Kaplan on Korea

IN THE NEWS
Fred Kaplan provides this excellent summary of the events leading up to the North Korean nuclear test. In a different article, he lays out four possible outcomes. I'll add a fifth likely consequence: other countries, primarily from the European Union, try to take the lead on non-proliferation, where the United States has failed to effectively deter North Korea and Iran. If the Bush Administration doesn't change its strategy for dealing with nuclear aspirants like North Korea, we'll see a growing division between the US government and its allies on this question.

Comments

[d'Nile]

The rest of the world can try to do something about proliferation, but they won't have much luck. The current round of nuclear proliferation is driven by fear of US attack. There is nothing the EU can offer to reduce this risk in exchange for a rogue state halting its nuclear program.

America must take the lead on proliferation management because it is the current /cause/ of proliferation. Proliferation may never ultimately stop, but it's certainly not going to even slow down until Cheney is out of office and his doctrine of unprovoked invasion has been completely repudiated.

[J.]

Exception to the above commenter - the Austraila Group was successful in developing export controls for chemical precuror components, reducing the potential spread and proliferation of chemical warfare materials. US wasn't a driver, it was a passenger.