North Korea that goes by the official name of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced today that it has successfully performed its first nuclear tests to the horror of the rest of the world.
“The field of scientific research in the DPRK successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9, 2006, at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great, prosperous, powerful socialist nation,” North Korea’s official statement said.
If the nuclear test is confirmed, North Korea becomes the ninth nuclear state. The others are the Britain, China,France,India,Israel,Pakistan, Russia, and United States.
Initial reactions from major powers were concerned and cautious.
The U.S. said it constitutes a “provocative act” and it expects U.N. Security Council to take immediate action. China denounced it as “brazen”
Japan and South Korea said it constitutes a grave threat to the region and the world.Russia condemned it and demanded that North Korea return to six-party talks
Gloria Arroyo’s statement is both hot and cold. She said, “We condemn in the strongest terms North Korea’s nuclear device testing today.”
At the same time, she said, “The Philippines appeals to DPRK to desist from further tests and to adhere to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
If Kim Jong Il ignored superpower America and closest friend China, why would he listen to Arroyo who is neither friend and superpower?
But, of course, we understand that Arroyo has to say something.
Last July when North Korea launched missiles test, we wrote this following piece. We think the substance is as relevant today as it was three months ago.
Power of might over right
The latest launching tests by North Korea of shortrange and intercontinental missiles last week has renewed concern of an arms race in Asia.
In 2003, Thomas Omestad, in an article in US News, painted this scenario: “Faced with a nuclear breakout by a hostile regime, Japan reconsiders its antinuclear taboos, fields a larger missile force of its own, and plunges into developing a shield against incoming missiles with the United States. South Korea, with one eye on the North and the other on Japan, follows suit. China reacts with more nukes and missiles of its own. Taiwan, outgunned, opts for more missiles and, perhaps, nuclear bombs. A nervous Russia shifts nuclear and conventional forces for defense against its old rivals, China and Japan. India, a foe of China, expands its nuclear forces, a step that causes Pakistan to do likewise. An Asian arms race snaps into high gear.”
Hideaki Kaneda, a retired vice admiral of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and director of the Okazaki Institute in Tokyo, said in an article the arms race across Asia is already underway and North Korea’s testing last week confirmed it.
He said most Southeast Asian countries are busy modernizing their armed forces and he mentioned Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. As expected, the Philippines was mentioned only as a recipient of two used patrol boats from South Korea.
Military analysts say that North Korea’s attainment of nuclear capability is the most serious threat to global stability.
That may be so but then the US, which has an ample share of long- range missiles in its arsenal, should be credited for setting the example of the power of might over right. That doctrine was highlighted in the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Massive firepower and superior technological warfare, all seen in real time all over the world, sent strongman Saddam Hussein scampering to a foxhole.
It didn’t matter that Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction that George Bush used as justification for the invasion turned out to be fiction. The point has been made: international law is mute against superior firepower.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Il must have learned his lesson well from Bush because it brushed aside international criticism of its missile tests by threatening to fire off more rockets. Pyongyang’s foreign ministry released a defiant statement saying, “Our military will continue with missile launch drills in the future as part of efforts to strengthen self-defense deterrent. If anyone intends to dispute or add pressure about this, we will have to take stronger physical actions in other forms.”
The statement further said: “The successful missile launches were part of our military’s regular military drills to strengthen self defense. As a sovereign country, this is our legal right and we are not bound by any international law or bilateral or multilateral agreements.”
At least, you can credit Kim Jong Il with being straightforward which you cannot say of Bush when he was trying to twist UN conventions to suit his violation of international law against Iraq.
That’s why I’m curious what could have been Kim Jong Il’s reaction to Arroyo’s statement of condemnation of his missile tests, assuming that he even bothered to read it. She also told North Korea “to refrain from further compromising the peace and security of the region and of the world.”
Our colleague, JB Baylon, wrote a witty piece last Friday aptly titled “A mouse roars” on Arroyo’s laughable statement that looked more aimed at impressing Bush.
Reports about North Korea developing long-range missiles that could target as far as the United States had been out for sometime and in media briefings, Philippine defense officials seriously doubt that the country would be dragged into hostilities in the Korean peninsula. The spillover that they anticipate would be evacuations of Koreans to the country.
Foreign and defense officials say the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States cannot be invoked because there’s no provision about an attack with neighbors like Japan, Korea or Taiwan or other US interests in these countries.
Unless Gloria Arroyo, anxious for Bush’s support for her illegitimate presidency, would voluntarily drag the Philippines into the Korean peninsula conflict just like when she was the first one to volunteer to the Coalition of the Willing against Iraq. (She became “unwilling” when truckdriver Angelo de la Cruz was kidnapped in Iraq in 2004.)
Last March, the Japanese foreign minister told the Japan Diet (Parliament) that American forces in Okinawa are interested to relocate and exercise in the Philippines. It would be a strange arrangement wherein the Philippines would be hosting American forces that are supposed to defend Japan.Philippine defense officials reacted strongly against it.
With the threat of North Korea becoming more urgent for Japan, there’s no saying how much pressure it is exerting on the Philippines and how easy it would be for a beleaguered Arroyo to cave in.
This could turn into a major disaster if Bush doesn’t enter into a dialogue because as a columnist in The Times argued, what can anyone do except to enter into dialogue now because sanctions won’t work – without China’s help, there can be no effective sanctions…
Please read the “Analysis: North Korea have played the ultimate card” by Richard Lloyd-Parry, Asia Editor of The Times, who says that the world will now have to engage in dialogue with North Korea, as it has few other options that will work.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk
Right now, Anna, what we worry about this nuke test is the fallout similar to the black and yellow rains that can be hazardous to health.
I’m not worried about a military confrontation with the North Koreans for we are prepared somehow. At least, it is the kind of assurance we get from our government. It’s business as usual over here as a matter of fact. We leave politics to the politicians.
One thing I cannot understand, though, is why South Korean, US and our governments allowed themselves to be hoodwinked by the North Koreans, giving tons and tons of food for the starving North Koreans while Pandak Kim spends his country’s resources on nukes and his personal perversions.
Golly, ang tapang ng Pandak! He has issued a warning to the US that the North Koreans will fire rockets toward the USA, invade it and bring the war to US soil! Now, we’ll see what Bush is going to do.
The black rain came from the atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that caused cancer and other radiation-related diseases. The yellow rain was caused by nuke tests by China in the 70’s. It had the same effect.
I know Yuko! I do hope that the radioactivity could be contained but what assurance do we have that it won’t spread to South Korea and to Japan? Just like what happened at the Cherbobyl explosion – neigbouring countries received nuclear fall outs!
I was just reading a news report that said since NOKOR has a dense population, the test could only have been done in a populated area… What if it’s true? The havoc on N Korean humanity it could create for so many decades?
Good heavens, I shudder at the thought.
I believe Japan has enough armaments to be able to confront North Korean aggression in a classic warfare scenario. Japan has the most number of fighting ships in the region and equally the most number of shore defences in that part of the world.
But as you say, it is the nuclear, the un-classic warfare that we should all take cognizance of.
Punta ka na lang dito, Yuko sama si Taipan at pamilya ninyo!
Sana itong si Bush and his neo-con friends will think several times before going on “Attack” mode ulit because he is perfectly capable of sending US nukes everywhere just to show that might is right.
Otherwise, it will be nuclear world war…
Worse comes to worse, Anna, my husband, son and I will fly to the USA. I have a house in Hayward, CA as a matter of fact, and I am thinking now of building my vacation house on the property I bought in Mexico. Whichever, we may be able to ask for a transportation from some US base. Otherwise, we’ll stay in Japan. There are bomb shelters still usable somewhere as a matter of fact.
I just don’t know how effective was the international recognition of nuke free Tokyo. The area where I live is way out of the US bases so it’s pretty safe, and there is a North Korean meeting hall nearby and that can be a good protection.
You bet, Japan has enough logistical preparation so we must be safe. For some reason, our church has been urging members now since the start of this year to get prepared. We are checked if we have at least a 72 hour emergency kit complete with sleeping bags, thermal sheets, extra underwears, flashlight, radio, batteries, etc. I have also packed up in storage containers food for 3 for at least a month. Remind me to buy these tablets for purifying water for it is VERY essential. We can survive without food for over a month but not without water. This, I have learned from people who have experienced being stranded somewhere and rescued.
Whatever, I’m not worried. Still, I pray that North Korea will not be capable of starting a war, and is just bluffing.
AUSTRALIA, U.S. WANT SECURITY COUNCIL TO RESPOND
KELLY OLSEN
Associated Press
SEOUL — The United States and Australia demanded immediate UN Security Council action against North Korea for its reported nuclear test, while China condemned its ally for blatantly defying the world.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair called the move “completely irresponsible,” and his government warned of serious consequences for the isolated regime.
The UN Security Council planned to discuss the crisis Monday, and the United States and Japan are likely to press for a resolution imposing additional sanctions on Pyongyang.
North Korea said it tested its first atomic bomb in an underground explosion Monday morning. The White House said U.S. and South Korean intelligence detected a seismic event at a suspected North Korean nuclear site and were trying to confirm Pyongyang’s claims.
China, a long-time supporter of North Korea and host of stalled international talks to persuade the fellow communist country to give up its nuclear ambitions, strongly condemned the act.
“China expresses its resolute opposition,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. The North “defied the universal opposition of international society and flagrantly conducted the nuclear test.”
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said his government would call on the UN Security Council to take “swift and effective action” against North Korea, including financial, trade and travel sanctions.
“If the United Nations fails to act effectively against this outrage from North Korea, it will represent a further diminution of its authority,” Mr. Howard said.
A Security Council resolution adopted in July after a series of North Korean missile launches imposed limited sanctions on North Korea and demanded that Pyongyan suspend its ballistic-missile program – a demand the North immediately rejected.
The resolution bars all UN member states from selling material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea. It also prohibits all nations from receiving missiles, banned weapons or technology from the North, known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Britain warned that there would be repercussions for the nuclear test.
“I condemn this completely irresponsible act by the government of the DPRK,” Mr. Blair said in a statement issued by his office. “This further act of defiance shows North Korea’s disregard for the concerns of its neighbours and the wider international community.”
The European Union called for “a decisive international response to this provocative act.” French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy echoed the appeal.
“It is again up to the international community to react very firmly,” Mr. Douste-Blazy told the Associated Press at the United Nations office in Geneva.
South Korea, which shares the world’s most heavily armed border with the North, said it put its military on high alert.
North Korea has created “a severe situation that threatens stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia,” South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun told journalists after a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
He said the test would make it difficult for Seoul to maintain its efforts to strengthen ties with its impoverished neighbour.
“This is a warning as well as my prediction,” Mr. Roh said. “Under this situation, it’s difficult for South Korea to maintain engagement policy.”
Mr. Abe said the development and possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea would transform the security environment in the region.
“We will be entering a new, dangerous nuclear age,” said Mr. Abe, who is facing his first major foreign policy test since his recent election to replace Junichiro Koizumi.
Earlier, Mr. Abe called for a co-ordinated and levelheaded response.
“It is important for Japan and South Korea, along with the United States and China, to work together and send a message to the world,” he said.
Indonesia also condemned the reported test as “unacceptable under any justifiable reason.”
globeandmail.com
I wonder if the Bansot is eyeing the move of the Security Council for possible deployment of bogus Philippine soldiers, tapos swaswapangin nila ang sueldong ibibigay ng UN gaya nang nangyari sa sueldo ng mga sundalong pinoy na nasa Haiti. Ganid talaga!
Panakot nila, hindi ipapadala ang magrereklamo sa kinukupit nila. In Japanese, we call it “pinhane” or in English, extortion!!!
Wow, nagbigay na naman si Pandak ng warning kuno sa kapareho niyang Pandak ng North Korea. Akala mo kaya niya ha? Ipadala kaya natin kay Kim ang statement ng boba na iyan na pati nga iyong helicopter ng AFP, parang apa, pag nilipad ng hangin, babagsak! Kunyari ang tapang pero kapag nilusob ng mga Koreano, takbo din sa America. Tonta talaga!
“GMA slams N. Korea, seeks halt to test”. Pinakawalanghiyang dedma talaga itong si GLue. Hay naku Ellen, paminsan-minsan lang ako dito umentra at enjoy talaga sa usapan nila dito, but kumukulo ang dugo ko kapag pumapapel si Glue (well, kailan ba siya hindi pumapel?) sa hindi niya ka-level. Hesusmariajose, nangangarap ba itong dwende na ito na pinapansin pa siya ng mga international leaders? Eh pati nga mga ordinaryong puti dito sa aming university sa North Carolina, at least iyong mga may high level of consciousness sa international news, ay tinatawanan na lang ang kanyang mga antics. Para sa akin, okey lang na kabwisitan ang tao, pero ang pagtawanan ay ibang usapan na yan.
