The hard facts of North Korea
By Glen Meakem
Published in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
June 21, 2009
In recent weeks, North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles over the Sea of Japan and exploded its second nuclear bomb. It also convicted two American journalists of “grave crimes” against the North Korean state, sentencing them to 12 years of hard labor.
In response, President Obama denounced North Korea’s actions, stating that they “fly in the face of U.N. resolutions” and that “the United States will never waiver from our determination to protect our people and the peace and security of the world.”
The U.N. Security Council also passed a resolution encouraging inspections of North Korean ships suspected of transporting weapons and prohibiting the refueling or resupplying of such ships.
This all sounds good. But the problem is that similar words and half-deeds have had no impact on North Korea for decades.
North Korea is a communist, totalitarian hell where people have no rights or freedoms. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the abrupt end of economic support from the old Soviet Union 20 years ago, 3 million North Koreans have died of starvation; 1 million more have been killed by the government’s state security agency.
For many reasons, the U.S. and the world have chosen to ignore these atrocities. North Korea threatens South Korea with its large army. China refuses to pressure North Korea, fearing a flood of refugees and international focus on human rights abuses. America fears a repeat of the bloody Korean War, in which more than 50,000 American soldiers died.
Through it all, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il and his government have continued developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. For two decades, U.S. policymakers believed North Korea was developing these weapons to bargain for economic aid and our actions reflected this mistaken belief.
Complicating matters further, North Korea exports its missiles and nuclear weapons technology. It has supplied terrorist nations including Syria and Iran. If North Korea becomes a full nuclear weapons state, there will be no stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and perhaps others will then acquire nukes to balance the Shiite Islamic Republic. The world will become a much more dangerous place where more governments, including many characterized by instability and erratic behavior, will possess nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them.
President Obama should recognize that diplomacy failed Presidents Clinton and Bush. Continued diplomatic “business as usual” will further embolden North Korea and make worldwide nuclear nonproliferation a joke.
Despite many distractions, it is now decision time on North Korea for Barack Obama. Will he make the difficult, courageous and historic decision to go to war against North Korea alongside our South Korean allies?
Or will he follow in the footsteps of Bill Clinton and George Bush by delivering rhetoric while doing nothing?
President Obama will probably do nothing. But if and when North Korea causes a future nuclear exchange, history will judge Obama and his predecessors harshly.
Posted: June 22nd, 2009 under News, Newsworthy, North Korea, Print.
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Comment from Ron Maceyak
Time: July 11, 2009, 1:34 pm
Gen. MacArthur wanted to drive the North Koreans into China but the U. S. government stopped him from doing it. The job was not allowed to be finished, a truce was signed, and 50 some years later these two-bit dicators are still in power causing pain and suffering to their own people and aggravation to the United States and other countries. I was a seargent in the U. S. Air Force in January 1968 and was deployed along with thousands of other Air Force personnel to Sourh Korea in order to establish or provide support to air bases in case of attack by North Korea. This was due to the capture of the USS Pueblo by the North Koreans. Many incidents occured during this time by North Korean infiltrators into South Korea. These incidents were probably never known by the people of the United States. I am sure that younger people and many older people know very little or nothing about the “Pueblo Incident” since it was over shadowed by the TET offensive in Vietnam which was going on at the same time. In January 1968 the USS Pueblo, an intelligence ship, was ILLEAGALY captured by the North Koreans while in INTERNATIONAL waters off the coast of North Korea. One member of the crew was killed and the othes were captured and imprisoned in North Korea. They were severly beaten, TORTURED, and forced to sign phony confessions and apologize to the North Koreans for spying. After eleven months of negotiations with the U. S. government the crew was finally released but the U. S. government had to apologise to the North Korean regime for spying. The USS Pueblo today is docked in North Korea and is used as museum for PROPAGANDA purposes against the “IMPERIALIST” United States. WHAT A DISCRACE and SLAP IN THE FACE to America, the crew of the Pueblo, and all of us veterans who have served our country. It is my opinion that as soon as the crew of the Pueblo was set free, the U. S. should have bombed the Pueblo and sunk it. However, as usual, nothing more was done and 41 years later this disgusting North Korean regime is still shoving it in our face. Every time I see that two-bit dictator Kim Jong IL rattling his sabre by shooting missles and making threats, it reminds me of what happened 41 years ago. It is about time the leadership of the United States gets some backbone and informs Mr. Kim Jong IL that if any of his missles are launched into South Korea, Japan, or the United States, all of his missle sites will be destroyed and his PALACE (with him in it) will be turned into a parking lot!
Comment from Jim Litwinowicz
Time: July 25, 2009, 10:04 pm
I’m not convinced that war is the best option for NK. They have thousands, if not tens of thousands of artillary pieces ready to strike Seoul at a moment’s notice. Experts have estimated that one million South Koreans would be dead in less than an hour if all out war breakd out.
If we do go to war, a nuclear strike would necessary to elminate this threat. We may have an EMP weapon capable of doing the job but that may just be a high altitude nuclear explosion. And if the NK artillary is mechanical instead of electronically comtrolled and EMP weapon will not do the job. And what would be the world reaction if we used nukes?
Perhaps the threat of war is the best option. A huge buildup of weaponary and delivery systems in the immediate area will not only get NK’s attention but perhap more importantly, it get China’s attention. China does not want even a conventioal war on its front door, let alone one with nuclear considerations.
If the Chinese see we are serious, then they would put extreme pressure on NK to back down. A shut off of all trade by the Chinese would quickly force the ruling class of NK to either make Kim back down or overthrow him.
It would be a very high risk game of poker for no one can predict how the mercurail Kim would react. Would he back down or would launch a full attack before Chinese economic sanctions had an affect?
The options are not good. . .. but neither is the option of doing nothing.
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