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by Elizabeth Hovde, Oregonian columnist
Tuesday May 26, 2009, 10:07 PM
Up next is another compelling piece that ran on Forbes.com titled, "We have a Chinese problem, not a North Korean one."
In it, Gordon G. Chang, author of "The coming collapse of China," reminds readers that China is North Korea's primary supplier of oil, goods and food. As such, "If it weren't for the Chinese, there would be no North Korean missile program, no North Korean nuclear program and no North Korea."
Chang says the United States has to have a China policy that makes sense if it ever expects to make a difference when it comes to North Korea's desires to be a nuclear state.
"Unfortunately, the Bush White House did not take advantage of changing circumstances in Asia and was unwilling to make China choose between its future - cooperation with the United States and the international community - and its past - relations with Kim's Korea. Today, the Obama administration is making the same fundamental mistake," Chang writes. Much More
So, what is China's agenda??? We know that Iran and North Korea have had help with their missile and nuclear programs by China and Russia, and even though both countries hold a huge amount of clout within their respective borders in regard Iran and North Korea - what is the real agenda we're facing? Russia and China are not acting in good faith, something that is frequent in any Security Council Hearing of the United Nations. They consistently vote against the EU and the United States and demonstrate by actions, not words, that they are no friend to the United States. Any war, even if it's limited, would have a disastrous effect on the price of oil, and that includes war with North Korea. Russia and Iran both have a vested interest in the price of oil rising, as does Venezuela and several Arab countries - although in terms of actual power, a spike in oil prices would likely benefit Russia the most and I wouldn't put it past them to manipulate China into actions that actually benefit Russia and will place China and the United States at each others throats.
Even though our economy is tanking and China holds a substantial amount of our debt, the sword cuts both ways; The United States is China's largest trading partner, and a serious rift in our relations would have devastating effects on the Chinese economy. Another possible scenario is that if we are forced to make a preemptive strike against North Korea, what will China's demands be to avoid a catastrophic nuclear war between China and the United States? This may be a period that we lose Taiwan, bargained away as if they were just another chip on the table.
Furthermore, the IAEA, to the best of my knowledge and belief, has not commented in-depth in regard Iranian Scientists who are present for missile test launches or how far their cooperation exits in regard nuclear technology with the North. It would seem that if one country had the plans for a nuclear device that had already been tested, a similar device could be constructed that would yield the same results if another country had a copy of the detailed plans to build such a device. The Iranians and North Korean's have been collaborating, so the extent of their nuclear program (Iranian) is nothing more than guesswork by the IAEA. Is it possible that North Korea has already shipped weapons grade plutonium to Iran? The North is strapped for cash - and as they see accounts closed due to sanctions and an ever tightening surveillance of their shipments, the North may have expected these measures and shipped-off nuclear components before the sanctions went into place. Imagine such a bomb being constructed in Iran and then detonated in one of Israel's or even a United States port - which would ultimately be traced to North Korea.
With this possibility in consideration, it's no wonder that the hardliner's stole the Iranian Election - knowing that Moderates were in direct conflict with their radical policies. There's even a possibility that this could be the beginning of the "Oil Wars" that have been forecast for years which will be closely followed by water wars. North Korea stepping into the international stage in such a dramatic manner was surely calculated to distract us from a larger issue that may be developing before our eyes. I believe we live in dangerous times where almost anything is possible. Right now, everything appears to be too clear, a sure sign that much more lurks under the surface.
In 2005, we predicted that Iran was a much greater Security threat
to the US than Iraq, and questioned why the nation that was already
"contained" was attacked instead of a nation that CIA reports indicated
was a far greater regional risk. In 2007, when Pakistan was feeling the
full brunt of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, we wrote:
The Situation In Pakistan Is Grave - This Is Where The US Military Has An Obligation To Support Pakistan This is the leading paragraph of that story:
Today's news is disheartening and presents one of the most viable security risks to the stability of the Middle-East, and in comparison to Iran - the situation in Pakistan is dangerous to US interests, the fight against Al Qaeda, and the stability of the entire Middle-East. I have been attempting to draw attention to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Pakistan through other articles - but the United States has allowed Pakistan to fall into anarchy by ignoring these ominous signs that Al Qaeda has essentially become politically more powerful than the Musharraf government itself - and in consideration of Pakistan's substantial nuclear arsenal - we need to act and help to diffuse this situation immediately!
The Pakistan issue could have been predicted by a school child. Bush did what he swore he would never allow - a safe haven for Al Qaeda and the Taliban. History has demonstrated that wherever radical Islam exits, extremism and violence follows. It grows like a cancer, and those who refuse to accept the radical concept of Islam risk life itself. Their society in Afghanistan is reversing itself as the Taliban gain more power. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sharia law is being implemented again - and a thief that may have been attempting to get a loaf of bread for his family could have his hand cut-off for the offense. Men can completely dominate women again - and those with the money can purchase the brides they want. This didn't have to happen; We had the leadership cornered in Tora Bora, and instead of our Special Forces guaranteeing that no one would escape, for reasons that escape military planners is that Bush allowed the Afghanistan Army to handle the Mop-up operation, and a lot of money exchanged hands, and Bin Laden and Omar - along with a large contingency of senior Al Qaeda commanders were escorted to the Northern Tribal areas of Pakistan. That one failed policy has risked the very heart and soul of Pakistan - and it was our negligence and Musharraf didn't help matters by playing both ends against the middle. We KNOW that once radical Islam gains a foothold, it eventually poses a danger to the government of the host country.
As is if this situation couldn't get any worse, Kim Jong il has threatened to wipe out the USA once and for all. When I read the story I was fascinated, envisioning Kim pounding his pudgy fist on the table and vowing to wipe-out the United States. But, the North does have the bomb, their technology has reached new levels - and I shudder to think that it doesn't take an intercontinental missile to reach the US Mainland. With a well coordinated plan, backed by an organization with a long arm of command and control - several nuclear weapons could show-up in US ports hidden in shipping containers. Yes, I know that we X-Ray these containers on a random basis, but we all know it's haphazard at best. You can also bet that a plot of that magnitude would have non-threatening originating destinations on the containers, further offering a terror organization, whether it's state sponsored or not - a real probability/chance of smuggling a nuclear device into a US port, and we have too many to mention:
North Korea threatens to wipe out US 'once and for all'
By Raw Story
Published: June 24, 2009
