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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (99879)	2/11/2005 10:34:37 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793738

Eurosoc - NoKo's Nukes 11 February, 2005 Few were surprised when the world's worst state North Korea announced its nuclear capacity. Its subsequent cancellation of talks aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to the arms race crisis it provoked was inevitable, but disturbed many commentators. So what happens next? NoKo was stung by US criticism that is is an "outpost of tyranny" - yet on the same day of the statement it was reported to have executed 70 defectors. The statement also whinged that US criticism insulted the "ideology, system, freedom and democracy chosen by (North Korea's) people" - yet there is absolutely no serious reporting from the outside world in North Korea so who is going to hear the US claims and be offended by them? North Korea would be comic if it lacked such deadly potential - and if millions of its own citizens had not already died in Stalin-inspired mass starvations. But what can the world do about this absurd state? North Korea has nothing but nukes. It hopes to win influence and support for its regime by brandishing weapons of mass destruction - and threatening to pass them to the highest bidder. For years, the region's big military powers - Russia and China - have viewed North Korea as America's problem. Pyongyang threatens the US and South Korea - and, to a lesser extent, Japan. Moscow and Beijing have been happy to see the rogue state as a difficulty for the US, tying up US interests in the region and limiting the scope for US action elsewhere. Furthermore, China's ageing communists must have been amused by South Korea's embarrassing "peace bribes" to Pyongyang - proof, perhaps, of the capitalist world's willingness to betray its honour for a quiet life. However, since 2002 (when it was revealed that Pyongyang had reneged on its promise to stop pursuing nuclear arms) China in particular has paid greater attention to its troublesome neighbour. Rumours that all is not well within the North Korean regime have raised hopes in the west, but China fears that instability may make the rogue state more belligerent. The last thing China wants is a nuclear conflict on its borders (Taiwan notwithstanding!). Add to that the millions of refugees who would flee the north into China - and the collapse of the Asian economy that would accompany attacks on Seoul and possibly Japan. The Times rightly sees North Korea's aggression as an opportunity for China. The would-be superpower keeps Pyongyang alive with oil and grain donations: As the Times says, "China could bring North Korea to a standstill tomorrow if it cut off oil supplies, and knows well how close its economy is to the edge." The newspaper demands that Beijing overcome its fear of unbalancing the wicked regime in Pyongyang and pull the plug on its life support. Europe should watch Beijing closely, too. It is all but certain that within six months the European Union will give in to French demands to lift the ban on selling arms to China. Supporters of arms sales claim China has moved on from the dissident-murdering dictatorship it was when the ban was put in place. Opponents - and EURSOC is among them - argue that helping China develop a high-tech arsenal will provoke an arms race in the east Asia region, with Taiwan and Japan tooling up in response to China. Naturally, North Korea would step up its nuclear activities as its "enemy" Japan - which it sees as second only to the United States in evil - increases expenditure on weaponry. Is this what France sees as a multipolar world - or is it merely a world in which danger zones are multiplying every day? Sadly, it seems that EURSOC's side has lost the argument, and Europe will soon begin to arm China. But nonetheless, China's behaviour towards North Korea will prove instructive. Will it confront the rogue state and use its influence to ease the country back into the community of nations - or will it continue to prop up a dangerous and murderous regime, safe in the knowledge that Europe will forgive it whatever it does? eursoc.com