Is it just me, or is the CSIS’ Anthony H. Cordesman taking the North Korean “threat” just a tad too seriously?
UPI editor Claude Salhani, on the other hand, seems to be taking things in much more stride:
The North Koreans are by nature survivalists and not suicidal. And while their leader, Kim Jong Il, may well suffer from an esprit de grandeur, he nevertheless cannot ignore America’s overwhelmingly dominant nuclear arsenal. Neither can he pretend the United States would hesitate for a New York minute to obliterate the entire North off the map in the event of a launch on an American, or allied position.
North Korea was hoping to use the missile launch as a means of pressuring the Bush administration into making concessions, however that may now backfire with Washington lining up its allies in the region, stressing the importance of a unified defense. Additionally, there is little doubt that the United States will hesitate to profit from the “North Korean excuse” to consolidate its defense against China, too. Another golden opportunity will be to reinforce Taiwan’s defenses. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Read those pieces on your own.
6 Comments
I’m not sure Cordesman is to be taken seriously as a commentator, as opposed to the relatively reliable reporter he used to be. He spends several column inches sounding the klaxon regarding the threat posed by the NORKS, but then concludes by castigating the Bush administration for not demonstrating that such threat really exists:
Anyone who is as confused or has such an apparent political bias doesn’t as Cordesman doesn’t really derserve an audience.
Be careful about minimizing the “threat” from North Korea. It makes it much harder to blame Clinton for allowing that “threat” to grow during his tenure. After all, if there really is no threat to the US, or if that threat is being exaggerated, then how can Fox News talking heads lay all the blame at Slick Willie’s doorstep for something that doesn’t exist?
I liked the comment he made about Japan and South Korea being close allies. I guess he hasn’t heard of Dokdo yet.
GI Korea—I think he was referring to Japan and South Korea being close allies of the United States. In which case was would be ignorant about only one of the two countries he named.
I love the fact that the government knew about the missile date but never told the Maritime industry or Aircraft that fly through that sector. Could have been flight 007 all over again. The Lexus liberals here in South Korea really know how to manage the relationship.
With Few N. Korea Facts, a Rumor Got Launched
A warhead found in Alaska?
http://www.latimes.com/busines.....-headlines