What to do about Korea?
This question seems to come up every year or so. This week the artillery attack on South Korea that killed civilians. This March they sunk a South Korean ship killing over 40. Then last May the nuclear test, before that the missile firings, provocations ad infinitum. I read an engaging article by Christian Whiton, a former Bush head State Department senior adviser. Although he has many points I agree with, let's start with the one I disagree with.
First I agree with his point that the three responses by the Obama administration were feeble, and came under fire by our allies. I disagree with him because I seem to recall that when he was in there with Bush, he had a chance to act, but Bush's responses were just as feeble. Bill Clinton was not only feeble, he started the practice of paying them off when they were aggressive! This means that the Eurasian View newspaper was right. For over 18 years, the United States response to North Korea has been impotent at best. Our allies in the region have publicly stated as much. What has motivated our feeble response to a country we could easily crush?
There are two reasons for the impotent U.S. response; (1) China, and (2) fear of weapons proliferation (nuclear and otherwise) to other rouge nations and terrorists. These reasons are used time and again by the apologists of the Obama-Bush-Clinton administrations. There are some legitimate concerns on China, especially now with them floating our debt, There is one overriding reason that China will not act adversely toward the U.S.
China has discovered a blend of "statapilism" and it has served them very well. State Capitalism has brought much political stability to a still repressive regime. I have seen no one mention the fact that China is as dependent on us, as we are of them, and that extends to economic stability. The top 10 exporters China has, starts with the U.S. at #1 then proceeds to Japan and S. Korea. After that it is all EU countries. If you are China, your way of life depends on the U.S., S.Korea, and the E.U. The loss of #1 and #3 could devastate their economy. Add the EU, and you have a total collapse of China's economy. China will not start much off anything. Besides that, we have the fear of defaulting the trillions we owe them, that really scares them! It will ultimately come down to North Korea, or the U.S. and South Korea, and the EU. China knows the logical answer here.
The weapons proliferation is just silly. We have tracked by satellite, radar, and other means, most of the missile, nuclear, and small arms shipments. We have even tracked melons on ships. Every time we do not intercept, because of no legal reason to do so. The Spanish intercepted a N. Korean ship with Scud missiles bound for Yemen in 2002, President Bush told them to release the ship, because there was no legal grounds to do so. On May 27th, 2009, the North Korean army made a formal declaration that "it "will not be bound" by the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War." An armistice is not a peace treaty, it is only good until one party pulls out. We and S. Korea are technically combatants. We can seize and inspect any vessel in international waters, and take prisoners as enemy combatants. With this backround in mind here are Christian Whiton.
1. Dramatically increasing defector-led radio broadcasting from outside North Korea. The
truth is Kim Jong Il’s greatest foe, and dissent movements thrive on factual information that
undermine the dictators’ propaganda. Defector broadcasts exist but need real resources.
2. Halt all foreign aid and other funds flows to North Korea, which the regime uses to
survive. We should also deny any financial organization or central bank that deals with North
Korea the ability to clear transactions in U.S. dollars—essentially a death penalty for banks that
would end the regime’s ability to move funds and reward those who keep it in power.
3. Stop trade and seaborne proliferation. China has demonstrated it will not cooperate with us
or comply with U.N. resolutions that restrict trade or call for inspections of goods going to North
Korea. However, ships going to or from North Korea can be impounded.
4. Wage economic warfare. The North Korean government is the first regime since the Third
Reich to counterfeit U.S. currency. We should return the favor by dumping bales of North Korea
currency just off Korean and Chinese shores. The resulting economic tailspin would penalize the
North Korean elite most.
5. Allied militaries should broadcast a clear message to North Korea’s military seeking to
separate it from the Kim family. The USS Pueblo, which North Korea hijacked in 1968 and
currently holds captive, should be sunk. We have every right to do this to our own property, and
every military officer in North Korea would perceive the regime is running out of lives.
6. Change the military balance. We should consult with South Korea and Japan about
increasing the forces of our three nations available for a rapid move on Pyongyang should one
ever become necessary.
More importantly, we should talk openly about placing U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in the 5-150
kiloton range in the region to counter the growing nuclear threat from North Korea. For the first
time, this would make China realize supporting North Korea is harming Beijing’s own security,
which just might make it less willing to aid Pyongyang. Kim’s generals would also see they are
worse off for following him.