Isang Am marketing professor dito ang minsan ay proud na nakasama niya at ilang mga US students si Glue Pidal sa kodakan sa Malacanang noong 2002. Bah, for many years ay ipinagtatangol si Glue from my attacks. Eto ngayon, I just saw that his pix with this evil woman was no longer hanging in his office wall. Tinanggal na raw niya dahil nakakahiya dahil cheater daw pala. The students? Itinapon ang kanilang mga kopya. Hahaha!!!
Can we really blame Nokor? For years, they have been asking the US for a meeting but the great arrogant Uncle Sam refused. Sec. Rice succeeded in closing a deal for a meeting but this plan was turned down by Vice President Chenney and the hardliners in Bush’s team. After witnessing how Bush and the US attacked Iraq for an imagined WMD that was never found and the US’s plans to change other countries’ regime, Nokor’s leader had no choice but to use this last strategy of making his country known to the world that she’s now the nuke country. It’s defensive reaction and for Nokor’s survivor. Besides, why did the West allow India and Pakistan to test their own nukes? Oh yea, India only was penalized but only for a six months sanction. Many have nukes so why can’t the Nokors? Some would argue again they might sell these nukes to terrorists. But, isn’t the US also providing arms to her allies like Israel? Even Japan has many nuke plants and it’s easy for Japan to build nuke anytime. Yet, the same fear was made by the US about Iran for having nuke plants. Japan has…why can’t Iran have? Double Standard. If you’re America’s friend, it’s okay…if not, you’re not allowed to enjoy such privilege. All these boil down to one apparent defect: America’s double standard type of foreign policy.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is using nuclear weapons test as bargaining chip for economic aid from Western nations. Expanded international sanction is useless because China’s political, military and economic support to North Korea. U.S. trade embargo to Cuba directly harmed the poor Cubans than millionaire Fidel Castro. Diplomacy may work to ease the crisis. Japan and South Korea are most at risk from the North Korean nuclear threat. Both countries have the weapons technology, military and strong economy to counter act Kim Jong II’s nuclear blackmail.
Mrs. Gloria Arroyo is exploiting the North Korean crisis to please her American master George W. Bush. Nobody in the world community will listen to discredited Arroyo regime. The great pretender and usurper Gloria Arroyo thinks she can fool the GOP-controlled U.S. Congress for more economic and military aid. Headline: Petite rodent Gloria Arroyo ROARS! Who cares?
You bet. Did we hear other Asian countries bitching about Nokor’s nuke test? Other than cowardice Japs, we don’t hear much from our Asian neighbors. Then, why should this Gloria be the first Asian fake leader to protest against Nokor? Oh well, that was what she did at the outset of the Iraq War. I hope Nokor could launch a nuke straight at Malacanang Palace now.
Diego, instead of “petite”, why don’t we use “puny” or “tiny”.
Puny rodent roars!
anna de brux Says:
October 9th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
Punta ka na lang dito, Yuko sama si Taipan at pamilya ninyo!
…
I don’t think there’s gonna be a safe haven when madmen go nuclear. The only salvation of man is change of heart of madmen.
Hello guys!
I was out all day, and saw the news only after I came back home.
Geez! Kapal talaga ni “deer leader” KimJongIL….
ILL as in ILL-advised ang ginawa ng crazy man of asia!
EPAL lang yata yang tactic ni kim, eh….
to gain leverage in future talks with the US and Japan.
Among the ASEAN members, ito namang si macapal-arrovo, EPAL din! ….samantalang cautious ang ibang miyembro…..
But of course, China, SoKor and Russia will react along with the US….. directly and indirectly, involved sila sa ginawang ito ni IL.
PM ABE has his baptism of fire with regards to dealing with the crazy antics of a crazy and sick man……and in the middle of his foreign trip at that!
Thanks, Anna, for the invitation…..
But if worse comes to worst, I can always go back home to dear home in Pinas. Altho I have siblings in the US of A, I would rather bring Lolo to my place in Inang Bayan.
Alitaptap says:” I don’t think there’s gonna be a safe haven when madmen go nuclear. The only salvation of man is change of heart of madmen. “
npongco says…” Did we hear other Asian countries bitching about Nokor’s nuke test? Other than cowardice Japs, we don’t hear much from our Asian neighbors. ”
AYAN KA NA NAMAN….tutukso-tukso, ‘di na natuto!
NoKor is PROVOKING all:USA and Japan to react.
It is right and just that a SANCTION in every way be taken as a precaution that NoKOr remain isolated and not build up arms for the safety of the Asian Region.
Likewise, IF a person PROVOKES another, surely, others would react.
This is true in Inang Bayan.
glue does something wrong….then WE react.
In the same light,
[b]npongco has, time and again, PROVOKED and called the Japanese people “japs”…a known racial slur made by the americans in the last WW. Repeating the same words makes my blood boil.[/b]
DON’T YOU THINK it is time to make sanctions, too? In this blog, I mean.
Sorry, taipan. But what I mentioned was true anyway. The noisiest so far are the Americans and Japanese against Nokor’s nuke test. Even South Korea took it calmly; yet, they’re the closest and the most affected. Don’t believe that China is mad at Nokor. Who knows? It could be China that pushed Nokor to do this to test Uncle Sam’s balls. Nokor won’t never move without China’s signal just like Israel that won’t never act without America’s order. Speaking of Israel, they have nukes too but is not being disclosed. Why don’t the Lebanon, Hezbollah and other neighbors complain? The thing is…these arrogant superpowers say it’s okay for them and to their allies but wrong for their enemies. If Nokor sits down and talks with the US and finally submits to America’s dictate, I bet you the US would look the other way. Saudi Arabia has nuke too.
SORRY?
WHAT, specifically are you sorry about?
You despised it when “dugong aso,” was mentioned by another poster here….
It behooves that you don’t do the same , e.g., saying racial slurs like that. Ayaw mo na ngang ganun, tas, gagawin mo sa iba?!
Please be reminded that this is a forum read by all, Japanese Nationals, included!
>>>But what I mentioned was true anyway. >>…”The noisiest so far are the Americans and Japanese against Nokor’s nuke test.”>>”
Don’t believe that China is mad at Nokor. Who knows? It could be China that pushed Nokor to do this to test Uncle Sam’s balls. Nokor won’t never move without China’s signal just like Israel that won’t never act without America’s order.”
Pure speculations! Nothing more!
Stop generalizing, unless you have the facts, npongco!
npongco says:” The noisiest so far are the Americans and Japanese against Nokor’s nuke test. Even South Korea took it calmly; yet, they’re the closest and the most affected.”
Yeah?! Really? How about this….
Banner from PDI:
>>>N. Korea nuclear blast stuns world
US, China condemn new security threat
…so, you were saying what you “say is TRUE”?….
Wow! an all-knowing self proclaimed analyst of sort!
Geez!
Eto pa…para malaman mo, npongco!
From the same news item,from PDI:
>>>>
Harsh measure’
Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair said the test was a “completely irresponsible act,” and its foreign ministry warned of international repercussions.
Russia, Germany, other governments, and the UN atomic agency also expressed grave concern.
“Enormous damage has been done to the process of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the world,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Japan’s Abe, in Seoul for a summit meeting, said Japan would consider “harsh measures.”
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said the test would make it difficult for Seoul to maintain its engagement policy with its communist neighbor.
The two Koreas are divided by the world’s most heavily armed border.
The North is believed to have enough radioactive material for about a half-dozen bombs. It insists its nuclear program is necessary to deter a US invasion. eoq////
No place is safe now………even the US and Russia are keeping nuclear arms. The test made by North Korea signals a new war is coming, get to the side, Lebanon!! The problem now is-does GMA prepared for the evacuation (again) of OFWs in Korea??? I doubt!!! since the bansot is very much busy with her plans to shift the form of government in the Philippines.
What the people should do now is to asses onesself. Are we atill in contact with the Mighty Creator? That because we’re living in the age of high technology now, people are obviously forgetting that there is one and only God in the world. Majority forget to say “thank you” for every blessings they got from above. but when disasters struck, it’s the only time they will remeber Him. How sad!!!
So much so, the Philippines is being govern by a fake president, a cheater, a liar, a thief, a killer, with her dogs and puppies, enriching themselves to the high level. A one time nuclear explosion will make them perish …..and I wish for it!!!
From The Daily Tribune:
>>>World condemns Nokor nuke test ….10/10/2006
The European Union on Monday strongly condemned North Korea’s claimed nuclear test as “unacceptable” and said it was considering an appropriate response with the international community.
“Carrying out the test was unacceptable” the Finnish EU presidency said in a statement, adding that the test “profoundly jeopardizes regional stability and represents a severe threat to international peace and security.”
The EU urged North Korea “to announce immediately that it will refrain from any further tests of a nuclear device, publicly renounce nuclear weapons and return immediately and without preconditions to the Six-Party talks.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the test was unpardonable and urged the UN to impose sanctions on Pyongyang.
Malaysia urged China and Russia to use their influence to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear tests, after the reclusive state announced it had carried out an underground blast.
Germany strongly condemned North Korea’s nuclear test and summoned Pyongyang’s ambassador to Berlin, saying the move worsened its “self-imposed isolation”.
“The German government condemns North Korea’s nuclear test in the strongest terms,” government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm told reporters.
“It is an irresponsible step that will significantly increase tensions in the region. Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons is an extremely important concern of the entire international community. We continue to support the goal of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.”
Japan and the United States will step up work on their missile defense system after North Korea said it tested an atom bomb, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said here Monday.
“To maintain the safety of the Japanese country and people and to increase the relationship of trust based on the Japan-US alliance, Japan will step up cooperation with the United States, such as on Japan-US missile defense,” Abe told reporters.
Japan and the United States started working in earnest on a missile shield after North Korea in 1998 fired a missile over Japan’s main island.
The United States stationed its first surface-to-air Patriot missiles in Japan after North Korea in July test-fired seven missiles in Japan’s direction.
Washington protects Japan by treaty as the country was stripped of its right to maintain an armed forces after defeat in World War II. eoq///////
WORLD yan, npongco…..
WORLD spelled W—O—-R—-L—-D!
World!
Getz mo?
A few years ago, Bush in his state of the union speech in 2001, characterized North Korea as one of the axis of evil countries, together with Iran and Iraq. He revealed to America that North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens. If true to his words about fighting enemies who possessed weapons of mass destruction wherever they are, why then did he not launched an invasion and engaged Nokor into a war just like what he did to Iraq. Did he chickened-out because China is nearby and known ally of North Korea? Maybe that will be one of his most guarded secrets, but what is clear now about his invasion of Iraq is pure greed of Iraqi oil and business for his cronies, while in North Korea, he knew that he will get nothing in terms of material things. The problem is North Korea is now a Nuke country and what will he do about it?
NOW, are you still saying
“The noisiest so far are the Americans and Japanese against Nokor’s nuke test. ” ????????!!!!
Please state clearly also kung totoo o hindi.
Kung opinyon mo lang, o established fact.
Para kang si gloria, puro manufactured ang sinasabi!
Nice thinking, florry….
I believe so, too. He wanted IRAQ so much becoz of its oil….
While NoKor is barren and boasts of nothing but a crazy man who is sick in heart and body.
Your Q makes one think, too: Is it safe to stay in Japan or not, with the nuclear threat, which, like the sword of Damocles is hanging over our heads.
FOREIGN POLICY IN FOCUS
a think tank without walls
October 9, 2006
Vol. 1, No. 9
John Feffer, IRC
TEHRAN OR PYONGYANG?
North Korea claims to have tested a nuclear weapon. Iran refuses to halt its uranium enrichment program. The non-proliferation regime teeters on the brink. Washington’s uncompromising tactics with both Tehran and Pyongyang have failed to achieve anything but the most radioactive results.
When President Bush introduced the “axis of evil” of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea in his 2002 State of the Union address, he seemed to be establishing a hit list for U.S. military interventions. Four years later, the targeted countries instead represent the three most prominent foreign policy failures of the administration. Iraq is a mess, North Korea has battered down the door of the nuclear club, and Iran has moved in a more hardline direction under its president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
If Washington were sensible, it would cut its losses: negotiate a withdrawal from Iraq and sit down with both Iran and North Korea to negotiate face-saving agreements. Instead, American policy analysts and American citizens are fearful of the next war. Will it be a military strike against Tehran or Pyongyang?
SQUEEZING TEHRAN
Publicly, the United States has focused on using sanctions to deter Iran and North Korea from pursuing their nuclear aims. With Iran, the Bush administration has tightened “the financial noose on Iran, banning interaction with one of Iran’s leading government-owned bank, Bank Saderat,” writes Farideh Farhi in an FPIF policy report. Congress passed the Iran Freedom Support Act, extending sanctions against investments in the country’s oil industry for another five years.
