Sunday, July 16, 2006

U.N. Demands End to North Korean Missile Program


The US have managed to persuade the UN to vote condemning North Korea's missile programme although, tellingly, it has not been adopted as a Chapter VII resolution, at the demand of Russia and China, who feared that the US would use this as an excuse for military intervention.

Mr. Bolton had insisted throughout the week that the resolution had to be adopted under Chapter VII to be binding, but on Friday night he shifted ground and said that it was mandatory that all Security Council resolutions be followed, regardless of whether the Chapter VII language were included.

After the vote, he said, “We look forward to North Korea’s full, unconditional and immediate compliance with this Security Council resolution.”

But he added that the Council had to be prepared that North Korea “might choose a different path” and in that event, he said, “the United States and other member states have the opportunity at any point to return to the Council for further action.”

North Korea’s ambassador, Mr. Pak, left little doubt that North Korea had no intention of complying, saying that it would continue with its missile program, which it considered essential to its self-defense.

If Bush seriously wants to stop North Korea's nuclear ambitions he would be far better holding the talks that North Korea are seeking and giving them some sort of non aggression pact.

It is no surprise to anyone that the two nations the world suspects may be seeking nuclear weapons are the two remaining country's in Bush's famous, "Axis of Evil".

For the truth is that any of us, placed in their position, watching the way these lunatics are stomping through Iraq, would quickly aim to give ourselves the only protection that holds the neo-con hordes at bay.

Under Clinton, the North Koreans were essentially contained with cameras in their nuclear reactors and regular inspections from the IAEA.

It was Bush who tore up that rather sensible arrangement and led us to the precipice we face. Indeed, when he threatened to use nuclear force, even against non nuclear states, he almost single handedly set off an arms race.

So any sense of victory that Bolton, Bush and the others are now enjoying should be tempered by the knowledge that this situation need never have arisen in the first place.

Nor does the passing of this resolution guarantee a solution. Once again we see Bolton gleefully applying force where negotiation would be more fruitful. North Korea, by all accounts, seem to already possess the bomb. Attempting to force them to give it up is not wise.

Nor are they going to be persuaded, even during the friendliest of talks, to guarantee to disarm until the US will guarantee not to attack.

Bush should learn a lesson here. Avoid grandstanding. Never announce that a country is on your hit list five years before you get round to challenging them. Chances are they'll have heard your words and taken some kind of defensive steps.

Like buy a big bloody bomb. It's not rocket science. Oh wait a minute, it is!

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