| Though North Korea's nuclear explosion had a low | | | | can negotiations for a non-aggression pact begin. |
| yield, its reverberations are clearly heard in the | | | | In this last nuclear experiment, and those |
| Middle-East. The failure of the United States' policy | | | | expected to follow, the North Korean scientists |
| in the Asian Crisis, was highlighted in this last | | | | have once again demonstrated their technological |
| experiment. A status report | | | | prowess- after having been successful in |
| In a rare and unusual remark from a diplomatic | | | | developing ballistic missiles from existing platforms |
| point of view, an Israeli official has anonymously | | | | and marketing them to "friendly" countries such |
| spoken of the nuclear experiment performed in | | | | as Iran and Syria. However they have also shown |
| the other half of the globe. The senior political | | | | that North Korea is both audacious and willing |
| source, as the media identified him, called upon | | | | enough to challenge the current international |
| the International Community to respond forcibly | | | | structure of forces born towards the end of the |
| to the underground nuclear experiment conducted | | | | Cold War. This is a time of trial that will test the |
| by North Korea (on 9 October, 2006). | | | | resoluteness of the powerful countries and major |
| Exceptionally, the Israeli speaker also demanded | | | | superpowers in preserving the system of |
| that a naval quarantine be imposed on the | | | | agreements and alliances that founded the United |
| stubborn country and that military action against it | | | | Nations and the weapon inspection organization, |
| should be considered unless it shed its nuclear | | | | based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty |
| capabilities. These belligerent statements provide | | | | (NPT). This system divided the world between the |
| evidence of Jerusalem's deep anxiety with | | | | legitimate nuclear club, which has the five |
| regards to the alarming development in the Far | | | | superpowers (The US, Russia - as heir of the |
| East. | | | | USSR, China, France and Britain) and the rest of |
| | | | the nations, which are allowed to possess nuclear |
| The Danger - a Nuclear "Axis of Evil" | | | | energy for peaceful needs only. This global |
| Indeed, despite the relatively weak nuclear blast | | | | system survived an important test, when three |
| (With a yield of 5,000 to 15,000 tons of TNT, | | | | nations developed offensive nuclear capabilities |
| similar to the bombs the US dropped on Japan at | | | | and placed themselves in the middle ranks of |
| the end of WWII), the reverberations of the blast | | | | nuclear nations which are not superpowers, i.e. |
| in the Far East are acutely discerned in the | | | | Pakistan, India and Israel, who according to foreign |
| Middle-East, and are reaching Teheran. The | | | | reports has some 200 nuclear bombs. |
| Iranians, who until the ascension of Ahmadinejad | | | | So far, the world can give itself an F for failure in |
| "walked a tightrope" in their combination of | | | | addressing the threat from the East. North |
| endearing and provocative behavior toward the | | | | Korea's ambition to attain a nuclear weapon was |
| International Community, have learnt how to pay | | | | clear all along - since it removed the inspectors of |
| little heed to the world with almost complete | | | | the International Atomic Energy Agency from the |
| impunity. The large-scale cooperation between the | | | | reactor in Yongbyon at the end of 2002. |
| two countries could now face a disturbing upgrade | | | | However, the weakness of the International |
| - in the nuclear field. | | | | Community was likewise clear - Russia and China |
| This is the nightmare scenario for Jerusalem and | | | | would not agree to an American military attack |
| Washington: A powerful "Axis of Evil", where | | | | against North Korea, a country in their back yard |
| North Korea provides Iran with nuclear | | | | sphere of influence; the sanctions imposed on |
| empowered protection in return for massive | | | | North Korea by the UN Security Council in July of |
| economic support and supply of oil (which North | | | | this year, following an experiment that included |
| Korea desperately needs for energy), which | | | | the firing of a number of missile towards Japan, |
| changes overnight the geo-strategic situation in | | | | sanctions that involved the mega-economies of |
| the region and the entire world. This could also | | | | South Korea, Japan and China, have proven hollow |
| significantly ease Iran's way to attaining a nuclear | | | | and ineffective and the sanctioning countries are |
| bomb, due to North Korean technological | | | | now expected to suffer from them. In all of this |
| assistance and with Iran's nuclear facilities secured | | | | tumult, North Korea is marching unhindered |
| from Western attack under a mutual defense | | | | towards its goal. |
| pact with the "partner in crime" to the East. | | | | |
| | | | Conclusions and Concerns in Israel |
| American Failure | | | | Without immediate, resolute and powerful action |
| "Five years of diplomatic efforts have gone down | | | | by the entire International Community, it would be |
| the drain", said Madeleine Albright, former | | | | difficult to prevent the danger from North Korea. |
| American Secretary of State, following the | | | | In the case of a weak response, in the style we |