The next time some one tells you there's nothing that can be done, show them this article, any questions, I'll be glad to set them straight.
Bill
First I agree with his point that the three responses by the Obama administration were feeble, and came under fire by our allies. I disagree with him because I seem to recall that when he was in there with Bush, he had a chance to act, but Bush's responses were just as feeble. Bill Clinton was not only feeble, he started the practice of paying them off when they were aggressive! This means that the Eurasian View newspaper was right. For over 18 years, the United States response to North Korea has been impotent at best. Our allies in the region have publicly stated as much. What has motivated our feeble response to a country we could easily crush?
There are two reasons for the impotent U.S. response; (1) China, and (2) fear of weapons proliferation (nuclear and otherwise) to other rouge nations and terrorists. These reasons are used time and again by the apologists of the Obama-Bush-Clinton administrations. There are some legitimate concerns on China, especially now with them floating our debt, There is one overriding reason that China will not act adversely toward the U.S.
China has discovered a blend of "statapilism" and it has served them very well. State Capitalism has brought much political stability to a still repressive regime. I have seen no one mention the fact that China is as dependent on us, as we are of them, and that extends to economic stability. The top 10 exporters China has, starts with the U.S. at #1 then proceeds to Japan and S. Korea. After that it is all EU countries. If you are China, your way of life depends on the U.S., S.Korea, and the E.U. The loss of #1 and #3 could devastate their economy. Add the EU, and you have a total collapse of China's economy. China will not start much off anything. Besides that, we have the fear of defaulting the trillions we owe them, that really scares them! It will ultimately come down to North Korea, or the U.S. and South Korea, and the EU. China knows the logical answer here.
The weapons proliferation is just silly. We have tracked by satellite, radar, and other means, most of the missile, nuclear, and small arms shipments. We have even tracked melons on ships. Every time we do not intercept, because of no legal reason to do so. The Spanish intercepted a N. Korean ship with Scud missiles bound for Yemen in 2002, President Bush told them to release the ship, because there was no legal grounds to do so. On May 27th, 2009, the North Korean army made a formal declaration that "it "will not be bound" by the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War." An armistice is not a peace treaty, it is only good until one party pulls out. We and S. Korea are technically combatants. We can seize and inspect any vessel in international waters, and take prisoners as enemy combatants. With this backround in mind here are Christian Whiton.
1. Dramatically increasing defector-led radio broadcasting from outside North Korea. The
truth is Kim Jong Il’s greatest foe, and dissent movements thrive on factual information that
undermine the dictators’ propaganda. Defector broadcasts exist but need real resources.
2. Halt all foreign aid and other funds flows to North Korea, which the regime uses to
survive. We should also deny any financial organization or central bank that deals with North
Korea the ability to clear transactions in U.S. dollars—essentially a death penalty for banks that
would end the regime’s ability to move funds and reward those who keep it in power.
3. Stop trade and seaborne proliferation. China has demonstrated it will not cooperate with us
or comply with U.N. resolutions that restrict trade or call for inspections of goods going to North
Korea. However, ships going to or from North Korea can be impounded.
4. Wage economic warfare. The North Korean government is the first regime since the Third
Reich to counterfeit U.S. currency. We should return the favor by dumping bales of North Korea
currency just off Korean and Chinese shores. The resulting economic tailspin would penalize the
North Korean elite most.
5. Allied militaries should broadcast a clear message to North Korea’s military seeking to
separate it from the Kim family. The USS Pueblo, which North Korea hijacked in 1968 and
currently holds captive, should be sunk. We have every right to do this to our own property, and
every military officer in North Korea would perceive the regime is running out of lives.
6. Change the military balance. We should consult with South Korea and Japan about
increasing the forces of our three nations available for a rapid move on Pyongyang should one
ever become necessary.
More importantly, we should talk openly about placing U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in the 5-150
kiloton range in the region to counter the growing nuclear threat from North Korea. For the first
time, this would make China realize supporting North Korea is harming Beijing’s own security,
which just might make it less willing to aid Pyongyang. Kim’s generals would also see they are
worse off for following him.
The next time some one tells you there's nothing that can be done, show them this article, any questions, I'll be glad to set them straight.
Bill
