Byliner: Under Secretary Bolton on North Korea, Iraq
(March 13 Far Eastern Economic Review) (860)
(This byliner by Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and
International Security John R. Bolton first appeared in the March 13
edition of the Far Eastern Economic Review and is in the public
domain. No republication restrictions.)
(begin byliner)
Why North Korea Is Different
By John R. Bolton
(The writer is U.S. under secretary of state for arms control and
international security.)
North Korea is a problem the United States didn't ask for and didn't
create. When we confronted the North Korean regime in October with
knowledge of its clandestine nuclear activities, we hardly expected it
to break with tradition and brazenly admit to developing a
uranium-enrichment programme.
North Korea's admission, along with its subsequent expulsion of
inspectors, announcement of the intention to withdraw from the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty and apparent activation of its reactor at
Yongbyon, sent the issue to the front page of the news. This, of
course, was their intention: to provoke an international crisis and
force the U.S. into negotiations at a time when we and the rest of the
world are focusing on a course of action regarding Iraq. But North
Korea's provocations, as serious as they are, should not deflect us
from the prudent course we are on with Iraq. Indeed, it provides an
object lesson in the need for greater firmness towards Saddam
Hussein's intransigence. As President George W. Bush said, "Our nation
and the world must learn the lessons of the Korean Peninsula and not
allow an even greater threat to rise up in Iraq."
For 12 long years, Iraq has flouted the authority of the United
Nations Security Council by failing to disarm. Despite 16 previous UN
resolutions, no-fly zones and economic sanctions, Saddam continued to
develop and refine his missile and chemical-, biological- and
nuclear-weapons programmes, even while inspectors were present. In
light of the attacks of September 11, the international community
resolved that this dangerous dictator with ties to Al Qaeda and other
terrorist groups could not be contained, and should not remain in
possession of weapons of mass destruction. Now, with UN Resolution
1441, the world has given Iraq one final chance to disarm. So far,
Iraq has responded with only obstruction, deceit and contempt.
The road we are on with Iraq is nearing its end. We have run all
conceivable diplomatic and economic options to their logical
conclusion without a modicum of success in getting the Iraqi regime to
disarm. Left unchecked, Iraqi noncompliance threatens to diminish the
relevance of the United Nations itself. As Secretary of State Colin
Powell said, "We're reaching a moment of truth where this can't
continue, and therefore military force may be required."
In contrast to the long-standing situation with Iraq, we have only
begun to exercise our diplomatic options for dealing with North Korea.
The United States believes that North Korea's nuclear ambitions are a
serious international threat and a challenge to our nonproliferation
efforts. As such, they should be addressed in the proper multilateral
forum, which in this case is the UN Security Council, the body vested
with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international
peace and security" under Article 24 of the UN Charter.
Given the destabilizing potential of a nuclear North Korea, the
international community should demonstrate to Pyongyang that it is
headed down the wrong path. North Korea has demonstrated its
willingness to sell ballistic missiles to other rogue states, and we
would be foolish to assume it would not do the same with fissile
material.
Although North Korea would like to frame this as a bilateral issue
between the U.S. and North Korea, this is a problem of global concern.
The four other permanent members of the Security Council as well as
South Korea and Japan have key roles to play in pressuring the regime
to dismantle its nuclear programmes. Russia and China, both permanent
members of the Security Council, should not risk devaluing that status
or encouraging the North Korean regime by refusing to address this
security problem within a multilateral UN context.
Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported North
Korea's violation of its nuclear safeguards agreement to the Security
Council. We believe this is a step in the right direction. Concerted
multilateral action can show North Korea that we will not bargain with
them in a way that amounts to blackmail or rewards bad behaviour.
We are at the beginning of this process, and as President Bush has
said, "all options are on the table" for dealing with the North Korean
problem. We have made it clear that North Korea can choose the path of
compliance; it is not necessarily destined for the dead end Iraq has
backed itself into.
As we near the endgame in Iraq, it is important to remember that Kim
Jong Il and other budding violators will watch the world's response to
Saddam with rapt attention. Their willingness to risk obtaining and
developing weapons of mass destruction will be based on a careful
calculation of the international community's likely reaction.
(end byliner)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
