North Korea: a nuclear player

The days of a non-nuclear Korean peninsula are over. With US troops stalled in Iraq and ineffective multilateral talks with North Korea, the world is headed for another great disaster.

So what can be done to confront this nuclear threat?

The current situation cannot be tackled by the United States alone. I fear that the Republican majority in all branches of the US government will continue the typical ineffective go-alone strategy that has not won us the key support necessary to protect our international interests. The international community is the only body capable of effectively handling the situation in North Korea, which has now become a global problem.

World problems must be solved by the world community. This does not mean that the United States cannot lead the way. Obviously, it will always be necessary for someone to take the initiative, but it must be done in a way that does not isolate us from other global players and delay effective resolution.

First, in a global economy, it is necessary for voters in the next elections to cast their votes in order to achieve a more democratic balance in the composition of our current government. Democrats would be more effective at diplomacy and could speak the international language. Whether you agree with their policies and beliefs or not, they are more likely to return trust and a sense of humanity to our outer agenda.

Second, if the international community is the channel for tough sanctions, China is the key. The country of China is an emerging dominant player in the Asian region and is also responsible for trade that equates to roughly 50% of North Korea’s energy and food imports. If China does not accept its new international role responsibly, then the world will continue its fight to suppress renegade dictatorships.

Finally, North Korea has already been warned in its efforts to develop nuclear capabilities, but apparently chose not to listen. I believe that we should impose the toughest sanctions and work with our allies to allow the mass transport of refugees out of North Korea. At this point, deadlines must be set for an international force to work together to remove this dictator from power if President Kim Jong-il does not comply and agrees to dismantle his nuclear program.

If you don’t think there is a solution similar to the one I just discussed, I invite you to focus more on the consequences of not taking action. Iran is watching world events very carefully right now. If they seek a weak international resolution and come out of this scenario with the conclusion that North Korea has in fact strengthened its global position, what will prevent them from developing nuclear weapons? Iran will likely target Israel and North Korea will likely take a hit at South Korea.

As for a possible North Korean attack on South Korea, we already know that underground tunnels dug deep within South Korean territory have been discovered. What is scary to note is that millions of people live in the capital of Seoul, South Korea, which is not far from the northern border. If it is assumed that some tunnels have not yet been discovered, what will prevent North Korea from detonating a nuclear weapon right after a large South Korean city like Seoul? This would cause millions of people to die gruesome deaths. Another possibility to ponder is North Korea’s ability to transport weapons of mass destruction to our enemies, be it Al Qaeda, Iran, Syria, etc.

At this time, the United States must continue its focus on immediate action in line with the international community, while at the same time investigating preventive technologies that could strengthen our defenses within our own national borders. We have been warned, not the next question is whether or not we have what it takes to lead the international community and finally do something right.