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Skunk · 01-22-2003, 10:04 AM

There seems to be this bizzare idea that the North Korean issue started in October - it didn't - it started much further back. There also seems to be an idea that North Korea is entirely to blame for what's happening and that the US is the injured party. That isn't true either. Allow me to provide you with a history lesson:

In the 1980's, North Korea started to build a cheap Nuclear plant at Yongbyon. This plant, by it's very design, was capable of producing fuel for Nuclear weapons. North Korea was also planning to build two even larger reactors (of the same type) to meet its energy needs.

Nuclear power is much cheaper than fossil fuel and N.Korea was/is not exactly a wealthy nation. At the time, N.Korea had not signed the Non-Nuclear weapons Proliferation Treaty - so it was perfectly within its rights. It's main objection to signing the NPT was that the treaty calls for various monitoring practices that signigicantly adds to the costs of building and maintaining the plants (very heavy inspections and monitoring goes on - resulting in big delays of any new and ongoing project).

In walks the US with an attractive deal.
Sign the NPT, abandon your weapons reasearch and allow monitoring of the reactors and we will guarantee that:

1. The US, South Korea and Japan will provide you (for free) with the Nuclear reactors.
2. We will open up our markets and allow free economic assistance and aid.

As a result of the deal, North Korea signs the NPT in 1985.

What went wrong:
1. The US delayed the constuction of the nuclear plants and did not provide the promised economic assistance (the US went even further by maintaining economic sanctions) - so N.Korea only mothballed its weapons and nuclear research and building programs, holding out until the completion of the plants.

In 1992, irritated by the delay and broken promises, N.Korea hands in its notice to withdraw from the NPT (its legal right).

Carter rushes in to sooth the pain and broker a deal, and the US offers an interim deal (signed two years later in 1994):

While said reactors are being built, we (The US, South Korea and Japan) will provide you with free fuel oil to power your fossil fuel plants.

Since 1994, the promised nuclear plants *still* have not been constructed (construction has barely moved) and N.Korea is *still* under economic sanctions from the US. Because the construction was sooo far behind schedule, N.Korea denies the inspectors regular (costly and time consuming) spot visits on the grounds that nothing has changed in those sites and that the inspections would lead to yet further delays (currently 6 years behind schedule). Another issue that North Korea was getting angry with was Washington unilateral addtional conditions being attached on the fuel shipments, notably on attaching budgetary conditions on the fuel aid (which in turn led to that being delayed too), and demands for 'political reform' (also outside the agreement).

Notwithstanding, North Korea did allow the sites to be monitored and did allow permanent monitoring equipment to be installed. It also allowed the international monitors a permenant office in the capitol.

Bill Clinton goes, Bush comes to office and 9/11 becomes reality. US policy towards N.Korea becomes even harsher calling it part of an 'Axis of Evil'.

One can only guess why N.Korea admits to its mothballed nuclear weapons program recently, but I would guess that it was to be a reminder to the US that the problem has not gone away - North Korea wants the US to fulfill its part of the 1994 agreement - the public 'disclosure' of the nuclear weapons program is there to remind it. (The US almost certainly knew of its existence).

Bush reacts (October) by withdrawing the fuel aid guaranteed by the 1994 agreement. After a month's delay and the fuel shipment not arriving, North Korea begins anew its nuclear plant construction itself. Guess it was tired of broken promises and brown-outs for 20 years...

01-22-2003, 10:04 AM	#9
Skunk Banned User Join Date: September 3, 2001 Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Age: 63 Posts: 1,463	There seems to be this bizzare idea that the North Korean issue started in October - it didn't - it started much further back. There also seems to be an idea that North Korea is entirely to blame for what's happening and that the US is the injured party. That isn't true either. Allow me to provide you with a history lesson: In the 1980's, North Korea started to build a cheap Nuclear plant at Yongbyon. This plant, by it's very design, was capable of producing fuel for Nuclear weapons. North Korea was also planning to build two even larger reactors (of the same type) to meet its energy needs. Nuclear power is much cheaper than fossil fuel and N.Korea was/is not exactly a wealthy nation. At the time, N.Korea had not signed the Non-Nuclear weapons Proliferation Treaty - so it was perfectly within its rights. It's main objection to signing the NPT was that the treaty calls for various monitoring practices that signigicantly adds to the costs of building and maintaining the plants (very heavy inspections and monitoring goes on - resulting in big delays of any new and ongoing project). In walks the US with an attractive deal. Sign the NPT, abandon your weapons reasearch and allow monitoring of the reactors and we will guarantee that: 1. The US, South Korea and Japan will provide you (for free) with the Nuclear reactors. 2. We will open up our markets and allow free economic assistance and aid. As a result of the deal, North Korea signs the NPT in 1985. What went wrong: 1. The US delayed the constuction of the nuclear plants and did not provide the promised economic assistance (the US went even further by maintaining economic sanctions) - so N.Korea only mothballed its weapons and nuclear research and building programs, holding out until the completion of the plants. In 1992, irritated by the delay and broken promises, N.Korea hands in its notice to withdraw from the NPT (its legal right). Carter rushes in to sooth the pain and broker a deal, and the US offers an interim deal (signed two years later in 1994): While said reactors are being built, we (The US, South Korea and Japan) will provide you with free fuel oil to power your fossil fuel plants. Since 1994, the promised nuclear plants still have not been constructed (construction has barely moved) and N.Korea is still under economic sanctions from the US. Because the construction was sooo far behind schedule, N.Korea denies the inspectors regular (costly and time consuming) spot visits on the grounds that nothing has changed in those sites and that the inspections would lead to yet further delays (currently 6 years behind schedule). Another issue that North Korea was getting angry with was Washington unilateral addtional conditions being attached on the fuel shipments, notably on attaching budgetary conditions on the fuel aid (which in turn led to that being delayed too), and demands for 'political reform' (also outside the agreement). Notwithstanding, North Korea did allow the sites to be monitored and did allow permanent monitoring equipment to be installed. It also allowed the international monitors a permenant office in the capitol. Bill Clinton goes, Bush comes to office and 9/11 becomes reality. US policy towards N.Korea becomes even harsher calling it part of an 'Axis of Evil'. One can only guess why N.Korea admits to its mothballed nuclear weapons program recently, but I would guess that it was to be a reminder to the US that the problem has not gone away - North Korea wants the US to fulfill its part of the 1994 agreement - the public 'disclosure' of the nuclear weapons program is there to remind it. (The US almost certainly knew of its existence). Bush reacts (October) by withdrawing the fuel aid guaranteed by the 1994 agreement. After a month's delay and the fuel shipment not arriving, North Korea begins anew its nuclear plant construction itself. Guess it was tired of broken promises and brown-outs for 20 years...