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| Pyongyang drops the brick on US | | Japan and South Korea on high alert | | From B L KAK
NEW DELHI: North Korea has triggered alarm in foreign capitals with the firing of a flurry of missiles on Wednesday, July 5--yes, barely a day before the US President, George W. Bush's birthday. Was North Korea's action Pyongyang's birthday gift to Bush? Undoubtedly, Pyongyang has shocked the world.
Not an ordinary development: Test-firing a series of missiles, including a long-range missile Taepodong-2 that could strike as far as Alaska. And all this in complete defiance of international warnings. In a quick reaction, United States, Japan, Russia, South Korea and many others have deplored the action. Japan, the immediate neighbour of North Korea, has vowed to deal with the threat posed by North Korea. In fact, Tokyo has already taken several retalitatory measures that include banning the entry of North Korean ships and imposition of sanctions.
While Japan and South Korea — the two countries most affected by North’s act — are on high alert, China has urged all sides to remain calm. But Pyongyang remains defiant insisting that such launches are a matter of national sovereignty. The nation probably sees this action as a way to get attention and break the diplomatic logjam over stalled talks on its nuclear capabilities. But the firing — Pyongyang’s first since a self-imposed moratorium in 1999 — would seriously damage the prospects for talks.
Of all the countries in the region, Japan faces a huge challenge in North Korea. It has to demonstrate to the world that it would indeed honour its resolve to confront the North Korean threat. Japan has not maintained an army since the end of World War II, after the Hiroshima-Nagasaki disaster. Its new constitution is also pacifist, as Tokyo made a new beginning in 1945 with the confidence that if it does not attack anybody, nobody would harm it. Japan would have to arm itself to defend itself and its people. It should use its economic clout and international standing to pressure the North to abandon its militaristic ambitions.
North Korea has proved to be a constant obstacle to peace in East Asia. All its neighbours feel threatened by its military ambitions. The international community has tried in vain to make Pyongyang see reason. The US has refused to submit to its blackmail for talks to end the crisis, but as of now, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Still, Japan — along with US and China — must continue to apply pressure on the regime and make it understand the implications of its foolish acts. At no stage must the impression be given that the North can get away with murder. Otherwise, it would make Pyongyang bolder and encourage it to resort to more such tactics. North Korea indeed poses a clear and present danger to world peace and stability. The sooner its nuclear mess is cleared, the better for the rest of the world.
It can be said without any fear of contradiction that North Korea’s first ballistic missile test since 1998 is aimed at forcing the United States to hold direct negotiations with the isolated communist state. The launch of six missiles, including a Taepodong long-range model, illustrated North Korea’s frustration with the six-nation talks process championed by Washington. Washington would eventually have to deal directly with the unpredictable regime of Kim Jong-Il if it wanted to defuse the rumbling standoff over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
The administration of US President George W Bush rejected the previous US government’s policy of engagement with North Korea when it took office in 2001, setting the stage for five years of confrontation. The US government has been trying to mobilize six-party talks participants to put collective pressure on North Korea in the hope that the North will just throw up its hands under this pressure. This assumption already proved to be wrong.
The US stance has won support from Japan, but China and South Korea have favoured a softer line. North Korea has skillfully exploited the differences, especially between Seoul and Washington.North Korea went ahead with the missile launch to give an impression that it never succumbs to outside pressure. Analysts say North Korea’s development of its missile and nuclear programmes is driven by genuine fear of US attack, reinforced by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as well as diplomatic brinkmanship.
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