Posted by
EWRoss on Monday, June 15, 2009 7:00:00 AM
Since North Korea's most recent nuclear weapon and missile tests, Kim Jong-Il is behaving like a spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum. He warns that any sanctions on North Korea are a declaration of war.
UN resolution 1874 authorizes inspection of air and sea cargoes suspected of containing materials used for the development of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles. Unfortunately, it fails to authorize the use of force to inspect ships and aircraft that resist inspection.
Unless the US and other countries halt these shipments, however, the UN sanctions will have little effect. We either do what's necessary to enforce the sanctions, or we accept that North Korea may build and sell all the nuclear weapons and missiles it wishes. Like the Cuban Missile Crisis, with the threat of force comes risks. The question we have to ask is, is that risk now worth preventing the uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear weapons and missile technology later?