North Korea is a foreign policy headache for Barack Obama that will only grow worse with time. Reportedly, North Korea is now reprocessing its nuclear fuel rods. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry stated that it is doing so to build new nuclear weapons so that it can “bolster its nuclear deterrence for self-defence,” according to the AP.
North Korea
North Korea has been brazenly challenging Barack Obama since his election. As we reported here, North Korea launched a ballistic missile in defiance of the international community earlier this month. The United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned the April 9th launch.
Now, the North Korean state media is reporting that the country’s scientists have been reprocessing nuclear fuel rods since April 14. Reprocessing nuclear fuel rods is a necessary step in building radioactive material used in nuclear weapons. The United Nations and the United States have stated in the past that the continuation of a nuclear weapons program by North Korea would lead to economic sanctions. North Korea responded, as reported here, that sanctions by any country would be a declaration of war.
All of this occurred as North Korea is holding two American citizens for “hostile acts” against North Korea. As we reported here, American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are being detained by North Korea and will stand trial after being arrested while filming a documentary near the North Korea-China border.
The message to Barack Obama is pretty clear. North Korea can fire a long-range missile that can hit any American ally in the region, and possibly parts of the United States. North Korea is now trying to modernize its nuclear weapons capabilities by reprocessing more fuel rods. North Korea is holding two Americans in jail, possibly for years. Essentially, North Korea is now spitting in Barack Obama’s face and daring him to do something about it.
Each brazen act seems to be an attempt to test our new administration, to see whether the United States has the strength/resolve to act against its sworn enemy
Obama cannot try to create a new, more open relationship with North Korea as he is with Iran, as we reported here. North Korea, which blames the United States for every major problem on earth, would likely laugh at such an overture. The only thing North Korea understands is force and the threat of harm.
Is Obama willing to take a stand?
April 25th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Obama will talk ‘em out of it, the sissy.
April 25th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Kim Jong 11 is a Stalin creation. If Stalin hadn’t thrown russian support behind Kim Jong 1 after world war 11, there probably would be no North Korea today, just a Korea. He gave his father tanks too that put them in the game. And if China hadn’t bailed out his father when he was losing the Korean war when we were occupying Pyongang the matter would have been settled decades ago with all of Korea enjoying a much higher standard of living and Democracy. Clearly its still a criminal regieme dependent on bullying with earth’s most deadly weopons while it iself remains steeped high in paranoia, family rule, and a cult of personality. That’s all it has. Frankly there is no way it can come to peaceful terms with its neighbors when by definition its a closed paranoid criminal regieme that keeps all power in a family dynasty. Its not so different in ways from Jonestown expcept it makes no pretense of being for the common good. That’s not going to change.
April 25th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Brian, I agree. There is no peaceful resolution to this. North Korea is essentially the world’s biggest cult and will only fall through force. Eventually, it will grow so desperate that it will instigate violence. The only question now is whether they do so with nuclear weapons, or conventional weapons…
April 25th, 2009 at 11:52 am
I’m equally pi$$ed at this and the previous administration for letting things get to this level.
Un f*ckin believable. Unbelievable.
I predict we will have to destroy this capabilty before they sell it to the wrong people and that Obama will battle with the obvious choice more than any leader should. International sales is their intent as its quite obvious for the simple reason that the country has no domestic product or foreign trade to speak of beside the sales of nuclear arms. In addition, If I’m correct during this last test firing Kim was hosting representatives from Iran to witness the testing so I can only assume that theres a vested interest on the part of Iran to buy these suckers.
Yesterday on FOX I heard a report that that N. Korea has attained the ability to miniaturize the technology to the point it can be delivered by way of the missles they just showed us were very capable and that they do in fact have nuclear weapons.
At first I thought what I’d heard was missing something and I hadnt gotten the whole story. Two hours later I heard much the same thing.
I’m really pi$$ed that this has been allowed to go this far and sure as hell hope its not a sign of whats to come in the face of these threats. I’m really worried because as much I’m angry at this and the last admin. my fear is that the tail end of this, the most dangerous part, is in the hands of a pacifistic delusional idiot.
April 25th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Lets not forget how Obama and Zardari are letting the Taliban march as close as they want to Pakistans nukes.
Whopeeeeee !
Really, Obama should drop all this retroactive prosecution of the previous admin. and start worrying about more pressing matters
April 25th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
This is bad. But that’s good. But still, it’s bad. But it’s good because it shows how bad Obama is. And that’s good. Good for us. But bad for them. So bad is good. And good is bad. But if this is true, and Obama is bad, then he must really be good. And anything he does good, must really be bad. Therefore, since his good is bad, and his bad is good, HE’S THE ANTI-CHRIST! Case closed.
April 25th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
obama is NOT the anti-christ
the anti-christ would never marry a woman with a butt as big as michelle’s
April 25th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Not only is there the threat of these crazy countries like North Korea and Iran using these weapons on us and our allies, there is the possibility they could sell nuclear weapons to less scrupulent, less responsible, and more insane terrorist groups who don’t need a missile delivery system.
Iran is practically funding Hamas, Al-qaeda, and the Taliban. Who’s to say they wouldn’t sell nuclear secrets to them either?
April 25th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Lisa is on to something. Can we consider Michelle Obama’s ass a weapon of mass destruction?
April 26th, 2009 at 6:39 am
As suspected, the NK missile test was only a prequel to what was to come. This is a very dangerous situation and one that cannot be allowed to continue.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:21 am
North Korean Big Balls Confirmed…
I told you North Korea had big balls. I was right. I told you it was showing off its mojo mostly to boost its leadership image. I was right. Now Kim Jong II defies the international community again. Like all bad Commies, the North Koreans simply cannot…
April 28th, 2009 at 12:37 am
again im confounded by everyones death cry for North Korea. America has nuclear weapons and they are the only ones I know who have used them in a combat situation to kill. So its ok for americans to do it but the rest of the world is evil if they have them? I love the way they say “the UN and America” as if the UN is not America, and at the same time the US is a puppet for the UN.
I find this extremely funny Americans are so mad over N. Korea standing their ground agaisnt the US government. And the fact that their are people out there that will not be dictated their country policies to them by the USA tickles me to no end. I may not like North Korea or agree with their political rule, or even method of governing the people there. But I certainly respect thier backbone.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
All I can say is the Goverments around the world need to take this Loney out of the picture before it gets worse… Why they havent in the past.. I have know idea.. but it will only get worse and worse… TAKE THE LEAP GOVERMENTS!!!!!… what are you waiting for… its quiet obvious N Korea wants war… pushing the barriers… South Korea is a nice peaceful place North Korea is the Opp… Its Hell…