« North Korea Defies West And Launches Six Missiles, Including Taepodong 2 | Main | Grandson Alert - Posting Delay (Updated) »
July 5, 2006
The Iran-North Korea Connection
Topics: North KoreaMore than a year ago two able political-military analysts, former general officers Paul Vallely and Tom McInerney, wrote about a "web of terror" that crossed the artificial boundaries of nation, movement, organization, ideology, or geographical area. This concept of a vast network of deadly connections was outlined in their excellent work, Endgame: The Blueprint for Victory in the War on Terror. It was a startling concept in large measure because the notion of such a deadly global network is contrary to America's cultural, organizational, and political stereotypes.Gordon Cucullu, writing at FrontPageMag.com, says that although we Americans are accustomed to labeling and categorizing (a place for everything and everything in its place) such artificial organization - by ideology, nation, or locale - is dangerous when it obscures the reality of the strategy and tactics that our country's enemies use against us. We're remended of how we ignored the Saddam-al Qaeda connection because we said they couldn't work together. One was sectarian the other religious. We think that Shia and Sunni will not cooperate, that Arabs and Europeans produce different breeds of terrorist, and that non-Muslim Asians will have little or nothing to do with Islamic countries or movements. However, according to Cucullu, all this is patent nonsense. Unless we accept the reality of the situation and act accordingly, we are in big trouble.
For the past few months he's been completing a manuscript on these linkages - expanding upon the generals' brilliant web of terror concept - particularly in regard to North Korean demarches to the Islamofascist world and into the Western Hemisphere. The facts are that these linkages are much more extensive that previously thought. Of one thing we can be absolutely certain: this web of terror is bound together by a glue of total hatred directed at America, at our freedoms, and at the culture of the West. All terror masters are allied in that goal; they will settle differences among themselves after we are defeated. Continue reading...
So, just how serious is the Iran-North Korea connection and their determination to develop nuclear arsenals with delivery systems to match? The Economist says in "Iran and North Korea - Return of the axis of evil" that the problem may be an embarrassment for George Bush, but it's also a test for his critics. And after the intelligence fiasco in Iraq, which was discovered after being invaded not to have any especially sinister weapons after all, Mr Bush cannot be eager to cry wolf again. However, despite the phrase, despite Iraq and despite the understandable desire of Mr Bush to change the subject, the fact remains that the wolves are indeed at the door. In the coming days or weeks, the world may face a double nuclear challenge from the axis's surviving members.
Iran and North Korea are unpredictable regimes whose possession of nuclear weapons would be dangerous in its own right and might also persuade other countries in their neighbourhoods to go nuclear as well. Whatever can reasonably be done to stop this proliferation nightmare should be done. And this, for all the talk of a unipolar world with one superpower, is not a job that America should have to do, or probably is able to do, alone.As I said in last night's post on N. Korea's missile launches, although we have North Korea defying the West and launching missles, and blowing it, you can bet your last dollar that Iran is watching how the international community, and especially the U.S., responds. This morning, the Christian Science Monitor agrees, saying that many Western leaders suspect Iran of trying to emulate North Korea's secretive development of nuclear weapons:
... And as both nations continue to command international attention for their nuclear programs, it's clear the two countries watch each other for "how to" lessons in nuclear diplomacy.Either the West responds to North Korea's defiance with effective and very painful consequences (to N. Korea), or Iran is further emboldened and continues on with its nuclear development - all but assuring all out war between the West and the Islamic world in what will certainly be a nuclear holocaust. And in spite of Ahmadinejad's vision of the mahdi and the supremacy of Islam, no one on the planet will escape the disaster.... This week, each of these nations has demonstrated its ability to command attention. North Korea said it might disregard past commitments and test-launch a new intercontinental missile, and Iran set a timetable of mid-August for replying to the US and other countries about their package of incentives - later than the US wants.
... For each of the besieged regimes, experts say, an underlying goal is to establish a level of international respect, especially in relations with Washington. To help achieve this, these experts say, the powers of Tehran are no doubt studying the more experienced Kim Jong Il for dos and don'ts, and vice versa.
... "Not only do they watch each other, but they may indeed compare notes," says Jonathan Pollack, a North Korea expert at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Noting that North Korea has supplied Iran with missiles and other technology, he adds, "The North Koreans do have certain on again, off again relations with Iran, so they may do more than just study each other's experiences."
... "I wouldn't be surprised if [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad and other hard-liners in the regime say, 'Why do we back down at the last minute, when you look at the North Koreans and see that they make a threat and carry through - and on the whole that has not been a losing approach for them?' "
Posted by Richard at July 5, 2006 5:13 AM
Articles Related to North Korea:
- North Korea Preparing For Possible Second Nuclear Test ? - Oct 17, 2006
- Was North Korea's Nuke 'More Fizz Than Pop'? Where We Go From Here? - Oct 10, 2006
- Is North Korea The Wrong Focus? - Oct 10, 2006
- Breaking: North Korea conducts first-ever nuclear test (Updated) - Oct 08, 2006
- What Defines 'Cojones' And 'Chutzpah' All In One? - Sep 02, 2006
- Did China Order N Korean Missile Launches? - Jul 07, 2006
- North. Korea Missile Targeted Hawaii: Will The Bush Administration Respond Any Better Than The Inept Team of Albright, Carter, and Clinton? - Jul 07, 2006
- Is North Korea Preparing To Launch More Missile Tests? - Jul 06, 2006
- North Korea Defies West And Launches Six Missiles, Including Taepodong 2 - Jul 04, 2006
