N.KOREA: THE UNITED STATES NUKES NIGHTMARE

The post-second world war era is termed as nuclear era in the history of international relations for the obvious reason of the use of nuclear technology (based on Einstein mass energy equation, E=mc2 by the enrichment of uranium at weapon grade level) in the development of sophisticated defense and security system. For the first time in the history of mankind, a ghastly novel devastating weapon having unlimited, uncontrollable stark destruction was developed by United States under the code name of â??Little Boyâ?�. The test was the culmination of three years' planning and development within the super secret Manhattan Project headed by General Leslie R. Groves. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer directed the scientific team headquartered at Los Alamos, New Mexico. An isolated corner of the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range located 230 miles south of Los Alamos was selected for the test that was given the code-name "Trinityâ?�. The incredible destructive power of the atom was unleashed during the predawn hours of July 16, 1945 when the first uranium based atomic bomb was tested successfully, which forever changed the world; further what has been theoretical imagination became practical reality. The world entered into the nuclear age. This behemoth structural change in the nature of traditional weapons also affected the traditional concept of the classical theory of balance of power, giving a way to a new nuclear strategy namely â??The Balance of Terrorâ?� (the equilibrium of power among nuclear states stemming from common fear of annihilation in a nuclear war) as is called in the diplomatic jargon. Thus on 6th and 10th of August 1945 the new successfully tested smart nuclear device was dropped on Hiroshima which wrecks havoc with the people of Japan, killing 84000 people in Hiroshima and three days latter another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing another 40000 people, compelling Japan for surrender on 14th of August 1945. Thus the Second World War came to an end. Given the nature of nuclear radiations emitted, every new child borne during the two decades in the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was physically impaired since the bomb were dropped in 1945.

The 2nd phase in the development of weapon system enabled the use of nuclear technology in the development of missile system. Though, missiles were used by the Germans in the 2nd world war, but had only conventional warheads. Now missiles became nuclear payload carrier having thousands of km rang. Now the range, accuracy and payload capacity were improved so that maximum area could be well within the range. The use of nuclear technology in the development of nuclear weapon system produced Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) like MIRV (Multiple Independently targeted Re- entry Vehicles, missiles with multiple warheads) in the decade of 60s which could carry hundreds of tons of nuclear, chemical and biological warheads to the desired destination in a given limited time.

In the post-second world war bi-polar world, the then super power USSR and USA jostled for missiles race in terms of quality and quantity. The long range smart sophisticated MIRV made vulnerable both USA and USSR to one another, thus a new strategic concept â??MADâ?� (Mutually Assured Destruction: the vulnerability to one anotherâ??s nuclear weapons) emerged .In order to provide for a stable nuclear deterrence strategy , a bilateral treaty ABM (Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty) was signed in 1972 that required both super powers to avoid deploying ABM systems as a pre-requisite for maintaining stable nuclear deterrence by providing mutual assured destruction so that any attempt on the part of any super power for first strike on another super power wouldnâ??t be worth while because the targeted power after absorbing first strike would have potential second strike capability; would retaliate massively with the ramification of total destruction for the first striker nation. Thus any strike from any super power was tantamount to mutual annihilation. Thus a stable nuclear deterrence was attained at the cost of mutual vulnerability in terms of MAD. Being a rival nation, the USSR was engaged by USA in the mad arms race, given the unstable closed economic system, the USSR was brought to the verge of collapse due to huge defense expenditures it couldnâ??t afford , which finally brought the disintegration of USSR in Dec 1991. The disintegration of USSR was coined by American strategic intellectuals as the end of â??The Red Menaceâ?�. But even after getting an upper hand over its potential rival Russia in post-cold war era, the USA felt insecure owing to its vulnerability to missile and nuclear weapons that some states possessed.

