The greater danger Iraq or North Korea?

Here's the tip of the iceburg. http://www.guardian.co.uk/armstrade/story/0,10674,519658,00.html
c.i.

<sigh>

Here's one that'll knock your socks off.

http://www.rense.com/general26/IsraelNow.htm

c.i.

No wonder we need a war to get rid of all of last years armaments that are clogging the shelves, un sold and gathering dust! Gees, what else is a good marketing unPresident to do?

Just a curiosity question here ... maybe somebody has the answer. How is The US involved with selling Russian tanks, aircraft, artillery, and small arms, Chinese aircraft and small arms, French aircraft, and Italian landmines to Third-World countries?
The forces The US opposes do not include significant US-provided assets among their military inventories. There are lots of T-72s, MiGs, AK-47s, Mirages and Exocets, but damned few M16s, no F16s, and no M1s or Bradleys "On the Other Side".

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/12632.pdf : An 89 page PDF file which goes into great detail of International Arms Trade.

The US is the leading supplier of arms to the world in dollar-value terms, but the chief recipients of US arms are NATO Partners, South Korea, Israel, and Egypt. The Russians, The French, and The Germans have spread their customer base a bit more widely. Draw your own conclusions.



timber

"The U.S. sells weapons to over 150 countries worldwide.

Eighty percent of current recipients of U.S. weapons are unelected governments, and about 2/3 of them are in the State Department's public record of human rights abusers.

http://www.cdi.org/adm/1209/transcript.html

Okay... those who are voting for North Korea... Does that mean you think we should go to war with North Korea?

Tres
From the very beginning of this administration it has made one diplomatic blunder after another in it's relations with North Korea. At this point we are between a rock and a hard place. They are asking for direct talks with the US. The nations in the region suggest we do so. Bush in his infinite wisdom does not seem to agree. All I hear is the usual retoric and threats from the giant head and his brain trust.
Could it be that Bush hopes to maintain it as a viable target.

I disagree.


I disagree.


Kim seems to think the US is some dog whose chain he can yank whenever he desires our attention. I think it would be disastrous for us to give him the idea that we are at his beck and call--that whenever he wants something from us he simply needs to fire up his reactors, roll out a missile or two, and then make out a deposit slip for his bank.


Could it be that Bush believes that shrugging off Kim right now is the best way to get Kim's attention? Right now we are in the driver's seat. You seem to want to give the wheel to Kim. I'd rather we drive.

(And I have to wonder whether any of the "rhetoric" you hear is your own. Do you realize how loaded with bias your statements are?)

[]
USA
from the March 05, 2003 edition

Why US is reacting quietly to N. Korea's provocations

Administration hopes lack of response to hostile acts will force others in the region to shoulder responsibility.

By Howard LaFranchi | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – As North Korea ratchets up its "pay attention to me" campaign with the United States, America's Asian partners and some domestic critics express deepening concern that the US is ignoring a brewing crisis. But the Bush administration is acting more by design than its response to North Korea's provocations might indicate.
By appearing to disregard a series of ever-escalating actions by Pyongyang, the US may hope to alarm its allies and partners in the region to become more involved themselves in the North Korean problem. That would help bridge the gap between those who want the US to enter direct talks with the North - something the US wants to avoid - and the US view that Seoul, Beijing, and Tokyo must be part of any resolution.
The downside of such a strategy, some experts say, is that if addressing North Korea's nuclear program is put off until some point after a US-led war on Iraq, the world could find itself with a rogue nuclear power producing a nuclear bomb or two per month by this summer.

http://csmonitor.com/2003/0305/p03s02-usgn.html

au - Your citation seems to agree with my assessment, though they go a step further and acknowledge the risk of this approach. (And there is risk in any approach we take.) Good stuff. Thanks!

au, The US isn't exactly ignoring North Korea. We're sending two dozen long range bombers to the area. c.i.

c.i.
That's diplomacy send in the bombers.

They sent an aircraft carrier and support vessels last week or the week before. Guess they figured they didn't talk loud enough!

http://csmonitor.com/2003/0305/csmimg/cartoon.jpg

au, That cartoon says it all. c.i.

Still, my big fear is China. With the actions Bush is taking - it will legitimize a lot of the actions China has wanted to take in the past. Big question: Is their new found capitalism more important than their newly legitimized Imperial agression?

Bill
China does not want a nuclear armed North Korea any more than we do. They realize the way to a settlement is direct negotiations between the US and N. Korea. They have been urging just that as has S. Korea. Bush in his infinite wisdom has been adverse to that idea. Instead he threatens with additional show of force.

BillW, Au, I agree with both of your recent posts considering China. I am not satisfied with Bush the Younger's refusal to enter into discussion with DSPRK

Still, I also strongly object to DPRK's insistance upon a non-aggression pact as predicate to talks while she continually ratchets up tensions and adopts an increasingly aggressive stance by her own schedule. The matter is difficult, and I don't fully agree with, or even understand, The Administration's approach as I perceive that approach.




timber

It's the only kind of diplomacy the North Koreans understand. These are not people you can reason with. They only understand force. Diplomacy is weakness to them.

To further your education in this matter, I recommend that you pick up "The Long Grey Line", about the West Point Class of '68. In it is covered one Pointer whose duty was to negotiate administrative matters at Panmunjon with the rabid North Koreans. He tried to negotiate trimming a tree in the DMZ which was obscuring the view. When he and a lieutenant went to trim it, the North Koreans killed them with axes.

However, I'd be perfectly willing to let you go trim that tree. Maybe you could just use some diplomacy with the North Koreans and solve it all.

Tantor