Although the agreement was in place, the Americans decided to walk away from that deal and so, the Nth Koreans went back to developing their nuclear weapons.
The present angst against Nth Korea began when they tested their long range missiles into the Sea of Japan.
Nth Korea breaks no International Law or International agreements when testing these missiles.
Being an Australian myself, I would hope Australia could find a more productive, respected and assertive role in the world as a peacemaker rather than just being an empty echo of US foreign policy.
Indeed, Australia's most revered and celebrated military engagement was the defeat of its forces on the beaches of Gallipoli in World War1.
Gallipoli was a terrible defeat for Australia. It proved to be incredibly wasteful of her men and pointless in its objective. It's widely accepted that the blame of that defeat lay at the feet of Australia's politicians who, allowed its military forces to be commanded by British Officers.
The lesson to come out of Gallipoli was that, Australia would never again allow her forces to be commanded by a foreign military power.
However one hundred years on, politicians are repeating the same mistakes that led to the mistakes of Gallipoli.
Instead of foreign officers commanding Australian troops as in the case of Gallipoli, it could be argued that our entire political decision making process, when it comes to overseas military deployment, is complicit with America's political will.
Australia's Military Doctrine is so reliant on America that possibly, Australian Politicians no longer feel they have a sovereign right to oppose any American offensive?
They are all like Bishop, totally beholden to any American military foreign policy.
And, it matters not if the other side of Australian Politics were in power. The Labor Government would not raise a whimper either against any American military onslaught.
Australia's former conservative Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, displayed the clarity of a genuine Statesman by arguing the dangers of having such a "blind leading the blind policy" with the US in a book he penned, "Dangerous Allies".
Ironically, Malcolm Fraser replaced Gough Whitlam who, was arguably the last Australian Prime Minister who penned an independent Australian foreign policy.
Whitlam's policies clashed with that of the US's and, that was seen as an act of betrayal which definitely, played a part in his sacking by Australia's Governor General, Sir John Kerr or, as Whitlam eloquently referred to him, as Kerrs Cur.
Australians yearn for strong leadership on many matters but on foreign entanglements, they deserve to have that strength manifested.
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