CALIFORNIA YANKEE

U.N. Security Council fails to agree on North Korean rocket launch

What a surprise.

The Sunday emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, called to consider North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile, concluded without any official reaction to North Korea's provocation.

The U.N. will dither on like it did with Saddam and North Korea's development of nuclear weapons, and as the U.N. continues to do with Iran's nuclear program.

The U.S. says the "launch constituted a clear-cut violation" of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 (2006). Unfortunately, as predicted, China and Russia said they were not convinced that Pyongyang had violated any U.N. rules by trying to send a satellite into orbit.

China and Russia are grasping at straws to protect North Korea. Resolution 1718 states at paragraph numbered 2:

"2.  Demands that the DPRK not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile;"

The North Korean rocket launch presents a critical test of President Obama's leadership on a major foreign policy crisis, and of his new friendship with the leaders of China and Russia. Joe Biden warned us Obama would be tested.

Obama reacted with tough talk and insisted that North Korea face consequences for flagrantly violating Resolution 1718:

"Rules must be binding, violations must be punished. Words must mean something," Obama said. "The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons."

Reaction to Obama's tough talk was critical.

The Politico reports Obama's naive, John Lenon Imagine-like, call for "a world without nuclear weapons" looks unrealistic: "Hard-line critics say North Korea’s move makes the president’s no-nukes aspirations all the more unrealistic, even dangerous."

The Hill's Jeremy P. Jacobs reports Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called Obama's nuclear weapons policy a "fantasy."

Wall Street Journal editorialized, "Kim has every reason to expect that he will eventually get what he wants -- more recognition, more money and energy supplies" and "his nukes and missiles too."

I'm afraid the Obama critics have it right. The North Koreans couldn't care less about world opinion. A fact the rogue state has made abundantly clear in the 60 years since it started the Korean War. Tough talk will not impress the North Koreans. To the contrary, if tough talk is not backed up by tough action it will be perceived as weakness and only encourage the North Koreans to see how much more they can get away with under President Obama. The American People understand this as evidenced by their support for a military response.

57% want military response to North Korea missile launch

Rasmussen finds 57% of U.S. voters favor a military response to eliminate North Korea’s missile launching capability. Just 15% of voters oppose a military response and 28% are not sure.

There is no ideological divide on this issue:

Support for a military response comes from 66% of Republicans, 52% of Democrats and 54% of those not affiliated with either major political party. There is no gender gap on the issue as a military response is favored by 57% of men and 57% of women.

[. . .]

Seventy-three percent (73%) are at least somewhat concerned that North Korea will use nuclear weapons against the United States.

The survey was conducted April 3-4, the two days immediately prior to North Korea’s launch. The question asked about a military response if North Korea actually did launch a long-range missile.

Will President Obama's tough talk and U.N. approach to the North Korean rocket launch satisfy this majority of voters?

Obama: North Korea threatens security of nations 'near and far'

President Obama, with the assistance of the teleprompter of the U.S., said Sunday that North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket underscores the urgency of his weapons agenda:

The president said North Korea's action threatens the security of nations "near and far."

Obama also called North Korea's rocket launch a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which prohibits North Korea from conducting ballistic missile-related activities of any kind. The Security Council adopted the 2006 resolution five days after North Korea conducted a test of a nuclear weapon.

The U.N. Security Council is meeting in an emergency session on Sunday to deal with the matter.

Don't count on any useful action coming out of the Security Council. The 15 members are divided over the possible measures for North Korea's "clear breach of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718." The United States and Japan might call for a new resolution consisting of tougher measures, or push to actually enforce the existing resolutions. But China and Russia will continue to protect North Korea from any meaningful sanctions.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 (2006) - read it here

After North Korea's missile and nuclear tests in 2006 the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 1718 prohibiting North Korea from conducting nuclear tests or launching ballistic missiles.

You can the "U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 (2006)," below.

Click full screen to make it easier to read.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 _2006_ - Free Legal Forms

North Korea launches long-range missile

North Korea, the newest member of the world's most exclusive club -- nuclear armed states, ignored President Obama's warnings and launched a long-range missile:

North Korea claimed the missile was to carry a satellite into space, but it could be a missile with a warhead attached. Regardless of whether the purpose was to launch a satellite or a nuclear warhead -- it's the same technology.