But sanctions may only be the visible tip of the iceberg. As FPIF columnist Frida Berrigan argues in War or Rumors of War, the Bush administration has kept the military option on the table and not simply on a rhetorical level. “Given the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the sheer cost of existing military commitments, it would seem that the last thing the United States can afford right now is another war,” she writes. But the Bush administration hasn’t used much reality-based reasoning in its Iraq policy. She concludes that the administration “is therefore unlikely to use common sense in evaluating whether to attack Iran.”
FPIF contributor Phyllis Bennis believes that, leading up to the November mid-term U.S. elections, another factor might be decisive. “Growing opposition to the prospect of an Iran War,” she writes in an op-ed, “might lead some members of the Bush administration to decide the political cost of such a reckless adventure is too high.”
SURROUNDING PYONGYANG
The Bush administration has been approaching the situation in North Korea with almost identical hardheadedness. Instead of negotiating with Pyongyang, it has insisted on a multilateral format—the Six Party Talks—that has gone nowhere. It has applied a series of sanctions, including limits on financial transactions that fail to discriminate between North Korea’s illicit operations and its legitimate economic activities.
As with Iran, the Bush administration has insisted on keeping all options on the table, even though the Pentagon has made it clear that a military strike against North Korea would lead to retaliatory strikes that would kill tens of thousands of U.S. and South Korean soldiers and civilians. As with Iran, the Pentagon has confessed that it would have great difficulty eliminating the dispersed nuclear facilities in North Korea.
North Korea has not made matters easier. It went ahead with missile launches in July and now a test in early October, even though both actions have further alienated its already ambivalent ally China. Even after its most recent provocation, however, Pyongyang has declared its continued willingness to negotiate. It doesn’t have much choice. A nuclear weapon can’t feed its people or rebuild its factories.
Will an attack on Iran or North Korea be the administration’s October surprise? The rally-around-the-flag effect of bombing either North Korea or Iran would be overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the immediate consequences, not to mention the longer term blowback. For military, economic, and electoral reasons, it doesn’t make sense for the Bush administration to launch an attack against any country at this moment. Alas, the administration seems to be singing only one tune these days, that old Talking Heads favorite: Stop Making Sense.
SAVING THE WORLD
If the chaos of the Iraq war and the prospect of military attacks on North Korea and Iran weren’t sufficiently depressing, there’s always global warming to worry about. Several years ago, 162 nations signed and ratified the Kyoto protocol to reduce the emission of gasses that have contributed to climate change. The United States signed the treaty, but has not ratified it.
FPIF analyst Hoff Stauffer argues that the Kyoto’s focus on “cap and trade,” which establishes a market for trading pollution credits, is the wrong approach. He maintains that the older and more reliable strategy of establishing stricter standards—on factories, cars, and home appliances—will have a much greater impact on reducing the production of greenhouse gasses. His essay, part of a larger FPIF strategic dialogue on climate change, is worth reading all the way through. But go here if you need the 60 Second Expert version.
Recently, a group of activists decided to go to Singapore to change the world by trying to change the World Bank. Many key civil society activists, including FPIF columnist Walden Bello, weren’t even let into the country. FPIF analyst Peter Bosshard puts this ban into the larger context of the World Bank’s failure to listen to people on the ground where its development projects threaten the livelihoods of so many.
Elsewhere at FPIF, Tom Barry investigates the fear-mongering of the Bush administration and Jim Lobe analyzes how the United States has scrapped the Geneva Conventions.
If you’re in the Washington area, please join us on October 18 for the 30th annual Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award event sponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies. The international award will be going to Maher Arar and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Arar is a Canadian citizen detained by U.S. officials in 2002, accused of terrorist links, and handed over to Syrian authorities renowned for torture. Last month, the Canadian government confirmed that Arar had been brutally tortured and is innocent of all charges. The Center for Constitutional Rights has taken up his case.
http://www.fpif.org/fpifzines/wb/3577
Related Links:
Negotiating and Looking Tough: The Mirrored Policies of the U.S. and Iran
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3560
War or Rumors of War?
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3564
Just Say No to War in Iran
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1004-22.htm
A New Standard for Preventing Global Warming
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3562
Global Warming: A Viable Strategy
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3565
World Bank Shuts Out Dissident Voices
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3570
The Politics of Fear
rightweb.irc-online.org/rw/3567
Scrapping the Geneva Conventions
rightweb.irc-online.org/rw/3563
30th annual Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award
http://www.ips-dc.org/lm-awards/2006/
Copyright © 1996-2005 International Relations Center. All rights reserved.
Qeng leon qeng tigre,
ecu tatacut, keka pa?
O nasaan ka na, npongco? Nawala na?
O kumukunsulta ka muna sa amo mo?
I will leave you in peace….
baka umurong na ang bahag mo, eh.
Puny rodent roars! It’s cool.
Nagtataka rin ako, wala man lang pumapansin sa Threat of Chinese Invasion of Taiwan.
Tama si npongco, “any threat againts the West is also a threat to the Japanese”
Pero yung threat sa Japan, sa mga Hapon lang 😛
Long Live the Unified Korea!!!
Ang pagpapakita ng mga “Northerners” ay isang DIREKTANG pagbabasura sa U.N. Security Council Resolution 1695 😀
The reason Japan is alarmed by NoKor’s nuke test is because she had seen and experienced a nuclear holocaust. Some called Japan is a coward, maybe you have not experienced what they went through. Years after “The Bomb” was dropped, people were still dying of radiation sickness.
South Korea’s war experience with the North has traumatized the Koreans. Families were separated and torn apart. How would you feel if your sister is just across the river and cannot visit you? Its torture.
Instead of posturing, the international community should sit down and talk this one out. We all know especially NoKor, that she cannot go into a full blown war against the world. All she can do is make us notice her existence. Kulang yan sa pansin but the world should finally listen to her than make the situation worse. We do not want another kind of “jihad” in our midst.
The hubby does not want to go to the USA. He says he will die in Japan, and he does not believe that Kim would be foolish to really attack Japan or the USA. It would have to attack South Korea first as a matter of fact, and we’ll see a continuation of the Korean War of the early 50’s.
As Ruth has promised Naomi, “Whither thou goest, I will go,” so here I will stay.
I’m glad that Shinzo Abe is showing some bravado. He should be like his grand-uncle, ex-PM Eisaku Sato, who was a powerful leader himself. His own grandfather was a PM, too, but I was not fond of him even though he headed the Philippine-Japan Society before.
I don’t see any dissenting voice from my Communist and Socialist friends as a matter of fact against Abe’s statements. Everybody knows that this is one time everyone should be doing a “danketsu” (Solidarity) for the good of Japan in times of crisis such as this.
I’m not worried because as Anna has mentioned, Japan is militarily capable enough. In fact, it has a great supply of Plutonium with which to make PU bombs even when generally speaking people here now hate war. Nevertheless, Japanese sobriety should not be taken for lack of courage and bravery. Hindi lang mahilig ang mga tao ditong pumatol sa mga loko-loko at dugong aso!
I’m glad that Abe is now the PM. At least, he is demanding sanction instead of negotiation that Koizumi was known for.
Cory-by-the-Sea, the Nokor tested the nuke underground near the Chinese border, and far from the maddening crowd. However, such test can be harmful to the environment. The radiation in fact has a lifespan of a million years, and can have harmful effects on humans and nature.
You bet, iyong Ale Boba nagpapapel lang. Kulang sa pansin kaya trying hard na mapansin. Wala namang pumapansin kahit iyong binabayaran niyang pumalakpak sa mga antics niya! Walanghiya talaga! Ang kapal! Akala mo tunay na makikinig sa kaniya iyong kapareho niyang pandak. Akala niya siguro na komo bansot din si Kim kaya na niya! 😛
Nelbar,
Ang pinag-uusapan ay Nokor nuclear bomb test. Walang kinalaman sa Taiwan! Other blog na iyan. Get mo?
taipan88 Says:
October 10th, 2006 at 9:40 am
Qeng leon qeng tigre,
ecu tatacut, keka pa?
O nasaan ka na, npongco? Nawala na?
O kumukunsulta ka muna sa amo mo?
I will leave you in peace….
baka umurong na ang bahag mo, eh.
……..
Is that you Taipan??? I did not recognize you with your samurai……
Who says that the Japanese are chicken? Tangna wala namang alam sa Japan, nagdudunung-dunungan, puede ba? Sige, Cory-by-the-sea, supalpalin mo nga! Honti ni hara ga tatsu no yo! Japan has issued a warning to NoKor even before it made true its threat that can never ever frighten any Japanese! This piece of news was published on Oct.5.
You’re right there, Cory, that this is going to be a baptism by fire of PM Abe. This is also going to be a good test on the ability of Mofa Minister Aso, a graduate of Oxford U as a matter of fact, and related to some members of the old peerage of Japan.
I’m actually watching the Diet proceeding at the moment on NHK, and the interpolation there regarding what the government intends to do about this issue. One thing sure is that nobody is sitting pretty on this issue.
Govt eyes tough sanctions on DPRK / May expand ban on port calls, seek UNSC resolution if Pyongyang tests nuke
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a Diet session Wednesday.
Japan will independently impose sanctions on North Korea if the country carries out a nuclear weapons test, government sources said Wednesday.
Measures to be taken in such an event include the expansion of the current ban on port calls by the Man Gyong Bong-92, a North Korean passenger-cargo ferry, to include freighters from North Korea and other countries, according to an unofficial decision made that day, the sources said.
Tokyo also will work toward the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution to impose sanctions, based on Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, and call for the international community to take concerted action on sanctions against North Korea, whose official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Concerning North Korea’s planned nuclear test, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, “We will not accept it.”
“We will deal with the matter appropriately, in cooperation with China and South Korea, as well as the United States,” Abe said during a plenary session of the House of Councillors on Wednesday.
The government foresees a grave security crisis if North Korea carries out a nuclear test in the wake of the country’s test launch of ballistic missiles on July 5.
Currently, the Man Gyong Bong-92 is prohibited from making port calls in Japan, a measure invoked under the law on prohibition of port calls by specified vessels.
As part of Japan’s independent sanctions, North Korean freighters will be added to the sanctions. The government also is considering the prohibition for third-nation freighters that have passed through North Korean ports.
The government also would like to expand the definition of targets eligible for sanctions under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law, according to the sources. Currently, 15 organizations and one individual have been forbidden to wire money to and engage in capital transactions with the country.
As for export and import items regulated, there are about 70 items deemed to be convertible for the development of missiles and weapons of mass destruction. If North Korea goes ahead with the test, the targets would be expanded to include agricultural and marine products, such as matsutake mushrooms and clams, according to the sources.
Meanwhile, concerning a U.N. resolution to be adopted if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday the resolution would call for sanctions based on Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter.
References to Chapter 7 were removed from a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in July regarding the missile launches to respect the wills of China and Russia.
The government thinks that if North Korea were to conduct nuclear tests, China and Russia would agree to a resolution calling for severe sanctions, the sources said.
As it is currently chairing the Security Council as rotating president, Japan will work to bring about the early adoption of a new resolution by working actively with member countries, the sources added.
(Oct. 5, 2006)
ystakei-san says:
“Is that you Taipan??? I did not recognize you with your samurai…… ”
ystake-san,
Alam ko po kung saan ang aking kinalalagyan. Laking pasalamat ako sa aking pinanggalingan.
Marunong din po akong gumalang kung ang kausap ay kagalang-galang, nguni’t hindi po ako umuurong kung ang kalaban at isang talamak na sakim at mapangpanggap sa lipunan.
OH no, naduling ako! MEA CULPA!
si alitaptap pala….Hahahahah!!!
suri! Gomen ne!
I posted this in my blog August last year….and posted it likewise in mlq3’s blog a few days after….
Allow me, if I may, with the kind indulgence of the owner, Ms. Ellen….
Medyo mahaba nga lang po, pero I hope you read them all….for all its worth. Salamat po.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
————NO MORE HIROSHIMA!!!!…………..
The date:August 6,1945.
Target:HIROSHIMA.
SIXTY-YEARS YEARS AGO TODAY, HIROSHIMA WAS BOMBED
BY ENOLA GAY, an American bomber at the instruction of then US President Truman.
And that started endless sufferings which continue to this day….
The horror began at 8:15 A.M. on a hot summer day in HIROSHIMA,
a busy port with two rivers converging in-between the vastly populated city.
The bomb exploded several kilometers= IN MID-AIR= BEFORE IT REACHED THE EPICENTER and THAT >>> made the devastation even more horrendous.
The bomb was seen hundreds of kilometers away, and its effects covered a radius
hundreds of kilometers WIDE and more…
.It incinerated the entire city and killed instantly almost all who were nearby.
By some miracle, those who survived walked the street stripped of clothing,
skin parts dripping away, faces burned, blood spluttered all over…
the air smelt of burnt human corpses, burnt hair, and more.
These people lived to tell the horror to the next generation, …
and vowed that NEVER AGAIN WILL THERE BE A repeat of what happened
in HIROSHIMA.
