North Korea Joins The Nuclear Club
Very Interesting... Sunday, North Korea exploded a test nuclear bomb underground. The Russians say that North Korea unreported the explosion's explosive power. Both Japan and the U.S. reported seismic events while no one has reported radiation in the area yet.
This is unfortunately not great news as the chance of getting North Korea to abandon additional nuclear research efforts are literally non-existent now. I would strongly doubt that North Korea will reappear at any bargaining tables in the near future. The U.S. is posturing for a Naval "stop and search" mission, not a blockade mind you, as that would be considered an act of war.
Realistically, I don't see how Iran will be stopped in its quest for nuclear power and a nuclear bomb either. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but once Iran sees that the world just does not have any real leverage with North Korea on their issue, if the world does try to crack down on Iran militarily, they will raise the discrimination issue. "You let North Korea have it, it is unfair to target us when you did nothing to stop North Korea. The West just wants to repress us and steal our oil!" We've all heard this one before.
Possibly the best course at this point is simply to let them both join the nuclear club and work for true non-proliferation and nuclear inspections for all parties the US included. This may be the only path to a tenuous peace at best, but one of the only paths at this point.
This is unfortunately not great news as the chance of getting North Korea to abandon additional nuclear research efforts are literally non-existent now. I would strongly doubt that North Korea will reappear at any bargaining tables in the near future. The U.S. is posturing for a Naval "stop and search" mission, not a blockade mind you, as that would be considered an act of war.
Realistically, I don't see how Iran will be stopped in its quest for nuclear power and a nuclear bomb either. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but once Iran sees that the world just does not have any real leverage with North Korea on their issue, if the world does try to crack down on Iran militarily, they will raise the discrimination issue. "You let North Korea have it, it is unfair to target us when you did nothing to stop North Korea. The West just wants to repress us and steal our oil!" We've all heard this one before.
Possibly the best course at this point is simply to let them both join the nuclear club and work for true non-proliferation and nuclear inspections for all parties the US included. This may be the only path to a tenuous peace at best, but one of the only paths at this point.
I agree, I don't think there is anything we can do at this stage. North Korea is already almost in isolation so sanctions will not phase it. The US will not risk going back to war with Korea. The only thing they can hope for is to be able to convince their Chinese friends to surreptitiously take out Kim Jong-il, the Korean leader, hoping that the next-in-command structure is weak and the next person to step into the breech can be reasoned with or bribed.
Posted by Anonymous | Mon Oct 09, 11:41:00 PM EDT