Russia: N.Korea Could Be Bigger Threat Than Iraq

Reuters News Wire ^ | Sun February 9, 2003 10:53 AM ET | staff

[DoughtyOne]

I an encouraged by what I see in Afghanistan. We have stabalized their banking system. Have replaced their four currencies with a stable one. And have created an atmosphere where the girls are able to attend school again for the first time in something like seven years. Women have much more freedom and most everyone seems reasonably happy we're there.

If we can achieve this in Iraq, don't you think that will bear good fruit? If we got a reasoned leader there, it might trend well for the whole region. I think Iran could be the third to go quasi/western. If Pelavi goes there, it's a sinch he'll be as pro-western as Jordan at least. He's been exiled here for a long time and is very pro-western. And from I'm hearing, at least some of the Iranians desire his family to return.

[Chi-townChief]

"Russia: N.Korea Could Be Bigger Threat Than Iraq"

NO SH*T, BORIS!

[jwalsh07]

I repeat, the North Koreans can not reach out and touch America directly. Of course they can sell nukes to whomever they like if allowed to do so but the terrorists killing Americans for the past 15 years have been jihadists, not North Koreans.

Abbu Abbas, Abu Nidal, Zachari, Salman Pak .... All in Iraq not North Korea. The dictator paying bounty for American and Israeli scalps is in Iraq, not NK or Iran.

The dictator who is most likely to supply CB weapons to jihadists and train them in their use is in Iraq.

The dictator who attempted the assasination of an American President lives in Iraq.

The dictator with the closest ties to Hamas, the PLO and Al Qaeda also lives in Iraq, despite his much ballyhooed secularism.

The clearest and most present danger to America is in Iraq and he is about to be dealt with.

North Korea is next in line but we should do everything we can there to get China and Russia to belly up to that bar.

As for the balance of power in the mideast vs the possible democratization of the mideast I have this to say. Your way doesn't work, we tried it.

[jwalsh07]

How's your daughter?

[TLBSHOW]

She came home earlier today, and has been very happy about that as I have.

[jwalsh07]

Putin's current position is that the UN is responsible for dealing with rogue nation-states but when his nation is threatened. However, this doesn't obtain when the threatened nation-state is Russia, hence his war with Chechnya.

Hypocrisy.

[jwalsh07]

Glad to hear that.

[JohnOG]

With respect Doughty One,
Stop thinking that a serious nation's foreign policy is based upon gut responses. Its based upon long-term planning and deceiving your enemy.
The Russian government/FSB/GRU are the ultimate deceivers and the United States is the enemy they are deceiving.
The "end of the Cold War" was not a surrender but simply a strategic retreat, albeit a massive one, designed to deceive Russia's enemies. Her enemies are now lining up in front of the chopping block.
Regarding your comment about the US courting Russia's "evil twin" I presume you mean China (I think).....
Um....how can I put this politely but.....Russia and China ARE ALLIES!!!!!! :) Please understand this....Russia has sold China literally tons and tons and tons of ADVANCED weaponry over the last at least 10 years....Putin and Jiang and the ministers have met many times and they signed a treaty of mutual friendship in July 2001 declaring that they were going to "End the Uni-Polar World Order".....now what nation might that be directed at???? Oh boy....I don't know.....let me see.....
but before I do that let me look into Putin's eyes one more time.....Oh!!!! I SEE THE LIGHT!!!! RUSSIA IS OUR ALLY!!!!!....
Respectfully, John.

[TLBSHOW]

The real question about what to do is easy.

We tell North Korea they have to give up their weapons of mass destruction. Stop the oppression of the people and have a society that is civil like most of the world is.

[DoughtyOne]

But that works both ways doesn't it. I mean we haven't exactly been supportive of actions in Chechnya either.

[McGavin999]

Well D-1, if they haven't seen a difference with this new administration they're missing quite a lot. Dubya can't change everything overnight, but he's doing a lot in the 2 years he's been in as far as moving away from China and toward Russia. But Russia doing this is going to bring that to a halt. Shame, I really wanted us to get completely away from China.

[DoughtyOne]

I know John.  There are a number of things that seem to confirm that Russia is a problem for us.  But John I'm not sure you're being as realistic as you think.

First of all, what treaties did we pursue with Russia?

You state that Russian signed a mutual friendship treaty in July 2001.  You also state that Russia sold China a lot of military equipment.  Yes, both are dead on the money.  How much of our beloved trade did we direct to a Republic vs an avowed Communist government?  Russia was cash poor.  They needed an infusion of cash and China needed weapons.  I'm sorry but this vacuum was going to be filled.  Russia would have been crazy to turn down the opportunity.

I would have liked to seen some of our trade directed to Russia in order to jump start their economy.  No I do not mean to the preposterous levels China's was.  But we should have helped Russia.  Their people needed to eat.  I don't trust Russia any more than anyone else does, although I wish we could.  But by not helping Russia we essentially drove them closer to China for trade, and that turned into something more.

