| The UN Security Council has today announced | | | | ‘rogue’ states, such as North Korea or |
| that it has voted unanimously to impose new | | | | Iran, do not and, therefore, simply cannot be |
| sanctions on North Korea which, in addition to | | | | trusted. This, however, is not necessarily true: |
| tighter bans on arms exports and greater powers | | | | since the Second World War, the USA has been |
| to inspect North Korean ships, include ‘financial | | | | involved in more wars than any other country |
| measures’ (at this point, however, the type | | | | and, together with the UK, is currently involved in |
| of financial measures are not clear). These | | | | two armed conflicts: Afghanistan and Iraq. The |
| developments are a reaction to North | | | | former, of course, is a war that was built on a |
| Korea’s nuclear tests last month which have | | | | pack of lies: that Iraq owned weapons of mass |
| led to the excoriation of its actions around the | | | | destruction which could be launched in under 45 |
| globe. | | | | minutes. Not only did no WMDs exist in Iraq, but |
| It is strange, however, that the hypocrisy of the | | | | the greatest irony of all is that if Iraq did own |
| UN Security Council is largely ignored by the | | | | nuclear weapons then neither the US nor the UK |
| mainstream media. Every permanent member of | | | | would have invaded the country in the first place. |
| the Security Council boasts huge stockpiles of | | | | And what of the sanctions which are to be |
| thermonuclear weapons. Moreover, one member | | | | imposed? History tells us that these sanctions do |
| of the Security Council is, hitherto, the only | | | | little to punish a respective regime but, instead, |
| country on the planet to use a nuclear weapon. | | | | have deleterious effects on the most vulnerable |
| Indeed, the USA has not only used nuclear | | | | people of a given society, namely its poorest |
| weapons, it has also given hundreds of nuclear | | | | citizens. Therefore, these sanctions seem to be |
| weapons to its close ally, Israel; the latter being a | | | | symbolic rather than an effective measure to |
| country which does not admit to owning nuclear | | | | curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. |
| warheads and, therefore, also refuses to sign the | | | | So, what is the solution? The obvious answer |
| Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. | | | | would be to dismantle all nuclear weapons. This, |
| What is good enough for the US and its allies is, it | | | | however, is unlikely to happen and would leave |
| would seem, not good enough for states that are | | | | security analysts delirious with regards to the |
| deemed as the ‘undesirables’. The UK, | | | | ‘security vacuum’ that may arise if the |
| another Security Council member, is also | | | | world’s strongest states lost their nuclear |
| condemning North Korea for its nuclear ambitions | | | | capabilities. Nonetheless, the solution must lie with |
| despite the UK government’s renewal of its | | | | a decrease in the overall numbers of nuclear |
| Trident nuclear missile system which could, by | | | | weapons which, unfortunately, is not occurring: the |
| some estimates, costs as much as £76bn. | | | | worlds’ nuclear powers have largely failed to |
| How, then, can such countries condemn the | | | | deliver on promises to reduce their nuclear |
| actions of North Korea? Both India and Pakistan | | | | arsenals. This is hardly a strong platform in which |
| have developed their nuclear arsenals and, as a | | | | to ask other states to ditch their nuclear |
| result, both have experienced greater economic | | | | ambitions. |
| and political engagement with the worlds’ | | | | Greater cooperation between nuclear states and |
| superpower, the USA. This is the problem with | | | | those hoping to join the Nuclear Club would also |
| nuclear weapons: to own them elevates a country | | | | be a more propitious path than an increase in |
| into an exclusive club whereby the benefits | | | | bellicosity which leads to greater distrust and, as a |
| greatly outweigh the drawbacks of developing | | | | result, stimulates an even greater desire for the |
| nuclear weapons. Moreover, the greater | | | | non-nuclear state to develop a nuclear warhead. |
| polarisation of North Korea will no doubt further | | | | And while the main hypocrisy still exists, i.e. that |
| galvanise its desire to develop its own arsenal of | | | | nuclear armed states continue to threaten |
| nuclear weapons given that its one-time nuclear | | | | non-nuclear armed states regarding the |
| ally, China, is now condemning North Korea’s | | | | latter’s nuclear ambitions, the chances of |
| desire to develop its nuclear capability. | | | | dissuading a regime to renege on its commitment |
| One argument for this global condemnation is that | | | | to develop a nuclear warhead appear very slim |
| countries which currently own nuclear weapons | | | | indeed. |
| act ‘responsibly’ and that other | | | | |