Regardless of North Korea's claims that the launch succeeded in putting a communications satellite into orbit, Officials from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command report that the North Korean rocket failed to reach orbit and fell into the Pacific Ocean:

"Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan. The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean," according to a statement from NORAD and the Northern Command, read by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

"No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan," the statement added. "NORAD and (the Northern Command) assesses the launch vehicle as not a threat to North America or Hawaii and took no action in response to this launch."

The missile launch did succeed in what may have mattered most -- demonstrating that North Korea had the ability to launch a multistage rocket that could travel thousands of miles. 

Jimmy Carter's Nightmare

North Korea's wacko dictator Kim Jong Il plans to end his nation's starvation by breeding gigantic rabbits.

My nearly 17-year-old daughter didn't understand Why the giant bunnies would cause the former president nightmares. So I explained that on April 20, 1979, President Jimmy Carter escaped the White House and went fishing in a canoe on a pond in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Without warning, while Carter was separated from the secret service detail on shore, the President was attacked by a killer bunny rabbit. According to press accounts:

It was hissing menacingly, its teeth flashing and nostrils flared and making straight for the president.

Carter was at first said to have fought off the attacking bunny with one of his canoe paddles. He later changed the story, so as not to offend animal rights activists, to state that he used the paddle to "splash water" at the rabbit and frighten it off. The rabbit is said to have made for shore after its "splash fight" with the president.

My daughter's reaction - "That's so embarrassing."

U.S. Speeds Plans To Take Out North Korea's Nuke Program

The Washington Times' Bill Gertz reports on the military's accelerated military planning for striking the North Korean plutonium-reprocessing facility at Yongbyon with special operations commando raids or strikes with Tomahawk cruise missiles or other precision-guided weapons:

The officials said one military option calls for teams of Navy SEALs or other special operations commandos to conduct covert raids on Yongbyon's plutonium-reprocessing facility.

The commandos would blow up the facility to prevent further reprocessing of the spent fuel rods, which provides the material for developing nuclear weapons.

A second option calls for strikes by precision-guided Tomahawk missiles on the reprocessing plant from submarines or ships. The plan calls for simultaneous strikes from various sides to minimize any radioactive particles being carried away in the air.

Planners estimate that six Tomahawks could destroy the reprocessing plant and that it would take five to 10 years to rebuild.

[. . .]

Another set of targets could be the nuclear test site near Kilchu, in northeastern North Korea. That site includes several research and testing-control facilities in the mountains -- and possibly one more tunnel where a nuclear device could be set off, the officials said.

The planning does not mean that an attack is imminent, only that the military forces are ready.

Gertz also reports the Bush administration recently affirmed its commitment to both South Korea and Japan that it would use U.S. nuclear weapons to deter North Korea.

North Korean Test Used Plutonium

The New York Times reports that North Korea’s test explosion last week was powered by plutonium harvested from North Korea's small nuclear reactor:

The intelligence agencies’ finding that the weapon was based on plutonium strongly suggested that the country’s second path to a nuclear bomb — one using uranium — was not yet ready. The uranium program is based on enrichment equipment and know-how purchased from Pakistan’s former nuclear chief.

The Times notes that the fact that the North Korea test used plutonium may revive the finger-pointing about whether Bill Clinton or President Bush is more responsible for the Korean test. The Times is wrong of course. The fact that the test used plutonium is proof that most of the credit goes to the failed Albright/Clinton unverifiable Agreed Framework. Under that deal, In return for North Korea's promise to comply with all international nuclear non-proliferation agreements and eventually and dispose of all spent nuclear fuel already produced, the U.S. agreed replace North Korea's graphite-moderated reactors with light-water reactors to supply N. Korea with up to 500,000 tons of heavy oil for heating and electricity production annually, until the reactors had been replaced.

The Albright/Clinton regime disregarded the very important maxim articulated by President Reagan, trust, but verify.