THE bomb instantly killed hundreds of thousands…and has wrecked havoc on the lives of its citizens sixty years hence. The survivors developed MULTIPLE CANCER
as a result of that bombing. Each year, the list of victims grow as new names are added.
The survivors, their children…and their children’s children continue
to suffer from the effects of that tons of TNT.
I KNOW. I have been to Hiroshima several years back. My family went to a prefecture south of Kyushu and on the way back, we stopped by Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Am I grateful we did!
I SAW the pictures taken BEFORE and AFTER the bombing; the remnants of the day of horror, the old kid bike, the young boy’s torn uniform, the wall where the black rain fell, the nail that slipped off from a boy’s fingers, the pictures taken by the people from Enola Gay, and those taken by a fellow victim, the children crawling for water, the bodies piled up, burnt and dead…and more….
I READ the inscriptions, the labels…and the stories;
I HEARD the tales of horror, the handwritings of survivors;I
FELT the chaos, the scorching heat[more than 100 degrees C], the grief of the people, the loss it incurred,the devastation it caused…and the lives it has to pay.
I CRIED….AS I WALKED PAST THE EXHIBITS…
AND I CRY, EVEN NOW…AS I REMEMBER THE EXPERIENCE THAT WAS HIROSHIMA.
I SHED TEARS…..
I SHED TEARS because there was TOTAL CARNAGE in BOMBINGS AND KILLINGS
AND THESE HAVE NOT STOPPED…EVEN TODAY.
“WARS MAKE BEASTS OF MEN.”- so says a big car company Executive when we talked about the last war. Indeed!
AT THE CENTER of the Park is a VAULT where names of victims are kept.On it is an epitaph which says: “SLEEP WELL AND REST IN PEACE; WE WILL NEVER MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN.”
The message is for the world, as it is for the people who died there.
The message is for these power-hungry leaders to stop and think..
.And I pray that PEACE DESCEND UPON THE HEARTS OF THESE MEN
WHO PREY ON INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND PEACE-LOVING PEOPLE.
Today, Hiroshima is a CENTER FOR PEACE ACTIVISTS.There is an eternal flame on one side that will only be extinguished when the last nuclear power is destroyed.
HIROSHIMA left an impact in the deepest recesses of my mind and heart.
I WILL NEVER FORGET HIROSHIMA and the memories of that short visit.
IT changed my outlook in life.
IT changed the way I look at the “SUPERPOWERS.”
PEACE remains an impossible dream for us
who are supposed to be enjoying the free world….
AHHH!!!! PEACE! WHAT price must mankind pay for that elusive dream?
NO MORE HIROSHIMA!
and PEACE TO ALL MEN OF GOOD WILL!!!
The above post is, in fact, a response to schumey’s post,
which, in part, says: “The reason Japan is alarmed by NoKor’s nuke test is because she had seen and experienced a nuclear holocaust. Some called Japan is a coward, maybe you have not experienced what they went through. Years after “The Bomb” was dropped, people were still dying of radiation sickness.”…..
TRUE, I must say. And the fact that Japan has committed itself to non-proliferation treaties here and there, and the vow, as reflected in the cenotaph inscription in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, makes Japan embrace Peace and shun nuclear weapons. This is not to say that they are “cowards” as npongco time and again has stated in her posts.
Nawala si npongco….
Nagtago sa blue jacket ni glue!
ARU…JOS KU! Mekeni,….bukas ang pasbul….
hahangarin pa ba natin na magkaroon ng katulad na pangyayari katulad ng hiroshima bombing? alam nating napakahirap makaahon sa pagkakasadlak sa nakaririmarim at nakakakilabot na pangyayari kung saan walang kalaban laban ang mga kawawang mamamayan. balikan din natin ng isip ang vietnam na hanggang ngayon ay dumaranas pa rin ng radiation bunga ng nagdaang giyera. o ilagay natin ang ating mga sarili sa sitwasyon ng pagkakaroon ng karamdamang mas masahol pa sa kanser. ihalintulad din natin sa mga pangyayari sa marinduque at bicol kung saan ang mga residente ay dinadapuan ng sari saring karamdaman bunga ng kontaminasyon ng hagin, tubig at mga bagay sa kanilang kapaligiran bunga ng iresponsableng pagmimina. ‘yan pa kayang mga kemikal na sangkap ng nuclear weapons? ng weapons of mass destruction? hindi ba’t nakakakilabot?
Nakakakilabot!
Indeed!
Grabe talaga. Mararamdaman mo kapag lumakad ka na sa pasilyo kung saan ang mga exhibit. Mararamdaman mo sa mga tili at hagulgol ng mga batang nasusunog.
I guess, it is a MUST VISIT if ever mapadpad kayo sa bahaging ito ng mundo. Mas magandang makita nang ma-feel, ika nga. Iba na ang feeling kapag first-hand experience, kesa sa nabasa o nakita lang sa larawan. Mangingilabot ka!
Sa nangyari sa Hiroshima, gusto ba nating matulad dito?
Hihintayin pa ba natin mangyari ang ganun?
I have not been to Nagasaki, which suffered the same fate as Hiroshima’s ….but I will…definitely in my lifetime, I will go and visit Nagasaki, sabay na rin yung pinuntahan ni St. Lorenzo Ruiz na malapit doon.
Totoo ang sinabi mo tungkol sa iresponsableng pagmimina, hindi lang sa Marinduque, o Bicol.SA LAHAT ng bahagi ng Bansa. Tingnan na lang natin nag Palawan. Marami ang nagmimina roon nguni’t walang naririnig sa gobyerno na ipagbawal ito. Bakit kaya? Marahil, naka”sawsaw” na rin ang mga palad nila sa ganyang proyekto, kung kaya’t nakabaling sa kabilang gild ang dapat ay makita sa kanan….Patay-malisya…..dedma, sa salita ng kabataan.
taipan88:
Ano kaya ang magiging polisiya ng Japan sa Unified Korea?
Ellen:
kasama ba ang South Africa sa mga nuclear state na binabanggit mo?
excerpts from ‘AUSTRALIA IN THE REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ORDER’ :
” …By 2025 all the North Asian countries may have ‘gone nuclear” and other countries may believe it is their interests to do the same “
Any country who possess nuclear weapons, have them for deterrent purposes primarily. When The U.S. first developed the ‘bomb’ the one and only purpose that time was to use it to show the world her power and to end the war. It achieved its purpose, but at a very considerable cost, and started the race to exterminate the human race. Now the modern ‘bomb’ is 100 times or more powerful and potent than the one dropped by Enola Gay. It is no longer called atomic but nuclear bomb, whatever in the name, no country, no leader, unless the crazies, the psychopaths want to see it works, and the most scary part we have plenty of them to go around. What to do? We can not re-invent the wheel. Or no country who possess such weapons would give them up for nothing.
NOKOR is a country in distress. Her people had been suffering for a long, long time, and nobody paid attention to Her until, belligerently invited everyone to look at ‘us’. Desperate countries with desperate leaders will do desperate things, when push to the point of no return.
China has a great influence with North Korea, and also in an Economic position to influence not only its leaders, but to ease the overall situation in the other part of peninsula and maybe in the end, the people themselves, will eventually realize that they are after all a part of global community, and not the ‘outcast’ that are made to believe and outcast they have been considered by most, because of the situation beyond their control.
Would U.N. sanction works? NO..NOKOR leaders already contemplated this measure and already determined to further sacrifice her own people to achieve whatever they have in mind. Kim Jong II is thousand folds stubborn than our very own Ate Glo and he will just give his middle finger to Kofi, for his sanctions. So I believe in my own, that all the countries in the neigborhood, including all the “superpowers” will deal with this issue head on. Open a dialogue with North Korea. That is what she’s asking in the first place. Deal with its economic issues, and if possible resolve the armistice treaty that has not formally ended the Korean War. Ito po ay kuro-kuro ko lamang.
Nelbar, this is what i gopt from wikipedia on south africa:
Africa South Africa also deserves a special mention as the only country (with a possible exception of Kazakhstan and other ex-Soviet states), that developed nuclear weapons and fully disarmed under the NPT.
During the days of apartheid, the White South African developed a deep fear of the both the black uprising and the red threat of communism. This led to the development of a secret nuclear weapons program as an ultimate deterrent. South Africa has a good supply of uranium, which is mined in the country’s gold mines. The government built a nuclear research facility at Peledaba near Pretoria where Uranium was enriched to fuel grade for the nuclear power plant at Koeberg as well as weapon grade for bomb production.
In 1991, after international pressure and when a change of government was imminent, South Africa signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In 1993, the then president Frederik Willem de Klerk openly admitted that the country had developed a limited nuclear weapon capability. These weapons were subsequently dismantled prior to accession to the NPT. South Africa then opened itself up to IAEA for inspection. In 1994 the IAEA completed its work and declared that the country had fully dismantled its nuclear weapons program.
From Associated Press:
A glance at the world’s nuclear weapons states and their stockpiles, based on estimates compiled from different sources.
North Korea
Believed to have enough fissile material for a half-dozen weapons, but estimates vary widely and are unverifiable.
United States
More than 5,000 strategic warheads, more than 1,000 operational tactical weapons — meant for the battlefield and less powerful than the strategic arms — and approximately 3,000 reserve and tactical warheads.
Russia
Nearly 5,000 strategic warheads, and approximately 3,500 operational tactical warheads. In addition, it has more than 11,000 strategic and tactical warheads in storage.
France
Approximately 350 strategic warheads.
China
As many as 250 strategic warheads and 150 tactical warheads.
Britain
About 200 strategic warheads.
India
Between 45 and 95 nuclear warheads.
Israel
Refuses to confirm it is a nuclear weapons state but is generally assumed to have up to 200 nuclear warheads.
Vic:
I have translated documents on the DUD bombs that were used in Iraq during the first Gulf War and the present War on Iraq for the International Criminal Tribunal for Iraq, and have discovered that though those bombs do not emit the same gigantic smoke as the Atomic bomb dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the effect have been the same and much more destructive, causing even birth defects as in the case of children born in Iraq after the first Desert Storm or even at Afghanistan in recent times.
I have filed up pictures of children and adults adversely affected by these bombs, all produced and made in the USA!
I have in fact the opportunity to attend some forums with a former mine sweeper charged with sweeping the DUD bombs left in Iraq by the US military as speaker. The said military officer actually has since become a war activist after his companions started dying one by one, and he was the only survivor but was in fact suffering from some kind of skin cancer for having been exposed to radiation leaking from the DUD bombs they gathered there, and emitting from the areas where the bombs were dropped.
His and those of Scott Ritter’s presentations (evidences actually of what they discovered even as a UN weapon inspector as in the case of Ritter) will make one shudder and wonder why men would like to wipe out their kind!
The US actually makes a mockery of all the protests against these weapons of mass destruction that countries like Pakistan would like to possess even when they could have make better use of their resources for feeding the hungry and not leave others to feed them. Bush, for his part, should condemn in fact his own family for having engaged in this business of selling guns and ammunition even to the enemies as what they did in WWII selling guns to Hitler.
The Americans in fact would like to have a monopoly of these sales of guns and ammunition that actually what helped the USA get rich quick in the first place. In other words, there is nothing really noble about this talk of the US being the world’s policeman! Before the US became one, America suffered and could hardly get out of its economic depression as the US situation was in the roaring 20’s and 30’s and even before WWI.
That is why it could not get condemnation on the nuclear experiments of Iran unlike this nuclear bomb testing of NoKor that did not need any prodding on the less likely to protest against it to agree to warn and/or subject NoKor to some discipline and the US envoy bragging that it took them only 30 minutes to come to a decision.
norwegian analysts does not think kim is mad or stupid.what they are most afraid of is that this will start another arms race which can include japan. russian experts has measured the strength of what was detonated in nokor and came to a value between 5 to 15 ktons while the one used in hiroshima was 12.5 ktons.
Yuko,
I believe your husband is right: “The hubby does not want to go to the USA. He says he will die in Japan, and he does not believe that Kim would be foolish to really attack Japan or the USA. It would have to attack South Korea first as a matter of fact, and we’ll see a continuation of the Korean War of the early 50’s.”
If we are to rationalize (I’m trying TO rationalize but am not sure I’ll succeed because there are great indiciations that the NOKOR chief is NOT rational) the desire of North Korea to possess the nuke, I really believe it is more out of fear or for self-defence, hence I don’t believe that they will use it to ATTACK South Korea, Japan or the US at this instance (but again, I am simply trying to rationalize here…).
Right off the bat, here are a few thoughts:
1. North Korea is afraid of it closest border neigbour: the combined military power of US-South Korea and fears that if things are to go to a head, South Korea would attack and backed by the US. In order to head it off, what is NOKOR’s option? Build the nuke which becomes an automatic attack deterrence. With that in mind, NOKOR might be telling herself that those countries that might be thinking of overrunning her would think twice before doing anything because of her nuclear capablities. Her enemies will be hard put to launch an attack on her soil knowing that she can retaliate and what good would that do?
