|
Former U.S. defense secretary William Perry appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday and said if South Korea and China reject the option of pressuring North Korea, the only decisive measure left for the U.S. would be to destroy North Korea¡¯s nuclear facilities. Perry said in retrospect, the most effective method of dealing with North Korea has been the use of negotiations backed by pressure. The ideal combination would be for South Korea and China to threaten halting supplies of oil and rice to North Korea if it does not stop building a large reactor. But South Korea and China have continued to reject this strategy, Perry said. He added while a military strike targeting North Korea¡¯s nuclear facilities ¡°certainly would be successful,¡± it ¡°could lead to dangerous unintended consequences but in fact there are no alternatives left that are not dangerous.¡± What¡¯s truly dangerous, he said, is allowing North Korea to continue with a nuclear program capable of producing 10 nuclear bombs a year.
James Lilley, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, said North Korea is likely to support the victory of the ruling Uri Party in this year¡¯s presidential elections, and there is a possibility that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il may visit the South this year. The diplomat said North Korea will make short-term concessions to get food and energy aid from South Korea and China while seeking to drive a wedge between the five participating countries and lay the blame on Washington. Lilley, who was also ambassador to China, warned against Beijing¡¯s move to claim Korea¡¯s Koguryo Kingdom as its own. He said the reason Beijing is dragging its heels in finding a solution to the North Korean nuclear standoff is to expand its influence in North Korea when the regime there collapses.
When the Republicans lost the U.S. mid-term elections in November, the South Korean government probably rejoiced at the increased likelihood of doves taking over Congress. But here is the Clinton-era defense minister urging tough measures against North Korea, at an event organized by the Democratic Party.
The reason why the U.S. put such a dangerous card on the table is because the South Korean government is continually rejecting sanctions against the North. You must use both sticks and carrots to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear program. But South Korea and China are not willing to use even a little stick in the form of economic sanctions. Now, the U.S. is saying, it has no choice but to take out the axe.
The U.S. knows that North Korea is trying to buy time by making the six-party talks drag on. And in that process, North Korea gets food and oil from South Korea and China, while stepping up its nuclear program behind everyone¡¯s back. The South Korean government can¡¯t wait to resume food aid to North Korea when it returns to the negotiating table. The U.S. also knows that North Korea is seeking to recreate South Korea¡¯s ¡°Sunshine Policy¡± of reconciliation with the North, repeating the toasty benefits it received for nine years. Washington must also be fully aware that Seoul is waiting eagerly to receive the blessing of Pyongyang.
In the U.S., both Democrats and Republicans are trying to come up with measures to deal with the threat of North Korea¡¯s nuclear arms program, deeming it a clear and present danger. U.S. officials are even calculating China¡¯s interest in North Korea, using protracted six-party talks as a way to boost its influence in the North. But the South Korean president is concerned only about constitutional reform.
The U.S. believes South Korea is in the midst of distancing itself from the alliance, according to a report by U.S. experts that has been delivered to the Roh Moo-hyun government. The report said Washington feels there is only a slim chance of South Korea-U.S. relations improving. This has been coming for some time now, and that¡¯s why U.S. officials are now publicly talking about the option of a strike against North Korea¡¯s nuclear facilities, which could well trigger a war on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea faces its most dangerous situation since the Korean War under the rule of an administration that calls itself a champion of peace.
|
