The Korean Crisis

American intelligence now estimates that the North Koreans might be preparting to test a nuclear weapon and in April, their main nuclear reactor was shut down, which is probably to remove spent fuel rods to process for nuclear warheads.

Now, what should we do? I do not think military action is a very good idea given how few available troops we have, and the fact that North Korea is a nation on its way out and it will die fairly soon without the need for Americans and Koreans to die.

I think that in some way, China must be forced to use leverage against the North Koreans because they are Kim Jong Il's only large trading partner. I think it would be worth trying to make the Chinese help us by telling them that unless they help us, we will apply the tariffs and quotas on Chinese textiles that many have been talking about recently. All sorts of economic leverage could be used on the Chinese given how much they rely on exports to us.

I do have to say, I really think Clinton bungled this terribly. He provided the North Koreans with almost a billion dollars worth of aid, including two light water nuclear reactors that Bush later canceled the development of, in return for dropping their nuclear program, which they flagrantly violated and used our aid to finance their nuclear program.  In effect we bankrolled their nuclear program.  This was also all after they said they were going to drop out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

It should not be surprising that the North Koreans are doing provocative things now when in the past Clinton rewarded (dare I say appeased?) them for it in the past.