North Korea blinks, but Bush gets little credit

[igloo]

North Korea blinks, but Bush gets little credit

Larry Elder (archive)

August 8, 2003 | Print | Send

What about North Korea and Iran?

Former Clinton Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, who recently appeared on the Sean Hannity radio show, asked this question. Reich complained about what he called the Bush administration's misplaced priority on Iraq. After all, he argued, North Korea and Iran pose a greater threat to our national security.

Hannity tried to explain that, in a post 9-11 world, and in view of Iraq's refusal to obey United Nations resolutions, the country could ill afford to ignore the threat posed by a possible Iraqi use of chemical, biological, and perhaps nuclear weapons. Reich countered, but North Korea possesses nukes now . What does the administration propose to do about that?

The Bush administration quite correctly points out that North Korea presents an even greater threat to her neighbors . Accordingly, Bush demanded that any talks with North Korea include the countries most directly threatened -- South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. North Korea's Kim Jong Il, however, insisted on talks only with the United States, and objected to the administration's demand to include her neighbors.

Reich's attack on Bush's policy toward North Korea showed the typical cheekiness of the Bill Clinton administration. Clinton, remember, famously negotiated an "end" to the North Korean nuclear program. In 1994, former President Jimmy Carter went to North Korea, as Carter later wrote in an editorial, " . . . with the approval of President Bill Clinton . . . " to encourage North Korea to end its program. North Korea agreed to do so in exchange for assistance in providing regular fuel oil shipments and in the construction of two light-water nuclear reactors. These "successful" talks led, in part, to Carter's receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Unfortunately, days after the announcement of Carter's Peace Prize, North Korea publicly admitted that it never ended its nuclear program, and that the country intends to continue it.

So Reich criticizes Bush for standing firm in the face of Iraq's history of lies and deceit, but assigns no blame to Clinton for his naivete in accepting North Korea's pledge at face value. Does Reich not understand that North Korea indeed poses a dangerous and complex problem because it now "possesses" nuclear weapons -- a situation, in the case of Iraq, Bush avoided with the American-led coalition that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime?

Days after Reich asked, "What about North Korea?" North Korea blinked. Despite repeated refusals, North Korea agreed to expanded talks with the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia.

A high-five for George W.? Not really. Los Angeles Times' Sonni Efron, in writing about how North Korea backed down, dredged up the Clinton point man in the failed 1994 North Korea negotiations: "Beijing deserves credit for pressuring North Korea to come to the bargaining table," said Robert Einhorn, who negotiated with the North Koreans during the Clinton administration. However, citing the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for because you might get it," Einhorn noted that the Bush administration had sought increased Chinese involvement but may now find Beijing's stance at the bargaining table difficult.

How could whatever "we might get" turn out worse than what we got under Clinton? At least the reporter showed decency in not grabbing a quote from former U.N. Inspector Hans Blix, under whose supervision the International Atomic Energy Agency failed to uncover North Korea's continued nuclear weapons program.

Critics of the war against Iraq complained about Bush's "unilateralism," and now castigate Bush for failing to involve other nations in Iraq's reconstruction. Never mind that some 30 nations now assist in helping to police and rebuild Iraq. Now, when Bush's stance yields results, and in the case of North Korea, succeeds in involving other nations, critics caution, "Be careful what you wish for because you might get it." Can't win.

The War on Terror figures to be long, frustrating, confusing and complicated. Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups operate in stealth with operations in dozens of countries. A car bomb in Jakarta, Indonesia, just leveled a JW Marriott hotel, killing 15 and injuring about 150 people. Attacking terrorism requires resolve, patience and a recognition that victories occur out of sight, but failures take place publicly. The give-peace-a-chance crowd fails to recognize evil, and that evil only understands and respects force backed by conviction.

North Korea perhaps calls for a tag team of "experts." The shameless former President Bill Clinton appears to have some time on his hands, as does former U.N. Inspector Hans Blix. Perhaps Bush might appoint former President Clinton as his special envoy in the upcoming North Korean meeting, along with Inspector Hans I'm-More-Worried-About-Global-Warming-Than-I-Am-Of-Any-Major-Military-Conflict Blix, to oversee North Korea's compliance.

Clinton and Blix -- and maybe throw in Reich. Now that's a real dream team.

[kramadas]

My personal opinion on N. Korea....they don't really pose a threat to the US. They're merely using the nuclear issue as a blackmail tool to try get the US to promise them not to attack their country (hence the non-agression treaty).

However, that leader IS a nutcase, and a couple of wrong moves could very well provoke him to unleash hell on S. Korea.

[cintron]

Originally posted by raver_mania

My personal opinion on N. Korea....they don't really pose a threat to the US. They're merely using the nuclear issue as a blackmail tool to try get the US to promise them not to attack their country (hence the non-agression treaty).

However, that leader IS a nutcase, and a couple of wrong moves could very well provoke him to unleash hell on S. Korea.

okay, so judging by your last sentence, how are they not a threat?

Their leader IS a raving nutcase and a megalomaniac to boot. He's living in the shadow of his father, whose dream was to unite the two koreas. If he gets the chance, he will send his armies south. He's just biding his time.

