It is NOT ‘legal’ for North Korea to launch a satellite, plus miscellaneous observations
Let’s begin with a historical contrast that pretty much speaks for itself:
It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union…. To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba from whatever nation and port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. This quarantine will be extended, if needed, to other types of cargo and carriers. We are not at this time, however, denying the necessities of life as the Soviets attempted to do in their Berlin blockade of 1948. [John F. Kennedy, Oct. 22, 1962]
Kennedy and Obama: young, pretty, and underqualified. There ends the analogy for those who see beyond the superficial.
Unless he shoots it down, of course.
I’m very tired of the whole irrelevant discussion about whether North Korea can make a missile test “legal” by putting a satellite on top of said missile. If you’re a practical thinker, the simple fact is that no nation with this little regard for human life is trustworthy with the technology to take out Seoul, Tokyo, or Seattle. North Korea, by launching a satellite over a neighboring country, is committing state terrorism for the specific purpose of extorting regime-sustaining aid. If you’re of a more legalistic, internationalist, or multi-culti variety, of course, you obviously believe no higher moral authority exists than a U.N. Security Council resolution … expect maybe for two U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Resolution 1695 says that “the DPRK shall suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launching.” Resolution 1718 “[d]emands that the DPRK suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme, and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launching.” (Both brought to you by that great champion of internationalist rule of law, John Bolton — applause!). And by “related to,” I’m pretty sure the resolutions meant, among other examples, fully functioning missiles that happen to carry alternative payloads, including satellites that play tinny rinky-dink hymns to His Porcine Majesty. If you’re charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, it’s not going to be a defense that the firearm was loaded with blanks when you were arrested.
By the way, here are some brand-new satellite images of the Musudan-ri launch site. Thanks to a reader.
The Sea of Japan is now crowded with American, South Korean, and Japanese warships. It looks like chaos in our government, but — to expand on an e-mail from another reader — I’m starting to think that the Japanese government trembles with throbbing priapism at the very thought of dropping this missile into the waters near Tokdo, and let me tell you why: the Japanese people have had it with North Korea’s antics, and Japan has an election coming soon. Not long ago, it was presumed that the Democratic Party of Japan would take power for the first time in decades. That is no longer a safe assumption, thanks to a DPJ corruption scandal. This is not to say that Japanese voters are enthusiastic about Taro Aso. After all, Aso is a dick. But in times like these, the Japanese are feeling betrayed by their American protectors and vulnerable in a tough neighborhood. If the Japanese military drops this missile, Aso will get a massive jolt of popularity that will keep him in power for several years.
“[T]he Japanese government trembles with throbbing priapism at the very thought of dropping this missile.”
“[T]rembles with throbbing priapism”!!! My God, dude; your pose is fargin’ BRILLIANT!
Seriously.
The quandary that we all face is this (as stated by Charles, the commenter on your better half’s blog, KCJ): “If regime change is the goal, HOW can we reduce Kim’s grip on power without making things worse for the North Korean people?”
Irene:
We can’t. There is no pain free way to free the NK people who are being savaged by a cruel tyrant who uses food to control a population that would most likely turn on him if they only were able to guage some level of consensus for the revolt.
I was in Baghdad right after it fell. The same people chanting “Saddam, Saddam!” one week prior were defacing his images everywhere after the Coalition Forces sacked Baghdad. The same exact thing happened in Romania with Nicolai Ceacescu; one week they were hailing him as the ‘Generalissimo Father” of Romania and the next they overwhlmed the government and executed the tyrant and his wife. In both cases, there was bloodshed, but that paled in proportion to the lives saved.
In Iraq, 90% of all casulaties during the past six years have been inflicted by other Iraqis. A similar situation could occur in NK after the regime fails when those who controlled power wind up on the outside looking in as did the Sunni Arabs.
My answer is to support the SK government’s policies. That would not be unqualified support, however. The policy must include punishing economic sanctions and a full-tilt information operations war (formerly known as propaganda). The way to remove KJI is to foment democratic thinking in the DPRK by information infiltration. That way the NKs will bring down the idolatrous Juche regime themselves, or with aid from the UN Alliance.
The center of gravity in NK is the Juche religion. Once ideology in NK is sufficiently weakened (and its well on the way down), the civil disturbances and clandestine planning begins. Once rank and file Soldiers reject the Juche religion, its over.