| North Korea has tested a low yield nuclear | | | | power. We have to be careful what we say. |
| device with 4% of the destructive power of | | | | President Bush announced the "axis of evil" |
| the bomb that the United States dropped on | | | | speech several years ago. He named North |
| Hiroshima, Japan at the end of World War II. | | | | Korea and Iraq as two of the three countries. |
| | | | It would seem that he started his |
| Some believe that the device was much larger | | | | anti-terrorism campaign in the wrong end of |
| but may have failed for technical reasons. | | | | the world. |
| | | | |
| We don't know the truth, because the United | | | | Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction |
| States has not devoted the resources to know | | | | (WMD), while North Korea has gone live with |
| what is really going on. If you are | | | | them. Now we are in a bind. Our defense |
| surprised, don't be. Intelligence collection | | | | policy has been altered whereby we can only |
| is a tricky business. | | | | fight one war in one country at a time, while |
| | | | fighting a holding action in a second |
| When Richard Nixon was President, you may | | | | country. Prior to the Bush Administration |
| remember that one of our ships, the USS | | | | holding power, we were postured to fight two |
| Pueblo was brazenly attacked and hijacked in | | | | simultaneous wars on two fronts. |
| international waters in 1968, off the coast | | | | |
| of North Korea. The 82 member crew was taken | | | | The bad guys know our new policy and will |
| prisoner and tortured over an 11 month period | | | | take advantage of us being pinned down in |
| before their release was negotiated. | | | | Iraq to expand their own power bases. Since |
| | | | we have a fear of losing pilots or better |
| There is such a thing as institutional | | | | yet, having a pilot shot down, we are not |
| memory. The senior members of the military | | | | doing the reconnaissance flights that we |
| remember the Pueblo incident well, and it | | | | would normally do over North Korea. |
| still influences our behavior towards North | | | | |
| Korea. As an aside, President Nixon gave the | | | | The best thing to do right now is to realize |
| order to attack North Korea in retribution | | | | that if North Korea is a problem for the |
| for the Pueblo incident. At the time the | | | | United States, it is a much bigger problem |
| President believed a show of force was | | | | for Japan, China, Philippines, and South |
| absolutely necessary to dissuade the Koreans | | | | Korea. This is a regional problem in spite of |
| from further provocative acts. Nixon's | | | | our alliances, and treaty involvements. Its |
| Secretary of Defense at the time did not | | | | one thing to build and detonate a nuclear |
| carry out the Presidential directive. To the | | | | weapon, it's quite another to have a long |
| end of his life, Nixon felt the biggest | | | | range missile delivery system. North Korea |
| foreign policy error of his administration | | | | could fairly easily develop a delivery system |
| was the failure to carry out a retaliatory | | | | capable of hitting the countries in its |
| raid against North Korea for the Pueblo | | | | immediate vicinity. |
| capture. The Pueblo incident has emboldened | | | | |
| the North Koreans ever since. | | | | Hitting the United States from a 9,000 mile |
| | | | plus distance is another story, not so easy |
| Both the Clinton and Bush Administrations | | | | really. Since the countries bordering North |
| were aware of the Pueblo incident and its | | | | Korea have the most to lose, they should be |
| aftermath, when attempting to configure a new | | | | the ones bearing the brunt of the |
| US policy towards North Korea's nuclear | | | | responsibility for multi-lateral talks among |
| program. We have 37,000 American soldiers | | | | the powers involved. |
| stationed in South Korea protecting our | | | | |
| alliance and interests with South Korea. | | | | The real deal is that North Korea is a |
| There is a phased troop withdrawal from the | | | | dictatorship that routinely starves its own |
| South Korea Peninsula taking place. | | | | people for the benefit of the small |
| | | | leadership that has basically enslaved the |
| You have to wonder why we are willing to | | | | country. This leadership wants to play the |
| withdraw troops from South Korea during a | | | | cards that it can. What it now has is nuclear |
| time when they wish to pursue a nuclear | | | | weapons. They will use this card to maximize |
| development process. The answer is that this | | | | whatever concessions they can from the United |
| area of the world is loaded with dynamite, | | | | States and the immediate surrounding |
| and if it blows up, you don't want to have | | | | neighbors. |
| 37,000 American troops sitting in the middle | | | | |
| of it. North Korea has one of the largest | | | | Are we going to cave, and make concessions to |
| stockpiles of artillery weapons of any army | | | | the North Koreans? Of course we are, because |
| in the world. They are capable of striking | | | | that's what superpowers do. It's not about |
| Seoul, South Korea's capital from across the | | | | appeasement, it's about business, and what |
| border. | | | | makes good business sense. Churchill said |
| | | | that "People have friends, nations have |
| It was recently reported that Prince Bandar, | | | | interests". |
| the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United | | | | |
| States had a private conversation with | | | | It is in our interest to not divert ourselves |
| President Bush. In the conversation the | | | | from the issue of extricating ourselves from |
| Prince told the President that the United | | | | a tortuous situation in Iraq. It is costing |
| States should withdraw US troops from South | | | | us treasure, and beginning to eat at the |
| Korea. Bandar felt it was too dangerous to | | | | social fabric our country as Viet Nam did a |
| leave our soldiers in the middle of a | | | | generation ago. We must put a good face on |
| possible confrontation where our OPTIONS | | | | Iraq and get out. The President may not be |
| would be limited. As Bandar put it, without | | | | aware of it, but he is on a short leash in |
| troops on the border, if there's problem, | | | | Iraq. The American people are very intolerant |
| it's a REGIONAL PROBLEM. With troops, you | | | | of wars without objectives that last too |
| could have thousands of American lives at | | | | long, and that's precisely where George Bush |
| risk, and it becomes a major WAR instantly. | | | | finds himself. It is highly questionable that |
| | | | his party will survive the mid-term elections |
| So what do we do about the North Koreans | | | | intact. The country will embrace CHANGE, even |
| announcing the ACTUAL testing of a nuclear | | | | from a Democratic party that is devoid of |
| weapon? We have to realize that words have | | | | ideas. |