The current nuclear face-off between the United States-North Korea, which has maintained a high profile recently at international level, started not just abruptly. For discovering the historical root causes of unrelenting animosity, we need to open the folder of history by delving into what actually is against this backdrop of nuclear bump. Firstly, the major historical factor is the cold war character of North Korea as a communist ally of the former USSR.Following the end of Second World War in 1945, the Korea (formerly under Japanese domination since Japan occupied it in 1905 following Russo-Japanese war and then three years later annexed the entire peninsula formally) was divided into two zones: North Korea and South Korea at 38th parallel being its boundary under the agreement reached between USA and USSR.The division was just for military reasons, not aimed at permanent political division. The Soviet forces stationed in North while American in South. Sky-high pledges were made by both USA and USSR to unify it, but soon the unification of Korea became a part of the cold war rivalry and no agreement could be reached at. Ultimately, the American created independent republic of Korea in August 1948 (Syngman Rhee as President of South Korea). The USSR the following month, setup Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK in September 1948) under the communist regime of Kim II Sung .In 1949, both Soviet and American troops were withdrawn from divided Korea, leaving behind a sensitive volatile situation. Both the North and South leaders wanted the right to rule the whole country leading to the difference among them .In June 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea. The American fully supported the South by sending its troops to South Korea, stationed in Japan.Similiary; the North got the support of both China and Russia in terms of massive military, financial and diplomatic aid. The war in Korea ended in 1953 but the United Stateâ??s relations with the communist block Russia, China and particularly with North Korea remained highly strained.

Secondly, the so-called United States New World Order also contributed to the strainness of relations between USA and North Korea. In the wake of Soviet disintegration, the bipolar world took a dramatic structural U-turn by becoming a uni-polar world with the establishment of United States hegemony in world politics. Taking it an opportunity ,the then United States President George Bush in 1991,announced a New World Order in the following terms: â??The US New World Order are new ways of working with other nations to deter aggression, to achieve stability, to achieve prosperity and above all to achieve peace.â?� It was aimed at the future formulation of US foreign policy and its approaches. Its major elements were democracy, human rights and non-proliferation. But opponents of New World Order say itâ??s being used to reshape world politics on USA terms. In the decade of 90s, speculations were widespread that South Korea (DPRK) is developing a nuclear bomb despite the signing of NPT(Non-Proliferation Treaty).In March 1993, misperception got the shape of confrontations when DPRK announced that it would withdrew from NPT. A series of diplomatic moves started involving South Korea, Russia, China, Japan, UN, IAEA, and the US. In the mid 1994, discussions of war began to raise its head in Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington DC. By dint of efforts made by Jimmy Carters through his secrets nuclear diplomacy and Clinton tacit approval made it possible to lower the flames of crisis. In Oct 1994, US-North Korea reached an agreement in Geneva .The agreement included a tacit approval, which had to be taken by both sides. Under the terms of deal, North Korea agreed to suspend the nuclear reactor under- construction, to shut down the reactor at Yongbyon and to dismantle its current nuclear energy programme over the ten years; resumption of inspection at nuclear plants was agreed upon. The west was obligated to pledge that South-Korea and Japan would compensate North Korea for dismantling its existing and partially completed nuclear reactor by spending about $4billions to build two nuclear reactors unable to produce plutonium suitable for bomb making. The west had to supply up to 5000,000 metric tons of petroleum worth $62million annually until reactors are completed. The crisis were managed but the concerns of US about the missile and nuclear proliferation programme of North Korea never ended as according to US sources North Korea supplied its missile technology through secret channels to a number of countries including Iran, Iraq, Pakistan etc.

Non-Proliferation remained the principle cornerstone of United States foreign policy in the post-cold war era. The United States still had nukes nightmare. Economic and military sanctions were imposed on states involved in the nasty game of nuclear and missile technology proliferation. Pakistan along with China faced United States sanctions on the allegation of missile proliferation under MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime). The United States non-proliferation policy remained mainly concentrated on the â??Rogue Statesâ?� (an outlaw nation, according to Britain and US).This threat perception from some of dictatorial regimes caused USA to label them as Rogue States namely Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Afghanistan, and Sudan as axis of evil.

