The Threat Called North Korea
Nearly a year ago, George W. Bush first labeled Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, as the "axis of evil." So why then have we heard so much about how Iraq is such a threat to U.S. national security, and hardly a word about North Korea? There is no doubt in America's mind or in anyone else's outside of Baghdad that Sadaam Hussein is a menace to society. He's both a threat to his own people and to the rest of the world. He has broken sanction after sanction; and received nothing more then a smack on the hand for it. Meanwhile, with the world's view pointed in Iraq's direction, and Iran trying not to anger anyone, North Korea has decided to try to steal some of the limelight. Always a problem, and sometimes referred to as a "rogue-state," North Korea is stirring up quite a mess in Washington, and the worry is well warranted. For the following reasons North Korea has become more of a threat than Iraq: For their development of nuclear technology, their willingness to sell weapons to the highest bidder, their disregard for several treaties, and their emerging capabilities to hit the continental U.S. with a nuclear tipped missile. North Korea has proven time and time again that they are more then
While Saddam has been accused of murdering several thousands of his own people, Kim Jong Il has been accused of almost every human rights violation there is. Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, describes Kim Jong Il as "...a sociopath that rules the most Stalinist, oppressive state in the world" (Woodruff). Reportedly the North has about 200,000 people in prison camps where people die everyday from bad conditions, to chemical weapon testing, or just plain murder (Niksch). Guards are given recognition for killing inmates. While Kim Jong Il is busy murdering his own people and spending approximately 30-40% of the nation's gross income on the military, 2 million of his citizens have starved over the past five years. In an interview last summer with The Washington Post's Bob Woodward, the president nearly jumped out of his chair when the North Korean's name was mentioned. "I loathe Kim Jong Il!" The president wondered how the civilized world could let Kim Jong Il to starve his own people, imprison and torture his critics and their families. "It is visceral," Bush said. "Maybe it's my religion ... but I feel passionate about this." Although Iraq is making an apparent attempt at obtaining nuclear weapons, their nuclear program has been almost an afterthought ever since Israel in 1981 covertly attacked and took out Iraq's only known nuclear reactor. It is predicted if left alone Iraq could not have a fully operational nuclear reactor for almost twenty years, making North Korea the more immediate threat to U.S. national security. (Ensor) willing to sign a treaty, or agree to sanctions, and then continue on without the slightest regard to international law. On October 21, 1994, the Unites States avoided a deadly and costly showdown with North Korea by signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) along with South Korea, and Japan, a treaty that North Korea would then break only a few years later. This treaty gave North Korea a package of benefits in return for a freeze of their nuclear program. The benefits were to include: light water reactors totaling 2,000 electric megawatts and shipments of "heavy oil" to North Korea (50,000 tons in 1995 and 500,000 tons annually beginning in 1996 until the first reactor was completed and fully operational). These light water reactors are almost impossible to make weapons grade plutonium with and are to replace the reactors currently shut down which are capable of making weapon grade plutonium. North Korea's obligation in the treaty was to put a hold on all of their nuclear reactors, nuclear testing, and experimentation. The r
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Approximate Word count = 1751
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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