Kim Jong Il's Defiance Continues

The North Korean government's defiance of the will of the international community against the interests of its citizens continues this week. Despite a U. N. Security Council resolution imposing punitive sanctions and enhanced monitoring of its trade activities, the communist state is apparently readying for a second nuclear test. While reports indicate that their first test was (at 1 kt of yield) certainly unimpressive, there is no guarantee that their second will not be successful.

While I clearly support diplomatic efforts to resolve this crisis peacefully, if North Korea continues its pattern of aggressive behavior, it will be increasingly difficult to do so. The events of this summer and fall demonstrate the results of several decades of dithering, postponement and appeasement on this issue. The United States, Canada and their allies need to make it abundantly clear to Kim Jong Il that we will not tolerate his possession of nuclear weapons and will use any effective means to deny him the same. This, of course, must be meant to include military action. While carrying through on this threat will be difficult given U. S. responsibilities in Iraq, even more onerous is the prospect of North Korea selling nuclear weapons or material and having these items used to attack either our citizens or those of our allies.

To monitor North Korea's nuclear testing, be sure to check out the U. S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Center. If you see an earthquake in northeast North Korea with a magnitude greater than 4.0 and a depth of 1 km or less, Mr. Il's been at it again.