U.S. Policy Change on North Korea

New York Times reported on May 5th that the focus of the U.S North Korean policy is being changed from a ban on production of nuclear materials to an obstruction of exports of nuclear materials. The paper told that the U.S. is seeking international support to block North Korea from exporting nuclear materials on the assumption that it could not stop production of plutonium by the rogue state.

President George W. Bush discussed a new access to the nuclear issue at a meeting in Crawford Farm with Australian Premier John Howard on May 3rd.

The paper quoted an official as saying, “President Bush told that his major worries are coming from where North Korea`s nuclear weapons go, not from whether it holds them or not.” and concluded “This new policy of the Bush administration shows that the U.S. information agencies do not have any assurance about North Korea`s recent threat about nuclear weapons.”

So far, the administration has insisted that it would launch military attacks on the rogue state if it produces plutonium used for nuclear weapons.

The paper added the recent remarks by the U.S. government officials saying, “The administration`s policy represented by attacks on nuclear facilities since 1994 is now being given up.” Despite such reports, the Secretary of State Collin Powel argued on May 4th that America`s long-term goal is to eliminate nuclear programs of North Korea and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld still does not deny the possibility of having a war with North Korea.

Powel said, “The U.S. administration`s long-term goal is to eliminate nuclear programs of North Korea, and if the North does not give up its nuclear programs, it will not earn any international support” on NBC TV`s `Meet the Press`.

Rumsfeld said, “President Bush is on the right track and Secretary Powel is trying to put the issue on the U.N. China has been a help to us recently. Now it is time to watch what kind of option North Korea would take.” On Fox TV`s `Fox News Sunday`.

He admitted that it had some of counter-measures against the possibility of North Korea`s preemptive attacks, but without saying any detail.

President Bush reaffirmed on a theory on pre-emptive attacks saying, “America is seeking an unprecedented measure to defense itself to zero in on and exterminate its enemy before the enemy attacks” at a weekly radio address on May 3rd.

maypole@donga.com