2. Our non-ability to stop others building nukes: NOKOR has been observing US and generally western reaction to the nuclear build up between India and Pakistan. At the time, rhetorics were being thrown about from all sides but the two nations did not heed anyone’s call and went on to build their own nukes, so NOKOR tells herself, well, “I shall do the same because I know I can get away with it.”
Even when Pakistan was receiving threats for eventual sanctions from the US and Europe when it decided to launch its own nuclear program in response to India’s own, no super power, no sanctions, no threats, could stop it. So, NKorea says, “Hah!”
3. During the more recent events, America which has been bullying Iran (with the help of the UN and the Western European powers), has been utterly incapable of doing anything more than to scream in the direction of the Iranian president about his own program. Obviously, the threat by George Bush promising to do something about the Iran problem before his term is over did NOT help (we don’t know if Bush promise meant he “would bomb Iran to Stone Age” too just like the “threat” to Pakistan?), instead it caused the unwanted effect on North Korea, a matter of self defence.
4. North Korea is perfectly aware that for the time being, she will be safe (reminiscent of the Cold War stand off): she thinks her possession of a nuclear bomb (but she still has to develop a warhead anyway so that leaves us Western folks to kill her with KINDNESS a la Clinton!) is a means to obtain a STAND-OFF!
I do believe that the next armament race in the region (ASIA) will involve “nuclear building programs”. From a tactical point of view, it presents a good way to stop warring because nations who possess nuclear arms know that if they use it, it will be the “end” of man so there could be a stand off, as I said, is reminiscent of the COLD WAR ERA.
However, having said that, countries who will now be racing to try to adopt the same programs are vulnerable to would be dictators of the hooligan variety (I’m not saying Kim Jun II is not because we believe he is evil to his people) who will be acting more like Osama bin Laden, in other words, not from a nation-state but someone who would like to overthrow, say his own government and run the nation with a fundamentally anti-western dogma (like bin Laden).
So, in my opinion, the real danger we face today is not a direct threat from North Korea but more from terrorists, fanatics, fundamentalist groups outside the nation state who are prepared to run an ASSYMETRIC warfare (just like what’s happening in Baghdad, Kabul, Palestine, etc.) in order to get hold of THE BOMB (A or N) and use it against western civilization. And the worst danger is that they may obtain this holocaustic weapon from people or officials coming from nuclear weapons carrying nations who have NO scruples about selling them to the highest bidder.
To my mind, it is imperative for the world to engage nuclear possessing nations now particularly those who are fundamentally not Christian, before we totally alienate the moderates in their midst – we should resolve the Palestinian issue, provide food and roofs to the dispossessed (like the Muslims in Mindanao) before they breed more fanatics, pour needed economic and educational aid into Afghanistan…
America must NOT take this armament build up as a slap on their might but rather the occassion to spread democracy (truly, America might truly feel that they are sliping from the highest echelon of power down to one of ’em nuke possessing nations)and must drop the “do or die” rhetoric. Europe must definitely be one with America in this endeavour – never mind the past!
America and every other nation must now forget that the past hurt! Let’s help re-construct IRAQ, and the quicker the better…, America WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RE-CONSTRUCT IRAQ ON ITS OWN, so much bad blood has been spilled on this quite unnecessary war.
Let’s engage brain for starters and not think with our muscles!
Nelbar:
Japan’s policy toward a united Korea will be the same as its policy toward South Korea definitely. We have no problem about this unification over here. In fact, it is what the Japanese government had pushed for in joining South Korea in supplying food to the hungry North Korea in a vain hope to attract the people there to work for a unification of the two Koreas. Apparently, Kim, who acts like a prince, would not let go!
Masarap yata ang buhay niya bilang prinsipeng unano!
On the other hand, what our government worries now is how to prevent Kim from going real crazy! The unification with South Korea can wait, and will depend on the Koreans to decide for themselves and for their own benefit. We have more than enough problems of our own for our government to meddle in the affairs of other people.
In fact, the oppositions here were urging Abe today to take this opportunity to establish better ties with the Chinese, which should have a hold on NoKor.
Noel,
“Other than cowardice Japs,”
What I have to say has nothing to do with our Japanese co-commenters here or my being friends with them but a mere observation:
I take issue with that phrase because it is NOT quite true that the Japanese are cowards. It’s been known – all throughout history – that the Japanese are anything but coward. Japanese warriors and modern (WWII) troopers have proven their courage in combat, perhaps blindly, ignoramously for a lot of WWII troopers, but their actions in combat have always stemmed from raw courage.
I think it is unfair to brand Japanese with cowardice (and generally other nationals for that matter).
Thanks.
From Yahoo!® News:
Western powers dismiss Iran-N.Korea comparisons —Reuters
By Louis Charbonneau
Mon Oct 9, 10:58 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) – U.S. and European officials on Monday dismissed direct comparisons between the nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea, saying they were different problems and would require different solutions.
Western powers unanimously condemned communist North Korea’s announcement that it had completed an underground nuclear test. The West suspects Iran too wants nuclear weapons, an allegation it denies, but officials stress the differences between the two countries.
“Iran is a democracy, however odious parts of the regime may be. North Korea is a dictatorship led by a man who people don’t know very much about,” said a source in Whitehall, seat of Britain’s government.
Although President Bush has named both countries as part of an “axis of evil,” a U.S. official who declined to be named said: “North Korea is a different case … I don’t expect our strategy on Iran will change. Iran certainly won’t get put on the back burner.”
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also said as much when reporters in Brussels asked him to compare Iran and North Korea.
The United States, Germany, Britain, France, Russia and China agreed on Friday to discuss possible U.N. sanctions against Tehran for refusing to halt its uranium enrichment program, which could produce fuel for atomic weapons.
Similarly, the U.N. Security Council is expected to meet promptly to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis.
Hajo Funke, a professor of political science at the Free University in Berlin, said North Korea’s nuclear test would probably not make Iran any bolder than it already is.
“Iran has already adopted an emboldened stance with the West because it is de facto backed by Russia and China and because of its resources — that is, oil,” Funke said.
The North Korean nuclear test would similarly have no impact on the EU’s plan to pursue diplomacy with Iran by pushing the U.N. Security Council to approve an incremental series of penalties, starting with mild political sanctions, he said.
Funke said that while North Korea may have the bomb, Iran is far from that point. Intelligence reports indicate it is years away from producing a weapon, if that is what it wants.
IRAN REACTS CAUTIOUSLY
Iran’s official reaction was muted and avoided condemning North Korea by name.
“Any move that endangers the world’s peace and security is unacceptable to Iran,” said a government official who asked not to be named.
However, an Iranian diplomat close to its nuclear talks with the West said North Korea’s nuclear test could push the West to think twice about its approach to the Iranian dossier.
He even appeared to issue a veiled threat that Tehran could some day follow Pyongyang’s example, saying North Korea showed “countries can adopt various methods” to reach their goals.
Iran is a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and insists it is in full compliance with the pact. North Korea was also a signatory but withdrew in 2003 after admitting to a secret enrichment program and expelling U.N. inspectors.
Tehran has hinted it could quit the NPT, but never has.
Israeli officials were less reluctant to draw comparisons between North Korea and Iran, whose president has called for the Jewish state to be “wiped off the map.”
“Now that North Korea has proven nuclear capabilities, it is liable to collaborate with Iran, and accelerate the Iranian nuclear program,” a senior Israeli diplomat told Reuters.
North Korea is widely known to have helped Iran develop its Shahab missile program, and European and other Western intelligence sources say North Korean technicians and nuclear experts have helped to train Iranian scientists.
(Additional reporting by Sophie Walker in London, Dan Williams in Jerusalem, Mark John in Brussels, Parisa Hafezi in Tehran)
Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited.
Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Anna:
Thanks for your thoughts, but Kim should be more afraid of his fellow Koreans in the South as a matter of fact because the Koreans are a very emotional lot, but not as fanatic when moved as the Kamikazes of WWII, or an angry Chinese government. Japan, with its Hiroshima Mon Amour and Nagasaki, will definitely not try, not with our present pacifist Constitution that I, myself, would not like to be changed to accommodate Bush who has been pushing for more active participation of Japan’s Self Defense Force in Iraq.
Fortunately, we have a very strong Japan Federation of Bar Associations in Japan actively guarding the pacifist Constitution that prohibits Japan from rearming. Our lawyers here in fact have filed litigations in Japanese courts regarding the participation of Japan, though for infrastructural purpose only, in the war on Iraq.
I, myself, often join their protest rallies on this that has forced Koizumi in fact to give in and withdraw our troops in Iraq before he stepped down. Newly appointed PM Abe has not made clear his policy on Japan’s participation in these foreign wars without the Constitution being revised. Hopefully, it will not be revised despite the NoKor threat.
Cory-by-the-Sea, I share your feelings about Hiroshima. I actually counted myself lucky that I was born after the war and did not witness the horrors of war, but the ostracism and discrimination for being “Japs” was just as worse as a matter of fact, and all because of ignorance and bigotry!!!
Anna:
Itong mga pandak talaga, kunsumisyon gaya ni Kim at Ale Boba. I think it’s their way of making up for loss height! 😛
Despite its storage of WMD, I doubt if NoKor will succeed at all to conquer the world especially when you think of the millions of North Koreans starving and will be too weak in fact to fight. But the brainwashing is really amazing.
Three years ago, NoKor allowed five Japanese the North Koreans kidnapped to come home. For several months, no one could really make them talk for fear of retaliation by the North Koreans, even those living in Japan. It took several months for them to start opening up and tell of their grim experiences after being kidnapped.
However, up until now, we wonder why the North Koreans would want to kidnap Japanese nationals, even children who have nothing to do with politics like a son of a member of our church in fact that his parents now believe must have happened to him. The boy got lost when he was 9 and that was about 20 years ago.
Kakatakot talaga to be leaving the idiots, perverts, etc. to run the government. Bakit hindi iyan makita ng mga bobo ding bumoboto sa mga ungas na katulad ni Ale Boba. But these are in fact signs of the times!
Yuko,
That’s why I don’t believe that there is a direct or immediate threat from NOKOR.
The danger of all this nuclear proliferation is that some madman from outside the nation state gets it in head that he WOULD LIKE TO be the next Hitler…
Abe has made his statement regarding Japanese rearmament. No atomic bomb despite Japan’s capability.
Yup, Japan has a fairly good supply of Plutonium to make several bombs, but it is not producing any WMD despite the NoKor threat.
Our nuke plants are said to be only for the sake of science and benefit of mankind, not their destruction. Companies, etc. breaking the rule are fairly brought to justice like a company that has been selling pilot-less helicopters to China that can be “diverted to weapons of mass destruction.”
It is not cowardice. It is showing more wisdom and maturity!
Brrrrrrr! Nakakatakot!
Anna, he’s talking of some attack on NoKor, too, that is included in the Axis of Evil. The wannabe Hitler in fact has been hinting on this, and giving Japan wrong info about some missiles fired at Japan by NoKor that our military could not confirm until this underground test that was felt like an earthquake during Abe’s visit to South Korea and when they confirmed what happened, he and the Korean president were in fact the first ones to protest against it.
So who says that the South Koreans are not protesting against their own brothers who are also their own enemies? More than the Japanese, in fact, the South Koreans have all the reasons to quiver and get ready for a sudden attack by their northern brothers.
Give a mad man a gun, and he will go on a killing spree!
Give a crazy lapdog the ability to say a few words,
and she attacks everyone with a growl.
Samantala, np-ungko has disappeared for a while [maybe?!] and is busy licking his bahag….Nahila kasi, eh!
Doon naman sa blog ni mlq3, may nag-aalburuto rin na gusto daw niyang MAKITA ang CONTINUITY (Gloria’s continuity, I presume)…
There are rabid, die-hard Gloria fanatics out there prepared to “nuke” those who won’t buy Gloria’s putrid governance.
In the NEWS: Japanese reporters interviewed Chinese and SouthKoreans living near the NoKor territorial lines and all of them are worried about the radiation level
which might affect their own livelihood. So far, none was detected…..but who knows?
Anna,
Just like the other day, I think….
Merong parang nagmo-MONOLOGUE sa blog ni mlq3.
Parang iisa lang yung poster, iba-iba nga lang ang handle.
Taipan,
“Merong parang nagmo-MONOLOGUE…”
Nakita ko na iyan sa ibang blog din! Hahaha!
Vic,
I agree – “Open a dialogue with North Korea. That is what she’s asking in the first place. Deal with its economic issues, and if possible resolve the armistice treaty that has not formally ended the Korean War.”
Alitaptap,
“The only salvation of man is change of heart of madmen.”
How true!
North Korean leader, Kim, is a MADMAN ON THE LOOSE who lacks attention. That’s the last thing this world needs now–a MADMAN with his finger on the button!