You and I don't trust Russia.  I still maintain we have a lot more in common with Russia than we do China.  And I do not trust China at all.  I trust Russia ten times as much as China, and look who we've been financing.  This drives me nuts!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

To Russia and China: NK is your crazy aunt in the basement. I would say that she is your problem to deal with but I know you are the ones who feed her. I also know you poke her with sticks to make her act crazy. You want her in the shape she is in so that all the neighbors can scream for us to do something about it. Sadly, we have been helping you feed her but you still poke her. I think we should whack her in the head and turn her into another nice little free enterprise zone right on your borders. Think about it.

[eyespysomething]

Exactly, that's what's been on my mind for days, since they started this "no-war" talk.

[DoughtyOne]

Look even Germany and France are screwed up in the head on this one. Russia was a long time ally and trading partner with Iraq. It's only reasonable to expect them to object. They did the last time too.

As for an alliance with China, it does concern me. But Russia is no fool. It's been burned by alliances before. I don't think it's going to put all of it's eggs in the China basket.

For one thing, Russia knows that as soon as China finished the fight with the US, it would be the next entity in China's sights. I do not think Russia is dumb enough to facilitate that eventuality.

[Norman Arbuthnot]

North Korea is not a threat to the United States directly.

If they are not now they will be in the near future. Nukes + ICBM's = Big Threat to the U.S. Their missles might not have the range to hit the West Coast yet, but they probably aren't that far away from that, especially if the Chicoms are aiding them.

Obviously, if they fire one at us that is the END for them, but they could ruin our economy with a few missles. Imagine the damage caused by nukes hitting LA and Silicon Valley.

They obviously have the nerve to try to blackmail us and they seem to be willing to risk their own destruction so they are a dangerous foe.

[Mike Darancette]

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Sunday North Korea may pose a greater threat than Iraq and that he hoped the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program could be resolved peacefully.

The Soviet Union then Russia gave aid and comfort to the monstrous DPRK for over 40 years. If Russia doesn't do more to put that nest of snakes back into the box then it will prove that Russia is only a 3rd rate power on the world's stage.

[Anti-Bolshevik]

"I repeat, the North Koreans can not reach out and touch America directly."

They most certainly can, and will, now that their nuclear program is in full swing. Terrorist nations with nuclear weapons are the #1 threat to U.S. national security. You've offered nothing to contradict that contention.

"The dictator who is most likely to supply CB weapons to jihadists and train them in their use is in Iraq."

According to whom? You?

In point of fact, a recent CIA report indicates that Iran & North Korea are on threshold of completing long-range ballistic missiles. Moreover, the fact remains that Iran has nearly completed it's nuclear facility at Bushehr -- a nuclear facility that will most certainly be used to build nuclear weapons of mass destruction in use against the U.S. & Israel. N. Korea, a nefarious enemy of the United States, will sell its nuclear weapons to countries like Iran & Saudi Arabia and yes even Iraq. That my friend, is a Herculean threat.

"The dictator who attempted the assasination of an American President lives in Iraq."

And this bears relevance to question at hand, how? The question is, which country currently poses the biggest threat to U.S. National Security.

The dictator with the closest ties to Hamas, the PLO and Al Qaeda also lives in Iraq, despite his much ballyhooed secularism."

Disputed facts that still bear little relevance to the question. Furthermore, I'd content that Iran is harboring and training terrorists to a far greater extent than Iraq. According to a recent Washington Post article, Saif al-Adel and Mahfouz Ould Walid - the two leaders of al-Qaeda military operations - are in Iran. And I can site a dozen other such references suggesting the same.

"The clearest and most present danger to America is in Iraq and he is about to be dealt with."

Your opinion, and an erroneous one at that.

"North Korea is next in line but we should do everything we can there to get China and Russia to belly up to that bar."

China & Russia are no allies to the United States -- that is, unless you consider the likes of Saudi Arabia & Egypt to be 'moderates'.

North Korea & Iran should be our first priority. Iraq should be subsequently dealt with.

"As for the balance of power in the mideast vs the possible democratization of the mideast I have this to say. Your way doesn't work, we tried it."

There are 22 Arab Muslim countries -- everyone a brutal dictatorship. Would you like to site a source that will illustrate your way, "democratization of the mideast", works?

[RightWhale]

In about a month, any country will be a bigger threat than Iraq. Fiji will be a bigger threat than Iraq. Heck, even France will be a bigger threat than Iraq.

[DoughtyOne]

In many ways Russia is a third rate power. Financially I believe it's a basket case. Unfortunately it still has some military and nuclear capabilities. I say unfortunately, becuase if it totally disarmed, it would free us up to jump start their economy in ways they could only dream of.