Taming the next bully
The bully of the Far East is apparently convinced by the U.S. show of force in Iraq that when push comes to shove, the United States will win the battle. North Korea, identified by the Bush Administration as one of the three axis of evil, has attempted the past six months to flex its muscles. In defiance of agreements, North Korea secretly continued a nuclear weapons program. When called on it, North Korean thumbed its nose at the world by openly pulling out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, restarting its nuclear facilities and sending fighter jets to buzz a U.S. reconnaissance plane. A preoccupation with a military solution to Iraq kept the president focused on a diplomatic response to North Korea. One – that until the firepower was unleashed upon Iraq – North Korea rejected. The country held out for one-on-one negotiations with the U.S. The president wisely held to the principle that any talks should include, at a minimum, North Korea’s neighbors and Russia.
North Korea is now willing to attend talks next week with the U.S. and China. It’s a welcome signal that diplomacy can work and that North Korea understands bullies faces harsh punishment.