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Sauce for the goose: North Korea’s nuclear power play

By Syed Atiq ul Hassan - posted Friday, 4 August 2006


During his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002, President Bush referred to Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the “axis of evil”. Yet on August 7, 2002, 100 American and Japanese delegates attended a high-profile ceremony at Kumho, North Korea, where they met with Korean officials to lay foundations for two nuclear power plants.

The plants were given to North Korea by a US-led consortium as part of a $US4.6 billion package signed by the Clinton Administration in 1994 to get North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program and not invade South Korea. Despite this “bribe package”, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in late 2002 and ejected UN weapons inspectors from the country. In November 2002, the CIA revealed North Korea had one, perhaps two, nuclear weapons.

Although North Korea never conducted nuclear tests, in February 2005 it declared itself a de facto nuclear power and claimed to have manufactured nuclear weapons to defend itself from the US. At the same time it withdrew itself indefinitely from international disarmament talks. Today, it is believed North Korea is the world's ninth nuclear power.

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North Korea has a 1.1 million-strong army with newly fielded batteries of long-range artillery, rockets, and tactical and scud missiles which can deliver nuclear, conventional, chemical and biological weapons onto Seoul, as well as US airbases and all positions of the US 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea.

North Korea conducted a successful ballistic missile test in August 1998, followed by successful cruise missile tests in February and March 2003. With its latest tests of six long-range missiles on July 5, North Korea said: "If anyone tries to discuss the rights and wrongs about (future tests) and apply pressure, we will be forced to take physical actions of a different nature." The missiles included a long-range Taepodong-2, which some experts say could hit Alaska. According to a South Korean daily newspaper, North Korea might be looking to launch three or four more intermediate-range missiles.

In response to North Korea’s recent tests, President Bush, who perhaps believes only in hostile responses, and who already has enough adventure in Iraq and Afghanistan, has asked the top six countries to take united action against North Korea. Japan, South Korea and Australia joined the US in quickly condemning the tests. President Bush has also urged Russia and China to support a UN Security Council resolution requiring nations to freeze North Korea’s missile funds.

There should be no dispute that developing nuclear weapons is the most precarious act against this planet. Humans may not survive an atomic disaster. The international community must not only stop the development of all kind of nuclear armaments but nations that already have them must dismantle them.

Traditionally, acquiring nuclear power has been a secret process, including for the US. While the justification for acquiring nuclear technology has been that it is for peaceful purpose, almost every country has used the technology to develop atomic warheads. Addressing the UN General Assembly on December 8, 1953, President Eisenhower referred to the US’ atomic development as “Atoms for Peace” - despite the US being the first and only country at the time to have secretly developed the atomic bomb - and dropped it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

According to a report, as of January 2005 there were about 5,300 operational nuclear warheads in the US, including 4,530 strategic warheads, 780 non-strategic warheads, and nearly 5,000 other warheads retained as a “responsive reserve force” - enough to destroy the entire globe within minutes.

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The history of nuclear power states should leave one in no doubt that their prime objective has been to achieve armed superiority against their rivals, and to protect themselves against foreign threats.

These atomic states have stimulated the need for nuclear weapons among states owning conventional warheads and defence systems. Despite their limited resources, these non-nuclear states have followed in the footsteps of those possessing nuclear weapons in proclaiming peaceful purposes in the secret development of their weapons.

Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea are about to be followed by Iran, and several other nations may be following the same tactics. These countries are proud of developing the atomic bomb, and consider it a measure of security against possible foreign threats. For example, Pakistan decided to go for nuclear technology after its humiliating defeat by India in 1971.

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Article edited by Allan Sharp.
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About the Author

Syed Atiq ul Hassan, is senior journalist, writer, media analyst and foreign correspondent for foreign media agencies in Australia. His email is shassan@tribune-intl.com.

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