Communist country to its knees, and the US military could intercept North Korean missile shipments to other countries. North Korea's neighbours could be pressed to cut economic ties.

"It is called tailored containment," an American official told The New York Times. "It's a lot about putting political stress and putting economic stress [on North Korea]. It also requires maximum multinational co-operation."

Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, said yesterday that Washington was "looking for ways to communicate with the North Koreans" to try to defuse the crisis, caused by Pyongyang's decision last week to throw out UN inspectors monitoring its Yongbyon nuclear site. But he coupled the warning of sanctions with the prospect of talks. "We have channels open," he said. "They know how to contact us. We are not planning a pre-emptive strike."

North Korea has provoked international concern by de-claring its intention to reactivate nuclear reactors that some analysts say could produce weapons within months.

N Korea risks ruin, US warns

By Toby Harnden in Washington
(Filed: 30/12/2002)
The Telegraph (UK)

America issued an ultimatum to North Korea yesterday to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face economic ruin.

The Pyongyang regime defiantly insisted that "confrontation with the imperialists" was inevitable.

American officials said they had drawn up a new policy under which the United Nations could impose economic sanctions, while US forces would be prepared to intercept missile shipments to prevent Kim Jong-il's regime propping itself up through the arms trade.

One official said the policy was known as "tailored containment". He told the New York Times: "The main objective at the moment is to get them to give up their nuclear weapons programme.

"If they do not, we can work with allies to increase their isolation. No one anticipates that North Korea will collapse right away. But we will not do anything to prop them up and we will let internal forces continue to work away."

The crisis over North Korea's reactivated nuclear programme could not have come at a worse time for President George W Bush as he prepares to lead a war to disarm Saddam Hussein and oust him from Iraq.

Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's state newspaper, said: "Confrontation with the imperialists is inevitable as long as they do not abandon their aggressive and predatory nature." It added that concession by North Korea would bring only "humiliation, slavery and death".

It also said it was "the consistent stand" of the government to settle the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula "in a peaceful way".

The UN is withdrawing its two inspectors from the Yongbyon nuclear complex at North Korea's request. Weapons-grade plutonium will soon be produced at the plant in breach of a 1994 agreement with America.

Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, tried to defuse tensions during a round of appearances yesterday on television programmes.

"I do not want to create a sense of crisis or that we are on the brink of war, because I don't believe we are," he said.

"We are not planning a pre-emptive strike. The United States has a full range of capabilities: political, economic, diplomatic and, yes, military. But we are not trying to create a crisis atmosphere by threatening North Korea."

American officials believe that 8,000 spent fuel rods in storage at Yongbyon could be reprocessed within months to extract enough plutonium for the Stalinist state to build several bombs. North Korea is thought to have up to three nuclear weapons already.

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency is due to meet in Vienna next Monday to consider taking the issue to the Security Council if North Korea continues to build up its nuclear capability.

South Korea has said it will appeal to others to put pressure on Pyongyang. "We will ask China and Russia to persuade North Korea not to aggravate the situation and restore everything to its original state."

Mr Powell appeared to hint at a softening of America's position by saying that it was "looking for ways to communicate" with North Korea".

He said: "We have channels open. They know how to contact us." But he stressed that direct talks with North Korea would not take place until Pyongyang changed its ways.

White House officials said that Mr Powell was referring to established communications channels through the UN and South Korea.

Mr Powell said that James Kelly, an assistant secretary of state, would go to South Korea next month but would not travel to North Korea "at this time".

American and European officials believe that Kim Jong-il is hoping that Mr Bush's preoccupation with Iraq means he will be willing to grant concessions to prevent another front on the war against terrorism.

"The Bush administration just can't handle another crisis at the moment," a European diplomat said. "But the consensus is that this is bluster and brinkmanship from North Korea rather than a serious intent to go to war."

A North Korean official said that America was "gripped by the Cold War way of thinking" and should agree to "face to face" dialogue with Pyongyang.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.