[mrmatas2277]

Originally posted by raver_mania

My personal opinion on N. Korea....they don't really pose a threat to the US. They're merely using the nuclear issue as a blackmail tool to try get the US to promise them not to attack their country (hence the non-agression treaty).

However, that leader IS a nutcase, and a couple of wrong moves could very well provoke him to unleash hell on S. Korea.

again...i dont understand why u DONT think this is an eminent threat? nukes in the hands of that man? u dont see that as a threat? i agree...i think he is blackmailing us, like he did with the prior administration...he wants to be appease with aid or whatever...and this administration isnt having that childish game...we need all the "Super Powers" or "Powers that Be" to be present at this meeting with them...they truly act as children...many times just getting up in the middle of negotiations and just storming out....if a country's leaders ever needed Lithium its def. the N. Koreans....

[kramadas]

Originally posted by cintron

okay, so judging by your last sentence, how are they not a threat?

Their leader IS a raving nutcase and a megalomaniac to boot. He's living in the shadow of his father, whose dream was to unite the two koreas. If he gets the chance, he will send his armies south. He's just biding his time.

Biding his time for what?

Its just sabre-rattling...even if he's a nutcase, he still understands that it'll be the end of him if he attacks now.

You should understand that nothing is black and white.

[kramadas]

Originally posted by mrmatas2277

again...i dont understand why u DONT think this is an eminent threat? nukes in the hands of that man? u dont see that as a threat? i agree...i think he is blackmailing us, like he did with the prior administration...he wants to be appease with aid or whatever...and this administration isnt having that childish game...we need all the "Super Powers" or "Powers that Be" to be present at this meeting with them...they truly act as children...many times just getting up in the middle of negotiations and just storming out....if a country's leaders ever needed Lithium its def. the N. Koreans....

They already think he has nukes (one or two). Why would he be seeking a non-agression treaty if he intends to be a threat to the US.

[mrmatas2277]

Originally posted by raver_mania

They already think he has nukes (one or two). Why would he be seeking a non-agression treaty if he intends to be a threat to the US.

has he not done this before?? its their MO....i hope this treaty does work...but i am sure it will fall through...

btw-- one or two nukes in the hand of the N. Koreans is too many....

[igloo]

I do not believe N Korea is a threat in terms of starting a war on the peninsula....just a gut....

While the guy is a nutcase, for some reason I do not believe is ultimate goal is to start a war...plus I think being labeled in the Axis of Evil and the war in Iraq demonstrated to this nutcase that this US President is committed to action, and it scared him.......I think he is rattling cages and making threats in order to secure his survival vs being an aggressor

However, I think the real threat from N Korea is proliferation of their nuclear technology---they are already the worst offenders...and their increasing ties to Iran is getting very alarming.......this is why diplomacy must work

I think the Bush Admin. has done a good job so far, especially utilizing China and Russia.....it also goes to show, for those who said "if Iraq, why not N Korea", that each situation, crisis, and threat needs to be managed differently, and that pre-emptive action can take many forms (pre-emption here being defined as stopping further production and reducing the threat of proliferation since they already have nukes)....

In addition, I think this also shows that pre-emption is also valid in the sense to prevent countries from blackmailing the U.S. in the future

[seximofo2k]

Originally posted by mrmatas2277

has he not done this before?? its their MO....i hope this treaty does work...but i am sure it will fall through...

btw-- one or two nukes in the hand of the N. Koreans is too many....

It was the Bush administration that actually was the first to pull out of the treaty. They stopped the aid going to North Korea, which i basically blackmail by the North Koreans aid to stop us from goin nuclear, but it ultimately led to the North Koreans restarting the fuel rod shit... I feel the scariest thing about this situation is that you have a crazy lunatic dictator of a country on the brink of disaster who seems to have nothing to lose with the nuclear capability for bombs to hit the west coast of the united states. Look at the drama that 9/11 caused in this country imagine if San Francisco was wiped off the map. Its such a tough situation I really dont know which is the right way to solve it: to be stern and not give in to their demands or to give in a bit and to reinstate aid to the country??

[mrmatas2277]

Originally posted by seximofo2k

It was the Bush administration that actually was the first to pull out of the treaty.

are u sure...i could have sworn that during the first meeting between the US and Korea....they Koreans stormed out of the meetings...i think it lasted a couple of hours....

[seximofo2k]

Originally posted by mrmatas2277

are u sure...i could have sworn that during the first meeting between the US and Korea....they Koreans stormed out of the meetings...i think it lasted a couple of hours....

We r thinking of different things. The Bush administration cancelled the aid that the Clinton administration was giving to North Korea and thats what i believe began this situation.

[igloo]

Originally posted by seximofo2k

We r thinking of different things. The Bush administration cancelled the aid that the Clinton administration was giving to North Korea and thats what i believe began this situation.

Hmmm...I think there was a reason for that

[seximofo2k]

Originally posted by igloo

Hmmm...I think there was a reason for that

Theres many, its bribary, North Korea is a dictatorship, human rights etc.... A very complicated situation indeed its a reminder of the cold war days....