The usual Republican suspects keep criticizing the Fiscal Year 2013 request for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s weapons activities account because it doesn’t keep pace with the plan, outlined in the November 2010 update to what’s known a…
Can President Obama Live Up to the Accomplishments of His Predecessors?
This article was originally published at http://www.democracyarsenal.org/ and also appeared on CNN’s Global Public Square Blog. By Nickolas Roth President Obama was recently overheard saying to Russian President Medvedev that, assuming he prevails in the election this November, he would have more flexibility to negotiate on arms control issues. In response, some Congressional Republicans have […]
North Korea Does It Again
North Korea is kind of like that rebellious child whose behavior never seems to get any better, no matter how many times they apologize and promise that they won’t ever do it again. A few days later, and you’re wondering how you ever fell for that same trick again.
Just a few weeks ago, North Korea announced announced that it would implement a moratorium on long-range missile launches, nuclear tests and nuclear activities at Yongbyon, including uranium enrichment activities, in exchange for food aid from the United States.
Whether the apparent deal was the result of a new policy adopted by Kim Jong-un after the death of Kim Jong Il, the leader who championed the North Korean nuclear program, or the negotiating prowess of Glyn Davies, the new U.S. envoy to North Korea, and others is unclear. And while this seemed like a promising development in the long history of negotiations with North Korea, experts warned us to be cautious.
The experts were correct. This time it’s because North Korea is threatening to launch a satellite in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder. Despite President Obama’s warning to refrain from “bad behavior,” North Korea has stated that it will proceed as planned.
Missile technology to launch a satellite could also be used to launch a nuclear weapon. Despite the Pyongyang’s effort to separate satellite launches from missile tests, neither Washington nor the UN Security Council sees a distinction. The North Koreans have reacted negatively to the West’s insistence that they cancel the test, with a spokesman from the Foreign Ministry saying this morning that, “We will never give up the launch of a satellite for peaceful purposes.”
President Obama made it clear that if North Korea proceeds with the test, they will be jeopardizing the food assistance they were promised by the United States earlier this month.
UPDATE 3/29: A few hours after publishing this post, the administration announced that it’s “been forced to suspend our activities to provide nutritional assistance to North Korea.”
For an examination how the deal fell apart, see Jeffrey Lewis’ take here. For an assessment of why the North Koreans thought they could get away with a satellite launch, see this article. And for an explanation of why the U.S. is no worse for trying to negotiate with the North Koreans, see Center Chairman Lt. Gen. Robert Gard’s piece here
Whatever the reasons for the likely collapse of the arrangement, it does not portend well for security and stability in the near-term, as additional North Korean missile and nuclear tests could be in the offing.
Duyeon Kim Quoted in JoongAng Ilbo on the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit
On March 28, 2012 Duyeon Kim, Deputy Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, was quoted in Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. Click here for the story or see below: [서울 핵안보정상회의] 미주 → 아시아 → 유럽 … 핵안보 이슈 전세계로 확산 [중앙일보] 입력 2012.03.28 00:48 […]
China’s Epoch Times Quotes Duyeon Kim on Nuclear Security Summit
On March 28, 2012 Duyeon Kim, Deputy Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, was quoted in the Epoch Times about the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. Click here or see below: 核安峰会乏进展 北韩继续挑衅 【大纪元3月28日报导】世界53国领袖在南韩首尔举行的核子安全高峰会今天落幕,美国总统奥巴马等领袖都呼吁采取强硬措施,对抗核子恐怖主义,但峰会避谈北韩核子威胁议题。 美国总统奥巴马(Barack Obama)2010年主持华府首届核安高峰会,将2014年之前安全贮存或销毁世界各地现有的钸与高度浓缩铀,列为会议主要目标。然而本届峰会今天闭幕时所发表的最后声明,内容却显得不痛不痒。专家认为,这意味着全球核安前途依然充满变数。 “核裂变材料工作小组”(Fissile Materials Working Group)共同主席卢翁戈(Ken Luongo)指出:“这次高峰会,我们真正需要的是多一些愿景,也就是究竟要如何从当前处境再向前迈开步伐。”这个小组由防止核扩散专家组成。 卢翁戈指出,世界各国对核子安全的承诺程度极不一致,导致峰会中提出的执行蓝图一直窒碍难行。他说:“眼前的挑战是,针对必须如何做才能防范核子恐怖主义,擘画出远大的目标。” 下届全球核安高峰会预定2014年在荷兰召开。 武器管制暨禁止扩散中心(Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation)副主任金杜妍(Duyeon […]