US lets North Korea sell weapons, break UN agreement

[fushigi]

Story.

Three months after the United States successfully pressed the United Nations to impose strict sanctions on North Korea because of that country's nuclear test, officials in the Bush administration allowed Ethiopia to complete a secret arms purchase from Pyongyang in what appears to be a violation of the restrictions, according to senior U.S. officials. The United States allowed the arms delivery to go through in January in part because Ethiopian troops were in the midst of a military offensive against Islamic militias inside Somalia, a campaign that aided the U.S. policy of combating religious extremists in the Horn of Africa. <snip> ...the arms deal is an example of the compromises that result from the clash of two foreign policy absolutes: the Bush administration's commitment to fighting Islamic radicalism and its effort to starve the North Korean government of money it could use to build up its nuclear weapons program. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as the administration has made counterterrorism its top foreign policy concern, the White House has sometimes shown a willingness to tolerate misconduct by allies that it might otherwise criticize, like human rights violations in Central Asia and anti-democratic crackdowns in some Arab nations. Nor is this the first time the Bush administration has made an exception for allies in their dealings with Pyongyang. In 2002, the Spanish military intercepted a ship carrying Scud missiles from North Korea to Yemen. At the time, Yemen was working with the United States to hunt members of Al Qaeda operating within its borders, and after its government protested, Washington asked that the freighter be released.

Great, the US spends three years brokering a deal, then blatantly allows the DPRK to violate it. Why? For a meaningless dust heap outpost in the war on terror. Sweet.

Haven't we learned yet? This kind of cold war-era "my enemy's enemy" stuff isn't worth it! Proliferating weapons that will be used in conflicts for decades to come. Giving DPRK the funds it needs to secretly build up its nuke program. All so you can get some Ethiopian stooges to fire a few rounds off at some Islamists nowhere near any critical US interests?

Awesome.

[Canada.Smith.B]

Giving DPRK the funds it needs to secretly build up its nuke program

You can't substantiate that indeed the profit from the arms deals will finance a nuclear effort.

Moreover

a ship carrying Scud missiles from North Korea to Yemen.

Syria purchased Scud missile systems from North Korea and they were so crude and sub-manufactured that they were never transfered to the Syrian military.

This kind of cold war-era "my enemy's enemy" stuff isn't worth it!

I'm not defending the ideological reasoning behind the policy at all, but when engaged in a conflict of any nature the "my enemy's enemy" policy is effective. Why gag yourself to placate vaccuous moral ideals about conflict?

Get Serious.

[Scribbler1]

It looks like being a member of the "axis of evil" isn't as bad as it used to be.

[Canada.Smith.B]

It looks like being a member of the "axis of evil" isn't as bad as it used to be.

The Axis of Distraction.

[fushigi]

Quote by: Canada.Smith.B You can't substantiate that indeed the profit from the arms deals will finance a nuclear effort.

Absolutely true, and a good point. But fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice... you get the picture.

Quote by: CSB I'm not defending the ideological reasoning behind the policy at all, but when engaged in a conflict of any nature the "my enemy's enemy" policy is effective. Why gag yourself to placate vaccuous moral ideals about conflict?

My point is simply that it's utter hypocrisy to spearhead a UN resolution through the Security Council and then five minutes later turn a blind eye to it. Proliferation of weapons in developing countries is a big enough problem. Add to it that the money's going to a regime that's pulled the wool over our eyes once and it looks worse. Add to this the fact that the DPRK is already violating the resolution, and BLATANTLY getting away with it - right under the US's nose - and you have to wonder, how seriously must they be treating the resolution?

If we don't enforce it now, it emboldens the DPRK to push the envelope even more. Kim Jong-Il must be laughing up his sleeve at our hypocrisy.

[Canada.Smith.B]

If we don't enforce it now, it emboldens the DPRK to push the envelope even more.

What do you propose is reasonable enforcement action?

[fushigi]

Cut the aid package under the current agreement from the six-party talks by the equivalent amount gained from sales of the weapons. That way North Korea realizes that selling weapons gains them no net benefit while exposing them to yet more international criticism.

[Osborn F Enready]

Is it any suprise that socialists, communists accept bargaining of much needed goods as concession instead of simply trying to maintain peace?

Not to me.

Funny how nations like N Korea and China dispute the right to property, until its discussed as a natural right to the nation.....

[fushigi]

I see your point, and agree on North Korea. The regime is corrupt, violent, hypocritical, against freedom, tyrannical... absolutely one of the worst regimes in the history of the planet.

But again, here you take aim at China and I have to object. Just last month property laws got stronger - take a look:

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China endorses private property

[Osborn F Enready]

You know, I respect the disagreement Fushigi and can accept that.

Would you mind my asking if it is possible that you have become somewhat "taken" by Chinese culture due to your circumstances though?

I am not anti-Chinese. I have no problem with the Chinese people by and large, no more than I do any other people. I do have a problem, and a big one with the Chinese government though, much like I have a big problem with my government in the U.S. They both feel free to suppress rights, and extort their people in various ways in the name of "representing" their people.

This is no suprise for me in China, due to their history and what little I truly know of it.(in context of course, China has some history..... )

I just argue that the large portion, the majority, of deals we are doing nationally with China right now are hurting this nation in a lot of different ways, and it has to be stopped, or China has to change its view of individual rights.

There is the underlying fact of obvious ideological differences also, in cultures.

I agree that China, much like Japan has become much more "Americanized", but in all the wrong ways, namely, venture capitalism and multinational monopoly.

I am not saying you don't make valid points, nor do I want you to think I am some anti-Chinese, or racist, because I am not. I just know that the ideological differences are one of the major causes of our international trade pains, and the currency valuation and banking issues, and the patent and copyright laws.

[fushigi]

I understand your concern that I might be compromised, given the fact that I live here. But take one look at my blog and you'll see I share all your concerns about China. I don't think you're racist, just misinformed by alarmist sources that think China's trying to rule the world.

In fact, China is a very inward-looking country that believed until at least the late 19th century that the rest of the world was insignificant. It didn't colonize. It had little official interest in foreign trade, and even closed the country off for most of its history.

This was pretty much the situation from 1949-78 as well, during the years when Mao was chairman (and when his shill ran the country for a couple years after he died). If it wasn't for the economic integration China began under Deng Xiaoping in 1978 and the deepening of that integration when China joined the WTO, it would still be much more closed and tyrannical today than it is today. You wouldn't see capitalism, private property, citizens exiting and entering the country, the internet, prison reform or any of the small steps that China has taken.

So when I hear that we need to be vigilant against China, to avoid funding an oppressive dictatorship that uses its GDP only to expand its plans to take over the world while supporting the exploitation of its people, it seems a bit reactionary and simplistic to me.

[Slevin57]

"The US should stop interfering with other countries!"

"Yeah!! Look at what they did to Iraq!"

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The world needs to collectively make up its mind. They can't have it both ways.

I don't doubt that the US wasn't aware of the Ethiopian purchase, but I fail to see how we are held responsible for the actions of another country..