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Wednesday, 18 October 2006 11:36 |
 The media is abuzz these days with the most recent developments in North Korea ÇƒÓ specifically claims made by the communist government here that it had successfully conducted an underground test of a nuclear bomb.
While politicians, pundits and bloggers on both sides of the political spectrum have rushed to place blame for this frightening development, we feel that the current situation raises more questions than answers.
Nonetheless, a few observations seem pertinent. First of all, we must point out that, in hindsight, it might have been a wiser course of action for the United States to confront Pyongyang about its nuclear program several years ago, rather than focusing on Iraq.
Of
course, hindsight is 20-20 ÇƒÓ particularly for an administration
notorious for its unwillingness to admit when it has made mistakes.
Nonetheless, the
intelligence the U.S. had at the time was clear that Iraq was several
years away from developing nuclear technology ÇƒÓ if it was even pursuing
it at all.
This was not the case with North Korea.
Secondly, it is
time for Russia and China to step up to the plate more. As the old
adage goes, "With great power comes great responsibility." As fellow
nuclear powers, these countries need to join the world community in
full, unequivocal condemnation of the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Though neither
country could be considered a liberal democracy, it is at least clear
that they are unlikely to engage in a suicide attack on their
neighbors. With North Korea, there are no such assurances ÇƒÓ and even
less so with the terrorist organizations to whom Kim Jong-il might be
all-too-willing to sell the technology.
Thirdly, it is
time for the world at large to take a firm ÇƒÓ and absolute ÇƒÓ stand
against further proliferation. Rhetoric without enforcement is
meaningless. In the past decade, India, Pakistan and now North Korea
have all become nuclear powers, despite a global consensus ÇƒÓ in word,
at least ÇƒÓ that further proliferation must not happen.
The world must
come together and employ any means necessary ÇƒÓ even multilateral
military intervention ÇƒÓ to ensure that North Korea is the last country
to get the bomb.
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