North Korean fallout

Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, June 15, 2005 | House Editorial

[JohnHuang2]

Thirty-two months after North Korea acknowledged it had an active nuclear-weapons program, Washington and its allies remain unable to find a way to stop North Korea's atomic-weapons efforts. Ever since President Bush declared North Korea to be a member of an international "axis of evil" during his 2002 State of the Union address, the administration has worked diligently to pressure Pyongyang to take part in six-party talks, together with the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia to end its efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Pyongyang is believed to have enough fuel for as many as eight nuclear devices. Since it is highly unlikely that U.S. intelligence has successfully infiltrated the Stalinist regime to ascertain the truth, we have no way of knowing how many nuclear weapons North Korea has -- or whether it is bluffing. Given the uncertainty, the question then centers around what we are prepared to do to persuade Pyongyang to get rid of them -- and, no less important, to halt any clandestine research programs to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. It is difficult to see how negotiations that are not backed up by the credible threat of military force would persuade North Korea to change its ways. The United States tried that during the Clinton administration with the 1994 Agreed Framework accord. We now know that the agreement was a failure, and that North Korea energetically pressed ahead.

[BlessingInDisguise]

Apparently the neoconmen must think their "No Nukes for Korea or Iran no matter what" open talk in the mainstream media will convince Kim jung Il and the Mullahs to come back to the bargaining table to give back the nukes that Clinton and Rumsfield (ABB) gave them?

[SteveMcKing]

I wish they wouldn't use "fallout" as a cute metaphor. It's going to be real soon enough, and we will need to have accurate headlines.

[2001convSVT]

How long will it be before Japan has the bomb? Surely Japan will not sit by while North Korea builds 10, 20 or 100s of these weapons. Then what will China do knowing that Japan has the bomb?

[SteveMcKing]

I don't think they have them to use at their discretion, but it's likely we already provide them with some kind of nuke-bearing command force to cover their needs.

[JasonC]

Japan can weaponize instantly, they have all the precursors. When they do, China will remain very quiet and its leaders' hands will shake slightly.

[JasonC]

No bargain is involved. NK was signaling they would test. The administration told the Chinese and Russians if the NKs test, air attacks would destroy their nuclear facilities. And sent F-117s to theater. It is a promise, they don't bluff.

[eastforker]

Rumsfield????

[2001convSVT]

I just don't know if an air strike on North Korea will take all it's nuclear bomb building infrastructure (or existing nuclear bombs)out. The North Koreans will view this as total war and invade the south.
With the fourth largest army in the world South Korea force's could be squeezed into a modern day version of the Pusan perimeter before the U.S. land forces get on the ground.
I know what what Secretary Rumsfeld said but, I don't see the United States striking first.

[JasonC]

So we blow them straight to hell. Take less than one boat. Everybody just assumes we play pattycake with them forever, with unending patience. A decidedly false, and dangerous premise.

[A CA Guy]

We can stop providing them food so they can eat each other out of existence, that's a possibility.

[BlessingInDisguise]

Yes.
Please excuse the spelling mistake I made earlier.
http://www.nutcote.demon.co.uk/nl04jan0105.html