From New York Times :
Angry China Is Likely to Toughen Its Stand on Korea
By JOSEPH KAHN
Published: October 10, 2006
BEIJING, Oct. 9 — China’s punctilious Foreign Ministry reserves the word hanran, which translates as brazen or flagrant, for serious affronts to the nation’s dignity by countries that have historically been rivals or enemies.
When the previous Japanese prime minister visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which China condemns as honoring Japan’s World War II-era militarism, he was described as “brazen.” When the United States bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999, Beijing called that act “flagrant.”
North Korea, a longstanding ideological ally, has had increasingly testy relations with China in recent years. But it was not until Monday, moments after North Korea apparently exploded a nuclear device, that China accused it of a “brazen” violation of its international commitments.
The wording is just one indication that a nuclear test would cross a red line for China, which has devoted years of painstaking diplomatic effort, and staked its delicate relationship with the United States, on the premise that it could deliver a peaceful, negotiated solution to the nuclear standoff with North Korea.
That policy, Chinese analysts say, seems to have failed, and North Korea’s action leaves Beijing little choice but to take a tougher approach. But Chinese leaders still see highly punitive sanctions as unpalatable and counterproductive, and the country’s elite remains sharply divided over how far to distance China from its neighbor, and how closely to embrace the Bush administration, several senior Chinese foreign policy experts said.
“Hanran” has been applied to North Korea for the first time. But Japan and the United States, which favor the sharpest response to North Korea’s test, have been “hanran” for years.
“China is disappointed and angry and will be willing to support stronger sanctions,” said Jin Canrong, a foreign policy expert at People’s University in Beijing. “But I think that is different from saying there will be a drastic change. It is still a question of the right balance.”
The reason there is unlikely to be a major policy change, Mr. Jin and other experts here said, is that North Korea has sharply increased tensions without fundamentally changing China’s calculation of its national interests.
Its priorities remain, first and foremost, promoting internal economic development, the key to longevity for the ruling Communist Party. China’s cautious, authoritarian leaders concluded long ago that generating high growth in its gross domestic product required a benign relationship with the world’s major powers, secure borders and open markets — in a word, stability.
China would like to achieve a denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula but has shown few signs of accepting war or a forced change of government as an acceptable way to achieve that goal.
“The core of the issue is not nuclear weapons,” said Shen Dingli, a leading security expert at Fudan University in Shanghai. “The core of the issue is peace and stability. That is still strongly in China’s interest.”
While China has begun to think like a big power in some respects, its foremost strategic priority has been reclaiming Taiwan, or at least preventing the island from becoming formally independent of mainland China.
Conflict in North Korea or the toppling of Kim Jong Il’s government there could upset both of those goals, Chinese analysts say. A war is viewed as the worst outcome, potentially creating a wave of refugees into China and even risking a broader engagement that could threaten the extended period of harmony in Northeast Asia.
Even peaceful change in North Korea could bring a new pro-American government to China’s northeastern border as it faces continuing uncertainty over how to handle the pro-American government in Taiwan, off its southeastern coast.
“China must continue to look at North Korea through the prism of Taiwan,” Mr. Shen said. “You cannot expect China to abandon its ally completely while America continues to back Taiwan and allow the independence movement to thrive there.”
But analysts say it also cannot afford to alienate the United States, and Beijing has recently taken steps to repair its frayed relationship with Japan. Those ties may well depend on moving to punish North Korea for its nuclear test, and at least experimenting to see if firm pressure on North Korea will bring it back to the bargaining table.
China provides, by some estimates, 70 percent of North Korea’s fuel and food and could almost certainly create severe economic hardship there by slowing shipments across its long, barren border.
In addition, China has joined the United States in seeking to crack down on North Korean counterfeiting of American dollars and Chinese yuan, as well as on the use of Chinese banks to launder profits from illicit North Korean exports of drugs including amphetamines. Tighter financial sanctions could further deprive North Korea of already scarce hard currency.
The question is how far down that path China can go, to maintain its cooperation with the Bush administration without foreclosing the possibility of luring North Korea back to negotiations.
“China has tried to persuade North Korea that talking with the outside world is in its interest,” said Zhang Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Central Party School, a research organization in Beijing run by the Communist Party. “Now China will have to demonstrate that there is a price to pay for ignoring that advice.”
Mr. Zhang said North Korea’s announcement amounted to a slap in the face for China. Even if the goal remains a negotiated solution, he said, China must first show that it is prepared to take a much tougher line before North Korea will bargain in earnest.
Susan L. Shirk, a State Department official responsible for East Asia during the Clinton administration, said she believed that the nuclear test could prove to be a turning point for China’s approach to the problem. It will, she said, force China to choose between North Korea and a United States-led international consensus rather than split the difference between the two.
She said the timing of North Korea’s announcement — the day after President Hu Jintao was visited by Japan’s new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and said they had made progress repairing troubled relations — also underscored the stakes for China’s leadership.
“If they do not act strongly they could undo what they have worked to achieve with Japan, while also seriously straining relations with the U.S.,” she said. “North Korea has really boxed them in.”
Even so, many Chinese analysts still view North Korea as a strategic asset. It may be irresponsible and unruly, but it belongs more to China than to the United States. Sacrificing an ally to help achieve America’s goals of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons may require a much stronger consensus within the Chinese elite.
“I do not believe that Chinese leaders are willing to expend major political capital on this issue,” Mr. Jin of People’s University said. “They would much prefer to follow the consensus. At the moment there is a heated debate, but no consensus of that kind.”
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
* * * * * * * *
International Herald Tribune
For China, test comes as diplomatic affront
By Joseph Kahn The New York Times
Published: October 10, 2006
BEIJING China’s punctilious Foreign Ministry reserves the word “hanran,” which translates as brazen or flagrant, for serious affronts to China’s national dignity by countries that have historically been rivals or enemies.
When Japan’s recently retired prime minister visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which China condemns as honoring Japan’s World War II-era militarism, he was described as “brazen.” When the United States bombed China’s embassy in Belgrade in 1999, Beijing called that act “flagrant.” North Korea, a longstanding ideological ally, has had increasingly testy relations with China in recent years. But it was not until Monday, moments after it said it had exploded a nuclear device, that it was accused of a “brazen” violation of its international commitments.
Wordplay is just one indication that the test crossed a not-so-informal red line for China, which has devoted years of painstaking diplomatic effort, and staked its sensitive relationship with Washington, on the promise that it could deliver a peaceful, negotiated solution to the nuclear standoff.
That policy, Chinese analysts say, has failed, and the test leaves Beijing little choice but to take a tougher approach toward its neighbor. But Chinese leaders still see the most punitive sanctions as unpalatable and counterproductive, and the country’s elite remains sharply divided over how far to distance itself from Pyongyang and how closely to embrace the Bush administration, several senior Chinese foreign policy experts said.
“Hanran” has been applied to North Korea for the first time. But Japan and the United States, which favor the sharpest response to North Korea’s test, have been “hanran” for years.
“China is disappointed and angry and will be willing to support stronger sanctions,” said Jin Canrong, a foreign policy expert at People’s University in Beijing. “But I think that is different from saying there will be a drastic change. It is still a question of the right balance.” The reason, Jin and other experts here said, is that North Korea’s test has sharply escalated tensions without fundamentally changing China’s calculation of its national interests. Beijing would like to achieve a denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but has shown few signs of accepting war or regime change as an acceptable way to achieve that goal.
“The core of the issue is not nuclear weapons,” said Shen Dingli, a leading security expert at Fudan University in Shanghai. “The core of the issue is peace and stability. That is still strongly in China’s interest.” Beijing’s priorities remain, first and foremost, promoting internal economic development, the key to longevity for the ruling Communist Party.
China’s cautious authoritarian leaders concluded long ago that generating economic growth requires a benign relationship with the world’s major powers, secure borders, and open markets – in a word, stability.
While China has begun to think like a big power in some respects, its foremost strategic priority has been reclaiming Taiwan, or at least preventing the island from becoming formally independent of mainland China.
Conflict in North Korea or a toppling of Kim Jong Il’s regime could upset both of those goals, Chinese analysts say. A war is viewed as the worst outcome, potentially creating a massive wave of refugees into China and even risking a broader engagement that could threaten what has been an extended period of harmony in Northeast Asia.
But peaceful change in North Korea could conceivably bring a new pro- American government to China’s northeastern border, even as Beijing faces continuing uncertainty over how to handle the pro-American government in Taiwan, off its southeastern coast.
“China must continue to look at North Korea through the prism of Taiwan,” Shen said. “You cannot expect China to completely abandon its ally while America continues to back Taiwan and allow the independence movement to thrive there.” Equally, however, China cannot afford to alienate the United States, analysts say. It has also recently taken steps to repair its frayed relationship with Japan. Those ties may well depend on moving to punish North Korea for the nuclear test and at least experimenting to see if firm pressure on Pyongyang brings it back to the bargaining table.
China provides by some estimates 70 percent of Pyongyang’s fuel and food needs, and could almost certainly create severe economic hardship there by slowing shipments across its long, barren border.
China has already joined the United States in seeking to crack down on North Korean counterfeiting of U.S. dollars and Chinese yuan, as well as the use of its banks to launder profits from the illegal drug trade. Tighter financial sanctions could further deprive Pyongyang of already scarce hard currency.
The question is how far down that path China will need to go to maintain its cooperation with the Bush administration without foreclosing the possibility of luring the North back to negotiations at some point.
“China has tried to persuade North Korea that talking with the outside world is in its interest,” said Zhang Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Central Party School, a party-run think tank in Beijing. “Now China will have to demonstrate that there is a price to pay for ignoring that advice.”
Zhang said the test amounted to a slap in the face for China. Even if the goal remains a negotiated solution, he said, Beijing must first show that it is prepared to take a much tougher line before Pyongyang will bargain in earnest.
Copyright © 2006 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved.
Anna,
I was the one who posted that in mlq3’s blog.:roll:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Nuclear the clock inside the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was reset yesterday, and it is counting the seconds, the minutes, and the hours….the day since the LAST NUCLEAR activity eas launched. Group Protests have been seen in Tokyo and Hiroshima as well.
This shd. read.:
Meanwhile, THE NUCLEAR CLOCK inside the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was reset today, and it is counting ….
……….FROM the day since the LAST NUCLEAR activity WAS launched.
Ah sorry, Taipan – thought it was alitaptap!
Cory-by-the-sea,
Hindi pa nila ma-detect ang radiation level dahil hindi naman sila pinapayagang magpunta doon sa testing site. At saka parang Pandora’s box ang ginawa. Natakpan ng lupa but once they dig there, they will know.
Meron lugar sa Utah near Nevada na pinagte-test ng nuke bombs. Tapos without the government acknowledging the hazards of such testings until late, ginawang subdivision iyong area na iyon. Tubig, lahat contaminated. 70 to 90 percent of the residents contracted cancer kaya nag-alisan, mura tuloy ngayon ang price ng property doon. Ibinebenta sa mga walang alam.
This is in fact the reason why I am not interested in buying properties in Nevada kahit na booming daw.
I’m presently waiting for a call from my anti-war activist friends re protest rallies at Harajuku against this NoKor and other nuke testings!
Cory-by-the-sea,
Pilya ka rin ha! Ungko? 🙂 Yeah! Tamang-tama!
Ellen,
Thanks for the warhead stockpiling report by AP.
I also recommend Jane’s of http://www.janes.com/defence which usually has a more accurate record on the defence stockpile and weapons of aggression proliferating around the world.
But I think one has to be a paying subscriber to access its reports.
Jane’s is the armament “bible” of the armed forces around the world.
Concerning the effects of nuke bomb tests – I recently watched a movie titled ‘Hills have eyes.’ This movie shows the effects on people who continued to stay or live near the area where the nuke test was done. Am not sure if it was based on true story though. The people became beasts in both looks and characters. The effects were not immediate, but as children grew up, they develop into different kind of being.
Re: “The effects were not immediate, but as children grew up”
I will agree that there is a great risk of physical deformation in children with nuclear radiation (not counting diseases).
In Provins, a town outside Paris, there is a nuclear power plant…
The medieaval town is still set in medieval fashion – beautiful in its simplicity but when you go out of the old center to the more rural area or nearby the nuclear power plant, one is astonished to find that there are NO big trees and that the grass is somehow not longer or thicker than in other areas outside Provins.
That was my first reaction when I first visited Provins. We visited a house for sale with a clean creek at the back – normally, creeks contain some form of living creatures and often, you find fish but not there.
But there are people living around the plant – a huge housing complex had been set up for the employees of the plant. There’s commercial activities but I am wary.
The French authorities and engineers say there’s no risk whatsoever… I told myself that until I find trees in abundance in that area and flowers blooming all over or fishes in that creek, I would never buy property in Provins no matter how I love it…
Re Diego’s “puny rodent roars!”
What this punggok rodent doesn’t realize is she’s turning Pinas into a North Korea in terms of hunger.
