|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
North Korea I: Chaos Could Follow North Korean Regime Change, U.N. Envoy Says By David McGlinchey In Washington to meet with U.S. officials, Maurice Strong spoke at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about his efforts to mediate the North Korean nuclear crisis (see GSN, March 24). He urged a negotiated solution to the standoff and warned that a confrontation — economic or military — could have dire consequences. Some U.S. officials have been pushing for an embargo to pressure and possibly bring down the North Korean leadership of Kim Jong Il (see related GSN story, today). U.S. President George W. Bush has also refused to rule out the use of military force in the crisis, despite the pleas of his South Korean counterpart, Roh Moo-hyun. No one has a plan, however, for developing North Korea in Kim’s wake, according to Strong. “What does it collapse to?” asked Strong, “what is the alternative?” He questioned the potential of a U.S. occupation of North Korea, in the style of present-day Iraq. “If you want regime change, change to what?” he asked. Strong also said that those who were looking for the collapse of the North Korean economy might be late to the party. “One could contend that that has already happened,” Strong said, but “they still survive.” Economic Solution After North Korea is assured its security and the international community feels confident that Pyongyang’s nuclear capability has been dismantled, a settlement to the crisis must include an economic component, according to Strong. The North Korean leadership knows it has to open its economy and “they want to join the Asian economy,” he said. Strong said, however, that strong U.S. leadership in the standoff could provide the most lasting solution since the end of the Korean War. Bush could “place his stamp” as a peacemaker if he settles the nuclear crisis, according to Strong. The situation needed to bring about a lasting peace has “never been more opportune than it is now,” he said. Strong also praised a 10-point plan, recently developed by Representative Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), which includes the dismantling of North Korean nuclear facilities in return for concessions from the United States. Weldon formulated and proposed the plan — which Strong labeled as “very promising” and “ambitious but achievable” — during a recent visit to Pyongyang (see GSN, June 13).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
