Define ‘Fully Accountable’
The United States should consider the danger that we could transfer nuclear weapons to terrorists, that we have the ability to do so.
““ North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye-Gwan, April 2005
The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States, and we would hold North Korea fully accountable for the consequences of such action …. It is vital that the nations of this region send a message to North Korea that the proliferation of nuclear technology to hostile regimes or terrorist networks will not be tolerated.
Deterrence is the next best thing to ridding the world of this regime, but is a regime that acts as irrationally as this one deterrable? If not, just what are we prepared to do to back up our threat? We need a real deterrent to keep the Iranians from doing the same, but are we really ready to punish the North Korean people for what their overlords do? If not, why not preempt the regime by empowering the people to resist?