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Thirdly, the post 9/11 messy international milieu provided a fillip to the already existing rift between United States and North Korea .The United States felt being vulnerable to the outside world. President GW Bush in his State Of Union address (January 29 2002) to the nation termed seven countries of the world (Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Afghanistan, and Sudan) as axis of evil ; termed them a threat for world peace and security. The President speech to the nation was a future guideline for United States policy towards these countries. This perilous path of nuclear crisis escalated slowly. In October 2002, US Assistant Secretary of state James Kelly confirmed North Korea is developing uranium based nuclear weapon in violation of a 1994 accord .On October 16 2002, US announced North Korea admitted to the existence of its nukes programme; North Korea argued it has the right to develop nukes as a defensive measure against a hostile US bent on bringing down Kim Jong IIâ??s regime. Washington retaliated in Dec 2002 by halting oil shipments promised under the accord. Both states put responsibility of the escalation of crisis on one another. US said its North Korea which ups the ante for North Korea told international nuclear inspectors to pack their bags; violated 1994 agreement. On the other hand, it provided DPRK an excuse to remind its obligations of 1994 agreement on which US footed back. North Korea said, itâ??s USA which breached 1994 agreement by not providing shipment of oil fuel and not signing a non-aggression pact In January 2003, North Korea withdrew from NPT .Thereafter United States adopted a new policy based on a multilateral framework to deal with North Korea .Under the new policy, representatives from six countries (USA, Russia, China ,South Korea , Japan and North Korea ) were to held talks on the denuclearization of North Korea . In August 2003, representatives from these six countries met in Beijing for the first time to negotiate North Koreas abandonment of nukes, talks failed as North Korea threatened a nuclear test .In December 2003, Pyongyang offered to freeze its nuclear programme in exchange for concession from US but USA rejected .In Feb 2004, the second round of six party talks ends without progress. In the third round of talks, the USA makes a new offer of fuel aid if North Korea gets rid of its nukes programme but negotiation ends without agreement. In February 2005, North Korea declared publicly for the first time that it has nuclear weapons and withdrew from six party talks. The Current American estimates are that North Korea had at least six uranium and seven plutonium bombs at the beginning of 2005. This is expected to grow at a rate of one bomb every two months. The last round of talks were held in Beijing in Sep.2005 with a new deal based on a broad set of principles aimed at having armed progress scrapped in return for aid and friendly ties with Washington. Under the deal, the North Korea had to dismantle its nuclear programme in return for a light water nuclear reactor after the IAEAâ??s watchdogs verify it kept its promise. Unfortunately, the set deal was hit by a snag when squabbling rose over North Koreas alleged illegal activities to continue financing its nukes programme.The USA clamped down on several North Korean financial companies it suspected of their involvement in illicit businesses and trade saying it helped finance Pyongyangâ??s drive to develop weapons of mass destruction.

The ups and down in United states-North Korean nuclear talks has become a usual routine task. In order to avoid any future diplomatic predicament along with the lofty goal of achieving a successful diplomatic deal in the inter-relationship between the two hostile nations, both must adopt a right track. The current nuclear face off can only be averted through diplomatic channels which is the only viable option, otherwise the war option would require all the bordering states to share the cost of the war evenly . For solving this nukes conundrum and stopping it from getting into doldrums, the following options sound reasonable. Firstly, China and Russia bordering North Korea having a status of veto power can play a pivotal role to defuse the crisis. North Korea is still a Stalinist country having ideological contacts with China and Russia. They can pressurize North Korea for flexibility in its policy. On the other hand, currently, there is already mutual understanding between USA and China on one side and USA and Russia on the other side. Both Russia and china may persuade USA for a flexible policy option. Because both China and Russia supported US war on terrorism (not in case of Iraq) without hesitations. China is a WTO member and Russia is a de-facto NATO member. Secondly, a new USA Non-Proliferation policy based on the traditional values of justice and equality in terms of denuclearization and Non-Proliferation is the need of the hour. The USA Non-Proliferation Policy itself has drawbacks, and is a victimized by hypocrisy and injustice. Non-Proliferation must not be selective. New efforts must aim at focusing on denuclearizing the whole nuclear world including veto powers and Israel at first. Thirdly, it must be ensured that the talks are conducted in a conducive environment on bilateral and equal basis between United States and North Korea. This problem solely originates in United States-North Koreann ideological orientation. The ideological politics must be put an end to. Both must compromise in a frank flexible manner by making every possible concession necessary for world peace, security and their bilateral relations if the world peace is to be maintained perfectly. Fourthly, both states can nominate a third neutral state (in case bilateral talks fail) as a just mediator to facilitate the issue move on in an unbiased manner. After making the nuclear talkâ??s triangle like, the mediator must be given due authority and role in advance in terms of compromise, co-operation and acceptance of decision made on the basis of merit.