Published on The Post ( http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_EditorialNews.aspx?dtlid=169314&catid=10&date=06/29/2008&fcatid=14 )
Things seem to be going according to plan as far as North Korea’s nuclear programme is concerned. According to reports, North Korea has handed over the report of its nuclear activities to China. That has resulted in the US easing some sanctions under the US Trading with the Enemy Act and proposing North Korea’s removal from the terrorism black list. The US has cautiously welcomed the action, warning North Korea that it would face serious consequences if it did not disclose its nuclear operations and continue to dismantle its nuclear programme. The US has warned that if the country “makes the wrong choices, the US and our partners in the six-party talks will respond accordingly”. North Korea has blown up its main nuclear complex as it had invited the Western media to record the event. North Korea began dismantling its nuclear facilities after talks among China, Japan, Russia, North and South Korea and the US. What worries the US is the fact that North Korea has so far given no details about its existing nuclear arsenal, a topic that will be addressed in another phase of the six-party talks.
North Korea’s declaration has only partly removed uncertainties. It remains to be seen how much the other countries are prepared to trust Pyongyang. Still, this is a lot of progress after US President Bush termed North Korea, Iraq and Iran as an “axis of evil” after the 9/11 attacks and accused them of state-sponsored terrorism. North Korea’s nuclear test in 2006 put the US in an awkward position in the backdrop of its clandestine support to a nuclear Israel and its help to India in the field of civilian nuclear technology. While Japan and other Western countries joined the chorus against North Korea, China and Russia, however, provided counterweight to the tough approach. The case of North Korea presents a sharp contrast to Iran that seems to be on a head-on collision with the US on the nuclear issue. President Bush’s belligerent policy on Iran drew flak from the Congress while the neo-cons in his administration remained focused on finding clues to Iran’s involvement in the insurgency in Iraq and its alleged nuclear programme. This is despite the fact that Iran has largely cooperated with the IAEA to conduct inspections. It allowed the installation of IAEA monitoring cameras at the Natanz nuclear plant and toned down its rhetoric for avoiding further sanctions. On the 28th anniversary of the Iranian revolution last year, Iran reiterated its stance of resolving the nuclear enrichment issue through negotiations. President Bush should understand that if an attack on Iran takes place, it will not only be disastrous for the region, but the world at large. The US’s rather hostile stance on the nuclear issue vis-à-vis Pakistan also raised eyebrows. Pakistan was placed in a tight corner after it was suspected of transferring nuclear technology to North Korea, Iran and Libya. Pakistan was accused of providing nuclear technology to North Korea in lieu of North Korea’s missile technology. To avoid international criticism and possible sanctions, Pakistan pointed out that it was not involved in nuclear proliferation at the state level and that it was a private enterprise.
The case of North Korea is ample proof that diplomacy, if given a chance, can yield positive results in the realm of nuclear proliferation. The same approach of patience combined with a process of dialogue should be adopted on the Iranian nuclear issue. The sooner the US understands this, the better it would be for the whole region.