Re North Korea...In August 1998, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert asked nine senior Members of Congress to form the North Korea Advisory Group and report to him on the North Korean threat to the United States and our allies.
The Speaker asked the Advisory Group to answer the question: "Does North Korea pose a greater threat to U.S. interests today than it did five years ago?"
WONDER HOW MANY OF THOSE Left-Wingers consider exactly what Clinton and group did about NK? If anything was done, we wouldn't be facing the problem of North Korea today.
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Introduction
shaps.hawaii.edu
In August 1998, North Korea alarmed the world by successfully launching a multi-stage missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean. Nearly a year later, reports from the Korean peninsula indicated that North Korea was ready to launch an improved version of the missile, one capable of striking the continental United States. It became clear for the first time that North Korea could deliver a weapon of mass destruction not just to Seoul, but also to Seattle.
Responding to this crisis, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert asked nine senior Members of Congress to form the North Korea Advisory Group and report to him on the North Korean threat to the United States and our allies.
The Speaker asked the Advisory Group to answer the question: "Does North Korea pose a greater threat to U.S. interests today than it did five years ago?"
A number of changes in the U.S. approach to North Korea have taken place over the past five years. In 1994, the Agreed Framework called for North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons development activity in exchange for two light-water nuclear reactors to be provided by an international consortium led by the United States, Japan and South Korea. Since then, North Korea has suffered from continuing economic decline, a three-year famine, the death of Kim Il Sung, and the accession to power of his son, Kim Jong Il.
The Advisory Group faced a number of hurdles in developing this report. North Korea is the most closed society in the world today. As the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report notes, "The Government prohibits freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association, and all forms of cultural and media activities are under the tight control of the party."
The Advisory Group relied on information already developed by the U.S. government and international agencies as well as new information supplied specifically for the Advisory Group by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the General Accounting Office (GAO), both of which are agencies of the legislative branch.
The Advisory Group held a number of briefings with administration officials, intelligence analysts and non-government experts on North Korea. Information from seven CRS reports and two GAO reports were incorporated into this final report. The group has also drawn on the considerable expertise of several congressional staff members.
Today, even though North Korea appears to be on the edge of economic and political collapse, it threatens American and allied interests. Under current policy, North Korea has become the largest recipient of United States foreign aid in Asia.
The Congress observed the growing gap between North Korea's threatening actions and the administration's representations that North Korea's behavior was accommodating key American interests. Accordingly, on October 19, 1998, the Congress passed H. R. 4328, the Fiscal Year 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act (PL 105-277), mandating "a full and complete interagency review of United States policy toward North Korea." Section 582 (e) of that Act stated, "Not later than January 1, 1999, the President shall name a 'North Korea Policy Coordinator,' who shall conduct a full and complete interagency review of United States policy toward North Korea, shall provide policy direction for negotiations with North Korea related to nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and other security related issues, and shall also provide leadership for United States participation in KEDO." The President named former Secretary of Defense Dr. William Perry to that position. The creation of the position of "North Korea Policy Coordinator" was done at the insistence and instigation of the Congress.
This report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives analyzes key elements of North Korea's behavior since 1994 when the administration signed the Agreed Framework with North Korea. How North Korea has performed under the 1994 Agreed Framework is of great importance to the United States pursuant to the terms of the agreement itself, the United States and its allies are mandated to provide light water reactors to North Korea only if they are satisfied with North Korea's performance under the Agreed Framework.
Here's a link and article....The link shows good graphs as well.... |
