Suppose you’re a military superpower. Also suppose that your relationship with another superpower is less than cordial, but vital to your economic survival. Now, suppose that a tiny, starving nation with which you share a border is considering the test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking that aforementioned other superpower.
This is the situation in which China finds itself with North Korea and its pot-bellied tyrant of a dictator, Kim Jong Il. China knows full well that if North Korea launches its much-touted long range missile at the USA, we are bound to respond. The strangest part of the whole mess is that Jong Il probably has no intentions of actually launching a nuke at anyone. He’s engaging in saber-rattling of the worst kind, but what the man seeks is to become a global player in a world that has largely ignored him.
So what happens if Jong Il launches his Taepodong-2 missile in the direction of the US?
United States counter-measures would instantly come online, sending Patriot Interceptor missiles in the direction of the incoming ICBM. The North Korean missile would be destroyed, probably right after clearing Japanese airspace. China, meanwhile, would in all likelihood depose Jong Il in favor of a more “agreeable” dictator. The sole reason for such a move would be to hold off any counterstrike by American forces. China cannot allow the US military to openly confront North Korea, because the end result would be a devastating war between China and the US. Kim Jong Il would therefore quickly become a disposable asset.
The only real and immediate problem North Korea poses to the US is its willingness to share its nuclear abilities, such as they are, with Iran and other terrorist entities. Iran is a true threat in a part of the world in which we are deeply involved. A nuclear Iran means nuclear war in a region that is already ravaged by centuries of violence, ignorance, religious extremism and the poverty that accompanies such an environment. It’s no secret that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sees himself as the Bringer of the Apocalypse, and wishes to speed the process along by starting a nuclear conflict with Israel. This is the most important difference between Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong Il. The North Korean dictator doesn’t wish to bring destruction to his country. Ahmadinejad welcomes it, because he sees it as the ultimate fulfillment of Islamic prophecy.
We can deal with Iran without attacking North Korea. Both Israel and the US are doubtlessly keeping a close eye on Iran’s WMD program. The moment Iran develops a viable nuke, the facility in which it rests will be reduced to rubble. Radical Islam caught us with our collective pants down back in September of 2001. It won’t happen again.
Compared to Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il is little more than a pebble in the shoes of China and the US. His people are starving. His economy is a shambles. His country is surrounded by potentially hostile neighbors. All the guy wants is a little attention and the cash and perks that generally accompany such attention. It would seem however, that the method he has chosen to get all this attention is the rough equivalent of poking a sleeping bear in the ass with a sharp stick.
Be careful what you wish for, Kim. You may get it.
Related Reading:
North Korea Warns USA
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/15633.html
North Korea Creates Complex Problem for U.S., Neighbors
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200933,00.html
In Iran, Arming for Armageddon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/15/AR2005121501428.html
Patriot Interceptor Missiles to Be Deployed in Japan
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200945,00.html
Report: U.S. Activates Missile Defense System Over N. Korea Test
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200263,00.html
Mondale: Force an option for stopping North Korea
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=127766
Alan Burkhart is a freelance political writer, cross-country trucker, and proud citizen of the reddest of the Red States - Mississippi. You can reach him via e-mail at: alan@alanburkhart.com or by visiting his website: www.alanburkhart.com.
