U.S., N. Korea Drifting Toward War, Perry Warns (Clinton's Sec of Def)

[IndianaGreen]

U.S., N. Korea Drifting Toward War, Perry Warns
Former Defense Secretary Says Standoff Increases Risk of Terrorists Obtaining Nuclear Device

By Thomas E. Ricks and Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, July 15, 2003; Page A14

Former defense secretary William Perry warned that the United States and North Korea are drifting toward war, perhaps as early as this year, in an increasingly dangerous standoff that also could result in terrorists being able to purchase a North Korean nuclear device and plant it in a U.S. city.

"I think we are losing control" of the situation, said Perry, who believes North Korea soon will have enough nuclear warheads to begin exploding them in tests and exporting them to terrorists and other U.S. adversaries. "The nuclear program now underway in North Korea poses an imminent danger of nuclear weapons being detonated in American cities," he said in an interview.

Perry added that he reached his conclusions after extensive conversations with senior Bush administration officials, South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and senior officials in China.

After weeks of debate, President Bush and his senior foreign policy advisers this week are expected to meet to resolve the administration's next step in the crisis over North Korea's nuclear programs. Officials have discussed how sharply to ratchet up the pressure, and how to react to a series of possible North Korean provocations, including nuclear tests.

Perry is the most prominent member of a growing number of national security experts and Korea specialists who are expressing deep concern about the direction of U.S. policy toward Pyongyang. As President Bill Clinton's defense secretary, he oversaw preparation for airstrikes on North Korean nuclear facilities in 1994, an attack that was never carried out. He has remained deeply involved in Korean policy issues and is widely respected in national security circles, especially among senior military officers. They credit him with playing a key role in developing the U.S. high-tech arsenal of cruise missiles and stealth aircraft and also with righting the Pentagon after the short, turbulent term of Les Aspin, Clinton's first defense chief.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56019-2003Jul14.html?nav=hptoc_w

[Equinox]

1. This is scary...

very very scary. :scared:

I guess invading Afghanastan and Iraq were the way to go. Not that I'm advocating invading NK, but the Bush Administration seems content with starting WWIII or letting it unfold. Bush is America's worst enemy.

[Abaques]

3. It will get worse...

Bush has completely mishandled the NK situation from the very beginning, even before 9/11.

His pre-emptive strike policy has scared Pyongyang into thinking that they are next, which is driving them to develop nukes as soon as possible, because it seems to be the only solution to ensure that the US does not invade. Bush should have been pushing for world-wide pressure against NK instead of obsessing with Saddam. But now our millitary is spread thin worldwide, eliminating alot of the threat of imminent millitary action, which weakens our hand in dealing with NK, and perhaps far more importantly, the Shrubs lies about WMD have wrecked our credibility with the rest of the world. So if it comes down to it, we will not be able to count on the support of other nations in facing down Pyongyang if needed. And with NK seeing us without friends they will be more willing to confront us.

Bush made us the world-cop with the Iraq action (rogue-cop actually), and now the rest of the world wants us to do our job with Liberia and NK. If we don't, then who will?

Its basically become a no-win situation for the US and the world. And Bushco keeps wanting to maintain the status-quo and not engage with Pyongyang to maybe turn the tide and stop either a war with no winners or a North Korea that makes money by selling nukes to terrorists and petty dictators.

When we take back the White House in January of '05 we will have alot of hard work to do internationally.

[Equinox]

5. I also read something a few months ago about...

North Korea having talks with China, Russia, S. Korea, and Japan leaving the US out. This could change the geo-political nature of Asia.

[Abaques]

6. A nuclear Japan...

Yeah, Bush is purposefully not engaging with the North Koreans and is insisting that China, South Korea, and Japan do our negotiating for us. So we are basically pushing for a new Asia, one where we don't have the influence we once had.

And if things go bad, watch how long it takes for Japan to decide to rebuild its armed forces and modify its constitution to allow for millitary action. Pyongyang has them spooked because Tokyo is within missle range of North Korea. And it would take about 15 minutes for Japan to build their first nuke.

I don't really like that idea.

[ima_sinnic]

2. this isn't one of their "toy" wars

this doesn't fit the PNAC script; the current assholes do NOT know how to deal with this--except to make it worse--there is no great leadership among this bunch.

[Martin Eden]

4. Bushco can't handle a REAL threat to security

They have no expertise when it comes to a truly dangerous rogue state, one in which the costs of war are too high even for the neocons. Besides, it's not the Middle East and there's no great natural resources to plunder. They pick the easy battles (though Iraq is proving not so easy after all) and ignore the serious threat.

The North Korea situation demands a wise mixture of diplomacy and strength. The reclusive totalitarian state is economically weak, militarily dangerous, paranoid, and unpredictable. They can't really afford a nuclear program, which makes it all the more dangerous because they're desperate for cash. It's not inconceivable that they would sell a bomb to terrorists.

From a national security standpoint, NK should have been the top priority. I hope it doesn't turn out that the greatest consequence of Shrubco's Iraq adventure is much greater devastation from a conflict with NK. Such a disaster WAS avoidable, but less so now. What was that paranoid regime to think when chimpy declared them part of the "axis of evil", then proceeded to annhialate one of those "evil" regimes?

As scary as this situation is, I had to LOL when I read this:

--snip--
Officials at the Pentagon, State Department and White House declined to respond to Perry's criticism on the record. But speaking anonymously, administration officials vehemently disagreed with his analysis, saying they have succeeded in building a multilateral consensus that North Korea's nuclear program is unacceptable, leaving Pyongyang increasingly isolated.

The administration has no intention of rewarding North Korea for giving up its weapons, officials said, adding that the new effort to target North Korea's illegal sources of revenue will only further weaken North Korea.
--end of snip--

What these shrubco idiots are INTENTIONALLY doing is isolating North Korea and making overt efforts to weaken them. Don't they realize this will only push them further over the nuclear cliff? They're building a "multilateral consensus" that NK's nuke program is unacceptable. My, what an effective strategy that is! You might as well tell the bloods and the crips that gang activity doesn't have your support.

Here's another choice paragraph:

--snip--
From his discussions, Perry has concluded the president simply won't enter into genuine talks with Pyongyang's Stalinist government. "My theory is the reason we don't have a policy on this, and we aren't negotiating, is the president himself," Perry said. "I think he has come to the conclusion that Kim Jong Il is evil and loathsome and it is immoral to negotiate with him."
--end of snip--

I always thought of shrub as a chickenhawk, but if he's a bird he may be more like an ostritch with its head buried in the sand. Or better yet, chimpy has his hands over his eyes and ears so he won't have to see or hear this evil. Too bad he doesn't have a hand over his mouth as well. When things get real dicey, will he tell NK to bring it on?

I thought I had reached the limits of disgust and outrage, but NK is a problem for real professionals who recognize a real threat and know that the best way to fulfill a sacred oath to defend the American people doesn't consist in starting fictitious wars and arrogantly flaunting your military superiority in front of the world.

As bad as the Iraq episode is, the casualties and consequences are minor compared to the major wars of the 20th century. But the growing NK crisis could cause widespread devastation locally, and possibly "mushroom clouds" in the United States or Japan.

The usurpers in the White House fraudulently used this image as a scare tactic to unleash an unnecessary war, but now they may be helping to bring about the real thing through their negligence, arrogance, incompetence, and criminal abuse of power.

The doomsday clock, after being moved back with the end of the cold war, is creeping closer midnight once again.

Martin Eden

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Abaques!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: