Plunging Headfirst Into an International Mess
By Felicia (Fee) Benamon (10/16/06)
We recently saw the Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez form an alliance to combat any response from America, shall we intervene by force against these nations.
We've seen North Korea thumb its nose towards the International community by testing a nuclear weapon underground and ignored, for a year, engaging in 6-party talks persuading the country to disarm.
Then there is the issue of the Middle East. It remains a volatile region.
The question is, what is left for the US to do?
I realize President Bush has A LOT on his plate, but he could alleviate some of the pressure and threats that the West and Israel faces as a whole if he made a step towards some type of action to thwart a catastrophe.
North Korea seems defiant as ever, even in the face of sanctions. Even before a UN vote authorizing sanctions on the country, North Korea boldly declared it would continue with nuclear tests, and if a UN vote to impose sanctions on the country succeeded, it would be to them as an act of war.
"If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increases pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war and will take a series of physical corresponding measures," threatened the North Korea Foreign Ministry.
Well, the UN voted Saturday to approve sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear testing. The resolution severely limits North Korea financially, freezing its assets. It also calls for a ban of military sales (tanks, missiles, etc.) and a ban on sales of luxury items to the country. This is perhaps to put pressure on North Korea's ruling elite class, which would in turn revolt against Kim Jong Ill's regime. One can only hope.
In response to the UN resolution, North Korea's UN ambassador described UN members as behaving "gangster-like," and walked out.
Japan and South Korea has already taken action, freezing exports to North Korea ahead of the UN resolution. In the past, China has sent aid to North Korea, and asked them in turn, not to test a nuclear weapon. North Korea obviously ignored them.
The US has made an effort to be diplomatic in the past, and wishes to not involve itself into a war with rogue countries. We do not impose our will on other countries, but at times, we intervene to help people live a more successful and free life when oppressed by rogue regimes, and when we feel that, in the future, a nuke in the hands of the erratic rogue regimes could be a death sentence to many.
North Korea and Iran have motives of "testing" the US (and the International community as a whole) when they acquire the nuclear weapons they need, and therefore, they are a threat. The UN recognized this... that a nuclear weapon in the hands of either Kim Jong Ill or Mahmood Ahmadinejad is a disaster waiting to happen. But because of Russia and China's insistence to leave out tougher action, the UN left out the critical option of military action or weapons inspections. Problem is, that is what is sorely needed. A tough stance.
When asked during a recent press conference in the White House rose garden if we are prepared to deal with a nuclear North Korea, President Bush's answer was that "diplomacy hasn't run its course yet." He indicated that we are still engaged in talks to let North Korea know the actions it has taken won't be tolerated.
Again, we've allowed diplomacy, we've allowed the UN to intervene and condemn North Korea's nuclear testing, and in continued defiance, they continue to plunge ahead with tests anyhow. What option is left? Clearly, what is needed is military action to wipe out North Korea's nuclear weapons sites before they acquire and succeed in testing a more powerful missile capable of threatening the US or her allies.
So unless we take important action and flex our muscles to let gathering threats know we mean business, we are just plunging into an even further mess by our inaction.
Regimes that have animosity toward the US and her allies will further their agenda by partnering together and gathering strength to confront the US in the future. Why we wait to act against them is beyond me.
Right now, however, common sense needs to be in the equation. Do we, as a nation "handle our business" or do we continue to push for useless talks? Rogue nations like North Korea do not care about talks, as they have demonstrated time and time again. They are playing a nuclear game with the International community right now.
The people who live within the borders of rogue nations are the ones who suffer. If the US is about justice, acting to help the defenseless, and safeguarding the lives of our allies and those in our own country then at some point, action is needed to stop the madness... before it's too late.
Let's not wait any longer.
Related Reading:
North Korea threatens war over sanctions
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061011/ap_on_re_as/koreas_nuclear_205
Security Council Votes Unanimously for Sanctions on N. Korea (details of the resolution)
http://newsmax.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/10/14/135403.shtml?s=lh
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