North Korean Nukes Nothing New: Diplomacy Still the Answer to Threats
News from the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation For Immediate Release - August 28, 2003
Contact: Molly Pickett 202.546.0795 ext.119
North Korea announced today during multilateral talks in Beijing that it has nuclear weapons, is prepared to test those weapons, and will soon declare itself a nuclear power. Though the statement, as reported by a U.S. official, casts a cloud over the six-way talks that run through Friday, it is not a new disclosure. Similar statements have been made before by North Koreans.
“We’ve seen these ‘tantrum tactics’ before, usually in response to a U.S. refusal to acquiesce to the North’s demands,” said Molly Pickett, Director of the Non-Proliferation Project at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “The announcement today may well have been a reaction to the Bush Administration’s rejection of a formal non-aggression agreement and the North’s continued perception of a hostile U.S. policy.”
U.S. intelligence has long speculated that Pyongyang might already possess one or two weapons, a belief shared by Bush Administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell. Though solid evidence on the North Korean arsenal is slim, the North’s actions have repeatedly shown that it may be using the threat of its nuclear weapons primarily as a bargaining tool for security assurances and economic aid.
Despite North Korea’s threats, all parties in the talks, including Russia, South Korea, the United States, Japan, North Korea, and China, appear to have agreed that further talks are in order. The bar will be set higher for each subsequent round of discussions, and the United States should come to the table with a clear commitment to a peaceful resolution of the impasse.
The Bush Administration does not want to reward bad behavior by making any premature concessions to Kim Jong Il. However, the United States must make guarantees to North Korea that it will not be attacked as part of a deal for a verifiable end to North Korea’s nuclear program.
“Diplomacy is not an all-or-nothing game,” said Pickett. “Though the tactics of the North are reprehensible, the United States should set the tone for future talks, and must take into account the even greater dangers that stand in the balance if a resolution is not found.”