| nuclear experiment by North Korea. Indeed, it is a | | | | are so familiar with, Israel would have to conclude |
| failure of the policy led by the US in the Asian | | | | from the ramifications regarding Iran that |
| crisis, which shattered in this last experiment. Why | | | | International Diplomacy can not be counted on to |
| failure? After all, it could be claimed that the | | | | stop those countries seeking to attain nuclear |
| defiance on the part of North Korea against the | | | | weapons. Therefore, by that same logic, Israel |
| International Community was globally condemned, | | | | must strike Teheran now knowing that it would |
| starting with Washington, continuing with the | | | | pay a price, possibly a heavy one in economic, |
| capitals of Europe and Asia and ending with the | | | | political, and military terms. The lesson of the |
| important superpower closest politically and | | | | recent war in Lebanon, which was a result, |
| geographically to North Korea - China. Even the | | | | amongst other things, of a six year unhindered |
| sister nation, South Korea, has responded with | | | | buildup of Iran's military appendage in Lebanon, |
| fury to the experiment and has announced that it | | | | Hezbollah, is that policy makers on all echelons |
| would cancel the food aid it was planning to send | | | | should devise today an operative multi-channeled |
| to North Korea, alongside menacing statements | | | | plan to openly and effectively stop the Iranian |
| and raising the readiness of its army. However, it | | | | nuclear plan. This plan would be lead by Israel, |
| could be assessed that in the frozen capital of | | | | possibly executed solely by it. If such a plan is not |
| North Korea, Pyongyang, the "Dear Leader" Kim | | | | possible, and its price is too onerous to sustain, |
| Jong-Il sits on his throne, smiling insolently, knowing | | | | we must ready ourselves for a new Middle-East: |
| that his objective has been attained. | | | | Not the one envisaged by Shimon Peres, but one |
| And what were the objectives of the | | | | where Ahmadinejad has a nuclear bomb. |
| experiment? The first objective was to focus, in | | | | |
| one swell swoop, the attention of the world on | | | | A Light at the End of the Tunnel? |
| this far and forgotten country, which is suffering | | | | However, perhaps in this dire hour, there is light at |
| from famine and straining under the burden of | | | | the end of the tunnel. Without being overly |
| heavy economic sanctions and recurring natural | | | | optimistic, it is possible that a psychological |
| disasters (Floods and drought). Absurdly, stopping | | | | threshold has now been crossed, which would |
| external aid to the country only worsens the | | | | prompt the world to real action, such as the |
| internal distress within it, and "arms" its leaders | | | | military intervention in Kosovo. The Australian |
| with the claim that such collective punitive actions | | | | Prime Minister, John Howard, aptly defined the |
| are immoral and are a "humanitarian crime" | | | | point at which we are situated, declaring that in |
| against the populace. | | | | the absence of a powerful response by the |
| But increasing the suffering of the people of | | | | Security Council to North Korea's behavior, the UN |
| North Korea was only a secondary objective of | | | | 's status will continue to decline. Perhaps the |
| the experiment, which is a milestone in the core | | | | election of Ban Ki-Moon, the South Korea Foreign |
| struggle for the survival of the regime. Thus, while | | | | Minister, as Secretary General of the United |
| in the White House corridors they "play for time" | | | | Nations - South Korea being a country directly |
| dreaming that ostracism, siege and internal | | | | threatened by the crisis - instead of Kofi Annan, |
| troubles, will rid North Korea of its eccentric ruler, | | | | the anemic and compromising character, might |
| Kim Jong-Il displays his muscles and strength in an | | | | augur a change in this international body. In a |
| experiment with the avowed goal of developing a | | | | discussion regarding the experiment (9 October), |
| nuclear weapon, but which also sends a clear | | | | a consensus was starting to coalesce regarding |
| message regarding the stability of his rule. And | | | | the imposition of sever economic sanctions, |
| this is the American failure - for years, ever since | | | | including a complete ban on exports to North |
| George W. Bush became President, the US leads | | | | Korea that might serve for military needs and |
| a "refusal" policy, which stubbornly refuses to yield | | | | initiating close inspection of every shipment to the |
| to Kim Jong-Il's demands that his regime be | | | | country. This would take place under the aegis of |
| recognized and granted a non-aggression pact, | | | | Chapter 7 to the UN charter, which allows use of |
| after which he would be willing to restore nuclear | | | | force against a country threatening world peace - |
| supervision to his country. Washington, which has | | | | which might hint at military action should the need |
| been burnt in the past by North Korea's violation | | | | arise. This positive development, should it |
| of agreements, demands the order be reversed - | | | | persevere, would provide Israel and the US with a |
| first North Korea must disarm its nuclear | | | | strong claim for similarly severe action against |
| capabilities, its only strategic asset, and only then | | | | Iran. |