Imagine parang NORTH KOREA na sa Pinas: 26 million people live on 36 PESOS a day (50 Euro cents!!!!!) Talagang gutom sila habang itong si Fatso ay TUMATABA at si Gloria PUNGGOK at taba nga taba sa nakaw!
Hindi na nahiya itong si Mike Arroyo Jose Pidal y Ganid na Baboy!
Hala! Pataba siya ng pataba sa nakaw samantalang 26 million people ang GUTOM!
Nasaan iyong 700+million pesos na ninakaw niya na intended for the poor farmers?
Ninakaw niya through Joc-joc para TUMABA silang mag-asawang BABOY! And then she roars against North Korea?
As Neal Cruz said, Gloria is “like a Chihuahua who think’s she’s a Doberman!”
Pakagat ko kaya siya sa aso ko pag pumunta siya dito uli?
Anti-Bush so watch your head.
Sorry I really can’t join in the discussion for now, but please sombody, save me a cake.
Nakakatakot talaga ba itong si Kim Jong Il? Pwede ba nating sisihin si Bush in this case? Bush placed NoKor in the axis of evil speech, and then right after he went to the Iraqi expedition, Kim Jong Ill withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Isipin natin paano manguarta si Bush at kanyang mga gutom na kaibigan. Hindi pwedeng world peace ang hinahanap ng Bush. Ang piso ko equals $1US if bumait si bush. Nuclear Arms race, that’s how they will make money. And of course the this Star Wars defence or Missile Shield program. Top sales man nito si Bush, but it is so bogus. Remember the first gulf war, the patriot missile and scud missile. Not one patriot missile hit any scud missile. US are starting to sell this program to be payed by the world. Just remember that is all BS.
Peace talks.
We are in sh*t folks, if we rely on Bush for peace talks. China is Nokor’s closest friend. That is just sad if our last hope rely on China. Maybe, there is some more help coming, just be positive.
Anna:
During the International Criminal Tribunal for Afghanistan held in Tokyo, a child born with defect was brought to Japan by his father as a witness. The mother died after giving birth to the child who was like an underdeveloped fetus when he came out. He was born with swollen eyeballs, but amazingly the child survived with all the defects. He is practically blind with the eyes that resembled the nose of Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer because the eyes are flaming red.
When I saw him, I cried, and wondered why God would not get him back sooner and stop his suffering for he was constantly in pain. On the other hand, maybe, it is to remind us of the cruelty of men to their kind. A Canadian Institute in fact has categorized him as a DUD casualty!
I’ll look for his picture and send it to the barkada for you guys to see the effect of these DUDs on unborn children. You may also try to visit the albasrah site for pictures of children born with similar defects in Iraq.
The others I saw at the refugee camps were mostly limbless and legless due to the land mines in Afghanistan.
The opportunity presented itself, for all those lovers of peace and order, among other things. This is a global concerned and not only the USA. Everyone got a lot to lose, if ever happen. Don’t wait for Great Man President George Bush to take the lead, why not all the countries to step up to the plate, most especially all the Asian Nations to condemn such act of obvious aggression. United Nation didn’t do shit all these years to stop Kim, and they’ve known it for years now we are on the eleventh hours. How about illegitimate Gloria, does she have the balls? I mean balls. How about Japan, are they waiting for the USA to do something like other nations? Or the people of Japan are ready to evacuate to go to USA, in a safe, secured location and abandon Japan?
Armageddon little premature?
“This is a global concerned and not only the USA. ”
I agree!
Schumey: The first country to use bomb against another was the US. It dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. Why did she have to do this when the Japanese were already losing the war? So I agree, that explains why the Japs today are scared about the Nokor’s nuke. I didn’t call the Japs chickens. If I did, I would have called them chicks. Nelbar was also correct in saying that the Japs only think about themselves and not the neighboring countries. For a country that was once so ambitious as to attempt to invade the whole Asia and control it, they certainly know how it is to threaten or be scared.
npongco:
What do you have against Americans? Must you keep reminding your audiences about Hiroshima? I will say it to you also, since I was told my historical facts is in error. Something to that effect. You didn’t know the truth behind the decision to drop AB. NOKOR I would like to hear from you, clear and present danger.
Tribune headline said: “RP ‘within striking distance’ of Nokor’s nuclear test
10/11/2006
President Arroyo yesterday said Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions have put freedom at risk and the Philippines “within striking distance” of a North Korean nuclear weapon as she described the reported atomic bomb testing as a “Damocles sword” threatening the entire region.”
This reminds me of the time I had a nightmare after some school drill when Red China attacked then Formosa (now Taiwan), and we were frightened by silly talks about the possibility of China invading also the Philippines. Now, I realize that it was most stupid.
North Korea is far, far away from the Philippines, longer flight time I guess than when you travel to Manila from Tokyo. So, what is this idiot of a bogus president saying that Manila is also under threat. Is it because she has allowed the US to build up a base in the Philippines in secret for the North Koreans to try to fire a rocket toward the US base in the Philippines as well? Gaga talaga! Halatang nang-aagaw ng eksena ang ungas!
Ngayon pang galit na rin ang China dahil masasayang ang preparation nila para sa Olympics kung aarya iyong isa pang punggok na naka-elevator shoes!
toney, in the documentary film in History channel, the u.s. reasoned out they dropped the bomb to stop the war immediately cause russia is planning to join the war in asia.
“Gaga talaga! Halatang nang-aagaw ng eksena ang ungas!”
Hihihih! Tawa ako sa description ni Yuko kay punggok na kambal ni Kim Jong II (padala na lang kaya si Gloria sa Pyongyang para makipaglaro siya sa kapway niya punggok na si Kim!)
Anyway, just as the conflict in Basra might help the Republican Party in the US, this Pyongyang drama might boost their chances at victory this Novemmber despite Congressman Foley’s sexual folleys.
Ellen says in her column: “It’s the height of Arroyo’s delusion to think that Kim Jong Il will waste his most prized weapon on the Philippines. Doesn’t Arroyo know that Kim Jong Il only takes on the biggies (Ex: George Bush)? He is not known to waste time on fellow pygmies.”
You bet, Ellen, Kim is not fond of fellow pygmies! Baka sabi pa niya, “Philippines? Where is that?”
Naku naman, let’s not insult our pygmie brethren – the Aetas! Kawawa naman sila – nananahimik na sa bundok, tapos i-compare pa natin kay punggok…
O sige, Punggok na lang!
BTW, Ellen, did you know that there are Filipinos working in Pyongyang, too? This I heard from a journalist who covered the visit of Koizumi there a year or two ago to negotiate for the release of Japanese kidnapped by the North Koreans these past 20 or 30 years. I wonder how they have managed to go there with the ban about travel to North Korea. Bilib ka rin sa mga pinoy, ha? Basta pera kahit delikado at lumabag ng batas!
Toney, allow me to call you Amman instead of Amboy or what since you sound like a man anyway. So, what about Hiroshima? Are you saying America dropped it by mistake thinking it was a Berlin? What’s the truth and true story behind the Hiroshima bombing? Can you erase it from the history that thousands and even millions of Japanese civilians were killed and are still suffering from health up to this day? What do I have against the Americans? Perhaps a better question to ask is what do Americans have against the world? Why they keep meddling and interfering in other countries’ political and economic affairs? Why the double standard? Why the inconsistency? Why the hypocrisy? Why the arrogance? Why the bullying tactics?
Ha! ha! Ha! I like Ate Glue’s joke to North Korea! For the first time, baka mapansin siya and our country. I think Ate Glue should try harder, hanggang sa ma-irritate si Kim Jong at makaisip na patahimikin siya. Sabad-sabad lang!
kung gagayahin ni glu ang hairdo ni kim, baka pansinin pa siya nun at doon sila magpompyangan sa pyongyang sa underground testing site.
npongco:
I can only advise you. With all due respect, with the strongest suggestive term, you may not call me anything but my name given to this blog. Amman, I not. My Pop and Mom was way ahead of you. Thank you!
npongco;
Furthermore, the talking point if you can believe that, just look above your screen. It will say, “North Korea Joins Nuclear Club”, and it’s not about the Americans. Wait for Ellen to provide you with such subject about the Americans, then you can pull the triggers with both barrels. What say you?
Valentin says:
in the documentary film in History channel, the u.s. reasoned out they dropped the bomb to stop the war immediately cause russia is planning to join the war in asia.
nponco says:
the Japanese were already losing the war?
Me and my info says:
The Japanese were actually surrendering before the Bombs Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The US Truman was flexing his muscles to show off the russians. However, Eisenhower then general were so much against any use of the atomic bomb.
bye for now
Labu-labo na rin dito. Wala pa ngang post dito si Jun. Again for the record, ako rin boto na mawala sa puwesto si GMA at lahat ng mga kasamahan niya. Pero sa nakikita ko dito, tila nagkakatotoo yung obserbasyon at kantyaw ng maka-administration na hindi magkasundo ang mga oposisyonista. Nagkakasundo nga kung ang topic ay si GMA, pero pag napunta na sa ibang topic, sila-sila na ang nagsasabunutan (napasama na rin ako). Mukhang karamihan naman ay mga intelehenteng tao. Ang daming alam sa kahit ano halos topic. Pero mukhang malayong magkaisa. Good luck na lang.
Me and my own opinion also says the reason why the U.S. decided to drop the bombs, even without the knowledge of then Supreme Commander of the Pacific Theatre, and against the enemy losing the battles in every ground was to avoid landing an invading troops against the ever proud and courageous Imperial loyalist who would not surrender, unless ordered by the Emmperor. And one more thing Vengeance.
Humirit na naman si ungko! Calling the Japanese “japs”….
Mahirap makaintindi ang mga dugong aso! Really!
I remember in Garde 4, my teacher told us this:”Growing up children knows what is right and what is wrong.”
Itong si ungko, hindi alam ang tama sa mali. Lasa ko, hindi rin ito lumaki, gaya ni glue…kulang na kulang sa kaalaman at pasiklab lang.
vic says: “Me and my own opinion also says the reason why the U.S. decided to drop the bombs, even without the knowledge of then Supreme Commander of the Pacific Theatre, and against the enemy losing the battles in every ground was to avoid landing an invading troops against the ever proud and courageous Imperial loyalist who would not surrender, unless ordered by the Emmperor. And one more thing Vengeance. ”
Right on, man!
Toney, of course I know the topic here is about Nokor’s joining the nuke club. But, can you exclude the US from any discussion about nuke? The US is the most vocal and noisiest these days. Look at how Bush tries to contact the six party nations. He sounded like begging China and the rest to make a tougher stand. And who started testing nuke anyway? Wasn’t it the US who first tested it? Why is she bitching now?
As usual, nanggugulo lang! Who says that the intelligent members of this blog quarrel with one another? On the contrary, they are united and blogging in unison elsewhere likewise, even by private mails. Iyong mga mukhang nag-aaway isa o dalawang tao lang iyan na may iba’t ibang pangalan kaya akala mo madami sila.
Galit na galit nga kasi hindi niya magawang mabuhay ang resolve ng marami dito lalo na iyong parang mga Three Muskeeters as in One for All, All for One!
I remember similar tactic in a forum many years back called “Philippine News.” I was new in such kind of blogging although I had been internetting as early as 1993 when I first bought a PC after graduating from word processors. Boy was I shocked when someoone warned me about making “patol” to one and the same person I thought I was defending not realizing that he/she was the same person, both male and female blogging under various names. Worse was when you give your private addy to this Internet Brigader and he/she sneaks in viruses, bugs and worms. Wham! Sira ang PC.
Fortunately, when Microsoft released Windows95, I decided to upgrade my PC myself by disassembling it and upgrading the motherboard so I could easily upgrade to Windows95. I also read a lot of computing books that I preferred doing than go to some computer sit-ins. E di natoto! In short, I even learned to fix computers.
On the other hand, despite my disgust with those Internet Brigaders that I did not realize at that time was there to mind set the Filipinos, including those overseas, to support the planned removal of Estrada conveniently tagged as EDSA 2, I made a lot of friends in that forum with whom I had worked on various advocacies for the good of the Philippines and the Filipinos. Amazingly, none of them has good opinion of the Pandak.
So, puede ba, iyong mga Internet Brigaders ni Punggok tigilan na ang pagsasabi na hindi magkasundo ang mga oposisyon, including the Silent Majority na naghihintay na lang na matanggal si Pandak!
Talo na kayo sa totoo lang. It is just in fact just a matter of time. God willing, malapit na! The day of reckoning is near, sabi nga. Kailangan lang siguro ng kunti pang pagsubok para matoto ng husto ang mga pilipino.
Halata naman na baseless propaganda lang ang pinapakalat ni Pandak. But none among us is deceived.
