The Bush administration is being arbitrary again. First it labels a country a "rogue state" and part of the "axis of evil," and next it removes the country from the list. Such is the case with North Korea.
The country, infamous for human rights abuses and starving its populace, agreed to let U.N. weapons inspectors look over its nuclear facilities and eventually dismantle them. It sounds very diplomatic to take North Korea off the terrorism list when it agrees with the U.S., ridding the world of a threat to peace. However, this decision overlooks numerous factors that still make North Korea a threat to its area of the globe.
North Korea’s human rights record is atrocious. It has kidnapped Japanese and South Korean citizens and has numerous prison camps. There are no free and fair elections. There is no due process or freedom of the press. Chinese authorities collaborate with North Korea by deporting refugees back to their home country, their fates unknown but presumably resulting in death. Their "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il has a massive cult of personality. North Korea reportedly engages in brainwashing by assuring students that Kim Jong Il has sacrificed much for the well-being of all Koreans.†
North Korea finished building its first nuclear reactor more than 20 years ago, which led to a crisis in 1994 when North Korea threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The U.S. bargained with North Korea with the Agreed Framework, a pact giving light water reactors and oil in exchange for dismantling nuclear reactors and allowing inspections. However, missiles quickly became a huge issue as sanctions were placed for exchanging weapons, and the U.S. found out some missiles had a long enough range to hit Alaska and Hawaii. Talks between the two countries never yeilded an agreement and quickly degenerated as South Korea withdrew from talks in 2001. In early 2002 President Bush notoriously categorized North Korea as a part of the "Axis of Evil," a threat to world peace. In the same year, North Korea announced it would resume using nuclear facilities.
Although the nuclear facilities may be dismantled, North Korea still has an arsenal of chemical and biological weapons. Kim Jong Il saw the potential in these weapons and started the program in the 1960s. Initial biological agents were not that impressive, but North Korea reportedly has experimented with biologicals including anthrax, Korean hemorrhagic fever and the plague. Another concern to military intelligence is the possibility of missiles being used to spread disease.†
North Korea is one of the most brutal, secretive regimes in the world. It threatens all of East Asia, especially South Korea. It has not engaged in terror against the United States and most likely will not in the near future. However, Kim Jong Il has waged a war against his own people and does nothing but build up his massive army and starve out those not in his inner circle or in the military. North Korea is not a threat to us, but we must recognize that it is indeed a completely anti-democratic terrorist state.
Corgey, a political science senior, can be reached via [email protected]
