North Korea's nuclear gamble will change face of Asia

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 25, 2003 | David Rennie

[MadIvan]

There are two explanations for North Korea's startling declaration last night that it has nuclear weapons and may soon test them.

The first is that the bankrupt Stalinist state, alarmed at being ignored in favour of Iraq, is trying to bully its way into President George W Bush's in-tray, to continue its well-honed routine of extorting food and fuel from the outside world.

North Korea certainly has a track record of triggering artificial crises with bad behaviour that defies all logic, in order to be able to demand concessions for backing down.

But there is a second, far more worrying, possibility: that North Korea has been up to something new, really racing to produce as many nuclear bombs as possible, after concluding that Saddam Hussein's great mistake was to neglect to procure a nuclear bomb of his own. Now, in the three-way talks with China and America that have just broken up early in Beijing, North Korea has confessed all over again to having nuclear weapons and threatened to "prove" it soon.

That warning appeared to mean that the North is poised to stage a nuclear weapons test - as ever, the Pyongyang envoys kept their language ambiguous to allow the maximum room for haggling.

A nuclear weapons test would confirm the worst fears of the West: that the second possibility was the right one, and that North Korea's reclusive dictator, Kim Jong-il had decided he needs the ultimate deterrent, to shield his brutal regime.

A nuclear North Korea would give huge impetus to Japanese nationalists, who have long argued for Tokyo to shed its pacifist shackles and seek all means of defence, including a nuclear bomb of its own, if necessary.

It would spur America to race to build missile shields covering not just itself, but Japan, Taiwan and its other Asian allies.

North Korea may, or may not, be poised to trigger an arms race that will leave Asia a more dangerous place than it has been for decades.

That peril brings benefits too - expect China, Japan and South Korea to join America in resisting a North Korea armed with nuclear missiles. Asia will never look quite the same again when this crisis is ended.

[MadIvan]

Let Japan and South Korea have nukes. Then North Korea is back to square one, and starving to death.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[backhoe]

-The Atomic Genie- what we know about North Korea's Nuclear program--

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I am praying that our spec ops guys can cause a few "accidents" in the nuclear or missile labs in NK. These people are crazy. And every time I see M*A*S*H protraying the NK soldiers as moral equivalents to the SK soldiers I want to barf. That plus Swit and Farrell and the anti-war rhetoric have ruined the show for me.

[bereanway]

I'm not so certain China is resisting in any way. I think behind the scenes they're pulling the strings.

[pepsi_junkie]

And every time I see M*A*S*H protraying the NK soldiers as moral equivalents to the SK soldiers I want to barf. That plus Swit and Farrell and the anti-war rhetoric have ruined the show for me.

Your not alone. Jumping The Shark: MASH

[Carry_Okie]

It would spur America to race to build missile shields covering not just itself, but Japan, Taiwan and its other Asian allies.

Methinks I should buy Raytheon stock assuming a successful test. Anybody who thinks Bernie Schwartz didn't have this game in mind when he sold those missile secrets to the Chinese is smoking something.

[Carry_Okie]

Yes, I know, Schwartz is Loral. IMO, Raytheon will be the big winner anyway.

[You Dirty Rats]

My late Grandfather refused to watch M*A*S*H because he believed it was disrespectful to the military. He was born on July 4, 1900 and was more patriotic than the stars on Old Glory. He also used to tell my brother (XJarhead) and I that we started with anarchists, and they killed a President; then we had Communists; and now they have a new name: LIBERALS!

I really miss the old guy!

[boris]

Jimmy ("Neville Chamberlain") Carter made sure we would someday face a nuclear-armed North Korea with his gormless "diplomatic solution".

IMHO we should pull our troops out of S. Korea and surgically take out each and every one of North Korea's nuclear sites, then sit back and let events proceed.

--Boris

[Bob J]

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[Orion78]

Iran, Iraq, and North Korea are pursuing missile capability to strike American cities (2/25/99)

[sarasmom]

"Let Japan and South Korea have nukes. Then North Korea is back to square one, and starving to death"

They already do.Courtesy of the USAF and the USN. Why buy and pay for all that expensive maintenance when you can rent exactly what you need, exactly when you need it?

North Korea had the same gig going with China. Perhaps something has changed?

[caltrop]

The author didn't mention another problem. North Korea sells to anyone with the funds. Once they have enough nukes in their inventory to feel comfortable, they could sell a few.

[freedombrigade]

Bush and the Asian allies need to take a play out of Reagan's playbook that will rachet up the game and scare the NK's straight...

1. Hold emergency summit to announce the reactivation of SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization), which includes all our Pacific allies,

2. At the summit, Japan announces the expansion of their defense perimeter to include the introduction of Pershing II missles (intermiate range),

3. The USA parks first strike capable subs off the NK coastline and makes a show of it for the NK,

4. Forward deploys B-2 bombers and missle Aegis cruisers to Sea of Japan, with 'special' cruise missles.

5. Announce that ANY provocative action by the NK's will be meet with overwhelming force.