So who are intelligent members of this blog? You and your group are intelligent while the others are not? Such comment could only come from someone who’s sick in mind…full of arrogance!
ystakei: Ako ba ang tinutukoy mong nanggugulo? Kung sa palagay mo ay hindi blog quarrel ang Oct 10 1:35pm post ni taipan88 na addressed kay npongco, alitaptap’s mula 8:56am at mga kasunod addressed din kay npongco, at yung mga pasaring sa yo lagi ni npongco, pasensiya ka na at mali pala ang intindi ko sa salitang quarrel. Lambingan lang siguro yun.
Ako rin ba yung tinutukoy mong “galit na galit?” Nasaan ang proof mo dito sa thread na ito? At kung pinagbibintangan mo akong miembro ng tinatawag mong internet brigade ni GMA, magbigay ka nga ng samples ng posts ko na pruweba, hindi lang sa thread na ito, ibilang mo ang lahat ng threads sa blog ni Ellen na puede mong balikan? Kayang-kaya mo siguro yan dahil ang dating mo ay ubod ka nang galing. Halimbawa: ano ang point na banggitin mo ang gilas mo sa computers? May nagtanong ba dito kung magaling ka diyan? O sige na nga, ikaw na ang may sabi na “natoto” ka.
Kung gustong tanggalin ni Ellen ang ano mang post ko, nasa sa kanya rin yun. Kanya naman itong blog. Pero ikaw pinagsasabihan mo ang iba na tumigil na sa “pagsasabi” ng certain things. Sino ka ba?
Tanong ko naman sa yo at mga kakosa mo: Bakit panay ang banggit ninyo sa mga features ni GMA na wala naman siyang control? Gaya ng pagiging pandak niya. Marami namang dapat batikusin: pagnanakaw ng public money at election, pagpatay sa mga journalists/aktibista/etc, paggamit ng mga unconstitutional declarations, pangbu-bully ng Senate, pagsusuhol sa mga congressmen, at marami pang iba.
Sino nga ba ang “galit na galit?” Ikaw ang madalas mistulang nanggagalaiti. Recently nga nagmura ka pa! Hindi mo nga lang kinumpleto. Tapos may pa quote-quote ka pa ng Bible.
Sige ha. Pag nainis ka, talo ka na naman.
ellen and all,
sa dami ng stockpile na ‘yan ng nuclear weapons, tapos ang mundo kung hindi magkakaroon ng maganda at maayos na pag-uusap at kasunduan sa pagitan ng bawat panig. kung paiiralin ang walang kabuluhang mentalidad ng paghahari harian, malamang na dumating nang mas maaga ang prediksiyong isinasasaad sa banal na kasulatan, ” at maglalaban laban ang mga bansa”. ang tunay na delubyo mondiyal. harinawang magkaroon ng kaliwanagan ang pag-iisip ng mga pinuno ng mga bansang nabanggit na nag-iingant ng mapanganib at mapamuksang bomba nukleyar. harinawa!
….nag-iingat ng mapanganib……
i just read a news item here that it is not one but two bombs which were detonated. if this is true there may be some truth to the norwegian analysts who believe that kim is neither mad nor stupid but he is definitely a con man just like our con woman.
Front Cover Page of The Economist : January 4,2003 issue:
The Explosive Mr.Kim
Commentary: Google-YouTube and the value of social computing
By Forrester Research
Special to CNET News.com
October 10, 2006, 2:00PM PT
By Josh Bernoff and Brian Haven
Google’s purchase of user-generated video site YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock is a massive demonstration of the power of social computing.
The search giant already has the No. 3 video site, but now it will own a networking platform that makes video stickier–and better for advertisers.
To make this huge purchase worthwhile, Google must move rapidly to do three things: first, address the problem of users uploading copyrighted content; second, encourage marketers to think beyond traditional video advertisements; and third, maintain YouTube’s excellent video selection and viewing experience.
Google’s video site hosts more than 1.5 million videos, but the people who submit them are nearly invisible. By contrast, YouTube’s site lets visitors rate videos, save them as favorites, comment on them, share them, see related videos and view other users’ playlists, creating the largest and most active video community on the Web.
So that’s what Google has bought. Here’s what comes next:
• Google must solve the lawsuit problem. By itself, YouTube was vulnerable to lawsuits over hosting copyrighted content like bits of TV shows and music videos. Now those same content owners’ lawyers will take aim at Google’s cash.
To fend off these lawsuits, the company must do several things. First, it must build on YouTube’s new content ID system, which automatically identifies some copyrighted content. Second, it needs to make deals with content owners to share revenue from their uploaded content.
This is a trend that has already started; Google and YouTube have made deals with content owners from companies like CBS, Universal Music Group and Warner Music. Google should also use its other services to tighten relationships with these content owners, as it has already done with News Corp. and its MySpace.com.
• Marketers should begin to embrace social video. Marketers are already learning that they must connect with customers in the social-computing arena; online video is the latest contender. But marketers face two key challenges: the fear of associating their brands with offensive or questionable content and viewer backlash against ads that disrupt the video-viewing experience.
To address the first, Google and YouTube must develop a method to rate the offensiveness of a piece of content and then allow marketers with varying thresholds of comfort to decide what they will associate with (one possibility is that offensiveness ratings come from viewers).
To address the issue of ad backlash, Google should nurture YouTube’s recently launched brand channel concept and continue to guide marketers into a new era of video advertising where they act more like content providers than advertisers.
• Get ready for the social-video Web. The first 10 years of the Web were focused on text, graphics and pages. With broadband users popping past half of all online users, text is passe. The next generation of sites will be video-heavy, and users will be as much a part of the experience as the content. Get your ad agency’s video production folks together with your word-of-mouth marketers–they’re going to need to collaborate to invent tomorrow’s Web experience.
With its $1.65 billion purchase of YouTube, Google takes the lead in Internet video–and could be taking on a host of copyright troubles.
© 2006, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved.
Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change.
Tom, that’s what I’ve been saying…these people don’t practice what they preach. You said she quoted biblical verse and then used profanity. And you’re right…it’s been going on and on and she’s always like that. To say that she’s hypocrite is understatement. She brags about her church and the teachings they uphold; but the contents of her letters and language show the mind of a pagan. Actually, she has long been unmasked in other blogs. She’s able to act as Queen of the Blog due to Ellen’s kindness and protection from some barcada here.
To ystakei:
“…tigilan na ang pagsasabi na hindi magkasundo ang mga oposisyon…”
What? magkasundo ang oposisyon? Yes, nagkasundo sila na hindi sila magkakasundo!
Kung naka-upo pa rin si GMA, dahil na rin sa kabobohan ng ‘united opposition’
“…including the Silent Majority na naghihintay na lang na matanggal si Pandak!”
The Silent Majority patiently waits for 2010.
Who are the Silent Majority? They don’t post in this blog, nor do they visit it. They don’t join rallies.
IRAN: NUKE DISARMAMENT MUST BEGIN WITH ISRAEL
Iranian government spokesperson Gholam-Hossein Elham tells press conference ‘dismantling of nuclear arms in Middle East must begin with Zionist entity’; adds: Ban to use weapons of mass destruction should be imposed globally
Dudi Cohen
Published: 10.10.06, 11:29
Iranian government spokesperson Gholam-Hossein Elham told a press conference Tuesday that “the dismantling of nuclear arms in the Middle East must begin with the Zionist entity.”
The spokesperson added that Iran was ‘ideologically opposed’ to the use of nuclear arms.
However, North Korea’s nuclear test has prompted Iran to call on the International Atomic Energy Agency to brace itself for the possibility that all countries would seek nuclear energy for “peaceful purposes.”
Elham said the ban to use weapons of mass destruction should be imposed globally.
“A just balance would remove these (nuclear) threats, and the conquering regime from Jerusalem should be the first in the region to disarm,” he said.
Turning his attention to the North Korean nuclear test, the spokesperson said, “Iran is opposed to any use of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons. He added that Muslim and other countries would support the superpowers should they decide to disarm.
“No one will benefit from the use of nuclear weapons,” he said.
‘US should stop its double-standard policy’
Asked whether the North Korean test would be advantageous to Iran Elham said, “The root of the issue lies in the behavior and mindset of the leaders in the United States and the rest of the superpowers. Unfortunately, they are those who control the Security Council; they possess the arsenals and are taking advantage of the Council to promote their own objectives.”
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Majlis (Iranian parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told the Iranian News Agency Monday that “the only solution which can put an end to nuclear tests is collective determination of the global community to eradicate proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
“The US should stop its double-standard policy in the world; it is the only country that has resorted to the use of nuclear bombs to massacre innocent civilians and is continuing its current policy in contradiction of Article Six of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” he said.
Boroujerdi added: “If countries like Pakistan, India, North Korea and the Zionist regime kept up their nuclear tests, it is because of their non-compliance with international rules and regulations along with their non-membership of NPT.”
“The West should encourage and cooperate with countries, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, which abide by NPT protocol and conduct their activities under the supervision of IAEA in line with international rules and regulations,” he said.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3313212,00.html
Copyright © Yedioth Internet. All rights reserved.
Every country has the right to defend itself. With America’s pre-empt strike policy; the only way to counter it is to have nuke. If Iraq had the nuke, the US would not have invaded it so easily. I would like to see the day when all countries join forces and give this arrogant and big bully Uncle Sam a lesson. Time is up for them to relinquish its role as the world’s abusice Police Dog to another country. And in a few years, China would replace the US. Wanna bet?
>And in a few years, China would replace the US. Wanna bet?
magbubuno muna ang South Asian powers at East Asian powers.
Dahil sa ipinapakita ng Japan na pagkiling sa West, hindi nakakapagtaka na magtatayo ng ala-U.N./League of Nations groupings ang South Asians at Middle Eastern/Islamic Alliance.
Kailangan munang mag “Tagalog” ang mga taga South East Asia para maging malakas ito!
Isipin mo na lang na mahigit 8M na ang nagtatagalog sa labas ng bansang Islas Filipinas – iyong iba nagkukunwari pa!
npongco, mag-aral ka nang BALARILANG PILIPINO!
“magbubuno muna ang South Asian powers at East Asian powers.”
Hahahah!
Paano ba sumali sa Nuclear Club? Sana tulungan niyo ako. Ang alam ko lang kasi maging member ng CRNC (Comfort Room Nuclear Club).
artsee and all,
walang kwenta ‘yang nuclear club na ‘yan. mas nakakatakot kapag nagsanib ang pwersa ng india, pakistan, bangladesh, sri lanka, egypt, turkey, afghanistan at saudi arabia na pamumunuan ng kanilang mga natives. sasabog ang bawat kanilang malapitan. SA BAHO NG AMOY NG KILIKILI AT BUNGANGA!!!!!!!!!
anna,
ang point ko dito eh yung mga english “spokening” …
halimbawa na lang sa Silicon Valley, marami dun ang mga Bengali Indian(oooopsss, baka mag react si artsee sa mga Indyan):
karamihan sa kanila ay mga nasa sensitive posisyon, at iyong iba pa nga ay nasa conglomerates, tulad ng Citibank at IBM. Lenovo nga pala Chinese yan!
India and Pakistan could team up with Australia to rival China. And that would be the opportunity for ‘Philipinos’ to act as an agent between the two opposing powers in the future.
‘China would replace US’ scenario is a SPH proposition.
How about if I suggest in this blog for a “Luso-Iberico” power led by Brazil-Venezuela-Argentina-Chile in South-Central America? And Mexico/W.EU would act as an agent for those powers?
That’s the problem with Japan, masyado silang nagtiwala sa Amerika … lalabas pagdating ng panahon sila pala ang collaborators ng Western powers dito sa Asya!
just sharing…
I wish Bush would stop using issues like the NoKor nuke testing for his terrorist BS! Buti na lang we have better analyst to prove or unprove the claim by the North Koreans themselves that they have tested their nuke capability.
A year or two ago, the US tried to scare off Japan and South Korea by claiming that NoKor fired a missile to Japan but that it fell off the Japan Sea, but there was none recorded in the JSDF’s radar. Still, an investigation was done and it was discovered that it was a hoax. No such missile firing.
It is for this reason that Japan double checks whatever such information is received from the US. In other words, at least, over here, despite the efforts to maintain strong US-Japan relationship, the Japanese are not that stupid to lap up anything the Americans say, especially BS coming from the mad man in the White House.
Kaya kung si Bush double checked ang mga statement especially when it comes to Japan’s relationship with neighboring China, South Korea, Taiwan and Russia, lalo na si Pandak na alam naman nilang gaga. Ugali lang ng mga hapon ang hindi magpahalata ng talagang saloobin nila.
Traydor? No way! Just being wise and diplomatic!!! 😛
I just hope that this Abe would be better than the former PM. Abe should not be too close and submissive to the US. The US under Bush regime is just exploiting Japan. And unfortunately, Japan is allowing herself to be exploited. Sorry Toney, but I say the Americans under their bullish government cannot be trusted.
Artsee, kung mapapansin mo, may mga comments kang tinanggal ko dahil bastos. Sana huwag naman bastos. Wini-welcome ko dito ang talakayan, hindi ang bastusan.