North Korea took advantage of the Clinton administration's trust and cheated on the Agreed Framework. Secretary of State Colin Powell, appearing October 20, 2002 on NBC's "Meet the Press" stated, "When we told North Korea that we knew what they were doing, they came back the next day, admitted it, blamed us for their actions and then said they considered that agreement nullified."

As then North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms put it:

At long last, the truth has come out. North Korea has admitted that the Agreed Framework negotiated by the Clinton Administration is a falsehood.

The bottom line is that North Korea was out of compliance with its international obligations in 1994 when the Agreed Framework was signed; it remained out of compliance throughout the implementation of the Framework; and it is today out of compliance with its international obligations.

Clintonistas rushed to defend the failed Agreed Framework after the North Korean test.

Madeleine Albright issued a statement saying Bush had turned his back on a policy that had been working and renewed an appeal for direct talks:

During the two terms of the Clinton administration, there were no nuclear weapons tests by North Korea, no new plutonium production, and no new nuclear weapons developed in Pyongyang. Through our policy of effective constructive engagement, the world was safer.

Democrats, and the main stream media, continue to argue that the Bush administration failed on North Korea because it did not talk directly one on one with the North Koreans. This is also a falsehood.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recently explained that the administration has talked to the North Korean one on one, a fact that was even reported by the main stream media back in May 2005.

As I have written before, Diplomatic efforts with North Korea have never resulted in satisfactory results. Consider this time line, prepared by the Arms Control Association, summarizing the efforts to end North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs between 1985 and 2003.

Regardless of North Korea's provocations, no penalty that North Korea considers meaningful is imposed upon the renegade state. North Korea will continue to do whatever it wants until the unthinkable happens.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, Pool

U.N. Security Council Sanctions North Korea

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday to impose financial and arms sanctions on North Korea in response to the rogue nation's nuclear test on Monday.

The resolution:

• Demands North Korea eliminate all its nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.
• Requires all countries to prevent the sale or transfer of materials related to Pyongyang's unconventional weapons programs, as well as large-sized military items such as tanks, missiles and helicopters.
• Demands nations freeze funds overseas of people or businesses connected with North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
• Allows nations to inspect cargo moving in and out of North Korea in pursuit of non-conventional weapons.
• Is not backed up by the threat of military force.
• Calls on Pyongyang to return "without precondition" to stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear program.

Successfully shepherding the resolution sanctioning North Korea through the Security Council was no small accomplishment, and for good efforts Ambassador Bolton deserves a hearty thank you.

Unfortunately, the Security Council's resolution will not induce North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program nor its missile program. The North Korean government has demonstrated time and again that it will lie, cheat and ignore the will of the world to further its goal of developing nuclear weapons it can deliver with ballistic missiles.

The only thing that can force North Korea to give up its defiance of the world is Chinese pressure. North Korea is dependent upon China for food and fuel. Only by China withholding those items supplied by China and necessary for the survival of the North Korean state will North Korea be forced to give up its missile and nuclear weapons programs.

Strong action is called for. The U.S. should pressure China to take the only steps that would matter to North Korea. China should be told the U.S. will not allow trade between the U.S. and China to increase and incrementally roll trade back until China puts sufficient pressure on North Korea to force the defiant state to comply with U.N. resolutions

We should step up the efforts of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative. The program developed by John Bolton, which encourages countries to interdict weapons from North Korea, and other states of concern. Every ship going to and leaving North Korea should be stopped and searched to ensure contraband is not being transported to or from North Korea.

We should also take page from the Cuban missile crisis play book. It should be U.S. policy that any nuclear missile launched from North Korea against the U.S. or any of our allies will result in a full retaliatory response upon North Korea.

No Radiation Found From North Korean Test

CNN reports the initial air sampling over North Korea shows no indication of radioactive debris from North Korea claimed nuclear test.

CNN quotes an official as saying, "there isn't information to allow confirmation it was a nuclear test." This is not proof the North Korean event was not a nuclear test, only that it cannot be confirmed with the available information.

UPDATE: CNN, the Associated Press, the BBC, the Guardian now report preliminary analysis of air samples from North Korea contain radioactive debris consistent with a nuclear test.