North Korea threatens war if Seoul enforces sanctions

Pyongyang has threatened war if South Korea joins the UN mandated sanctions in response to the October nuclear test. On the surface, this seems provacative and suggestive that hostilities would resume if the South participates in the sanctions. However, North Korea has a long and predictable history of posturing in response to potential economic damage.

The so-called "Sunshine Policy" of former South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung called for an opening of communication and economic partnerships with their Stalinist friends to the North. Current South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun has continued Kim's engagement strategy which has manifested itself most evidently in the Kaesong Industrial Complex. The Kaesong project is a joint manufacturing facility located on the northern side of the DMZ. President Kim's Sunshine ambitions could be foiled if the South participates in the UN sanctions. The Sunshine Policy has been a failure if success is measured by the North's willingness to dismantle its nuclear program.

Former US President Bill Clinton attempted a diplomatic end to the North's nuclear ambition in 1994 with the Agreed Framework. The Framework provided for light-water nuclear reactors for civilian power generation in exchange for the decommissioning of heavy-water (weapons capable) reactors. The attempted engagement by the United States resulted in a decline of regional security because, quite simply, the North failed to deliver on their side of the agreement, while the US still provided the light-water technology.

The current Pyongyang threat mimics the ongoing strategy of North Korea to use fear as a means to get what it wants. Seoul is faced with a critical decision, the results of which will determine the future of the North Korean regime. If Seoul caves (as they usually have) to the North's threat, then Kim Jong-Il would have effectively proven that threats and posturing will work in influencing Seoul. On the other hand, if the South decides to adhere to the UN mandate, then Kim-Jong-Il will have two choices: return to the six-party talks and disarm its nuclear program or launch an attack on the South.

Although possible war is a horrible extention of foreign policy, the alternative is that North Korea will have effectivly bypassed the UN sanctions and will still be able to continue developing nuclear weapons technology. It would be best for Seoul to press Pyongyang now, while the North's nuclear program is in its infancy, rather than wait until later when the threat of nuclear strikes increases to a dangerous level.

Sun Tzu said in his Art of War, attack when your enemy is at its weakest. The North Korean regime could be at a breaking point. The important straw for this East Asian camel will be if Seoul decides to call the North's bluff and agree to the enforcement of UN sanctions. If Seoul does not have the courage to fight now, the result will be a strong and nuclear armed North with an eye towards Tokyo, Seoul and even Beijing.

War Crimes, Journalists and Marines

When I entered the military in 2002, I had previously worked as a contract photojournalist for Reuters News in Texas. The military maintains a love-hate relationship with journalists and even after I was commissioned a Lieutenant, I endured occassional snide remarks from fellow soldiers about my former employment. The comments were rarely directed at me personally, however the bulk of the remarks concerned shooting journalists (usually in a joking manner) or keeping them off the battlefield.

War journalism has a long and important history in modern democracies. The famous image of Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima served as an important motivator for the war effort at home. The photos and film from the Nazi camps served to galvanize the public against the threat of future atrocities. Images from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia created an outcry of such significance as to affect US foreign policy. War correspondents serve an important function in free societies as they allow the citizens to see the results of their votes and the policies of their governments.

I don't agree with the angles presented by many journalists, especially regarding the Arab-Israeli crisis and the Iraq war, however a free press allows for counter-reports that allow educated people to make informed choices concerning their leadership.

A British inquest ruled today that US Marines intentionally targeted and shot British journalist Terry Lloyd during the opening days of the Iraq invasion. Based on my own investigation and a careful analysis of the different reports, I must conclude that some rogue Marines probably did intend to kill the journalist. I have served with members from each of the US Armed Forces and I know the "party-line" and I also know the attitudes involved. For me, a former Army officer to suggest that the US Marines are guilty of a war crime in this instance is difficult. I served with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that exhibited extremely high standards in their professional and personal lives. However, I also served with troops that were essentially ignorant, Bud Light-drinking rednecks or crack dealer ghetto thugs.

The responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of the US military to prosecute the Marines in question and strip them of their right to call themselves Marines. If one wants to wear the uniform, they must adhere to the highest standard. In Officer Candidate School, our motto was, "Standards, No Compromise." It's time that we stop compromising and start demanding honor from anyone who would wear the uniform.