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Reply to commenter Eric Withee

Reader comment on item: Korean Delusions [of Appeasement]

Submitted by Sammy Finkelman (United States), Oct 23, 2002 at 14:51

EW> "The Administration knew about the North Korean nuclear arms for 12 days before they released the information. Why did they wait? Answer: they were waiting for the vote on Iraq to get passed first."

I don't believe that: the real reason was that they were trying to process the information.

It should be clear anyway that what was new here was North Korea's admission. It had been suspected and should have been suspected by everyone, of cheating anyway.

It would have affected the debate, but not the outcome.

People might say what if North Korea gives its nuclear material to Iraq. They wer speculatimng about other kinds of sources in the debate but not North Korea.

> They knew that this knowledge would shift the dynamic of the vote in Congress.

No, just alter sopme of the speeches.

> Because all the arguments used to justify striking Iraq now apply doubly so for
> North Korea.

You have two arguments or three for dealing with Iraq first

1) It's too late with North Korea and/or China will protect it

2) North Korea is more deterrable (for now - remember one of the dangers of nuclear proliefartion is what will happen after a change of leadership) North Korea seriousl;y contemplated an invasion during the 1990s but didn't do it. Saddam Hussein is more likely to give the go-ahead decision sooner.

3) There is no reason to fight two wars at the same time if you can avoid it. Iraq is easier and will serve as an object lesson. But if we wait, North Korea and Iraq might strike up an alliance, and a war on two fronts together like Egyot and Syria did in 1973, for instance.


> The debates in Congress would have been much more interesting if this
> information had been widely spread prior to the debate.

That is true.

> I think the vote might not have even happened.

The only vote that might have been different was on the Graham amendment which wanted to authorize the president to go against other countries as well (he had in mind mostly Iran and Syria)
Submitting....

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Reader comments (34) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
What problems must be overcome? [42 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ty SeldenMar 8, 2003 19:497144
Problems with Reunification [77 words]BrianApr 2, 2007 12:337144
Let South Korea Reunify [123 words]David PaulJan 17, 2003 13:395830
Mr. Pipes actually learns from history [398 words]Doug DuncanJan 6, 2003 01:525510
It's the Arabs appeasing the US [120 words]A disagreerOct 28, 2002 12:403356
3 Quibbles [180 words]William KinneyOct 27, 2002 15:133337
Reply to commenter Eric Withee [349 words]Sammy FinkelmanOct 23, 2002 14:513223
Time will tell... [42 words]Jeff LermanOct 21, 2002 19:383165
Here's a good question.. [94 words]Jon WOct 19, 2002 19:333145
Now with nukes! [60 words]Ben ShniperOct 18, 2002 16:253138
Why are we still in South Korea? [141 words]Joe CunninghamOct 18, 2002 13:123134
Yes, it did begin in 1979--I was there. [244 words]Gregory C. Colan, Esq.Oct 11, 2002 13:433051
Don't forget the 800-lb. gorilla [346 words]jackstpaulOct 10, 2002 19:473036
Key causes [65 words]Robert EinarssonOct 10, 2002 19:473035
Removing the tripwire? [31 words]mccOct 10, 2002 13:093024
Another Reason [76 words]Fred GlassOct 10, 2002 02:363015
Sign of Maturity [221 words]Bob GreeneOct 10, 2002 01:403010
Awakening? [97 words]Yale ZussmanOct 10, 2002 00:583008
Thank You for Showing us the Big Picture [69 words]Rachel NeuwirthOct 9, 2002 17:472997
We should fix Korea first.... [186 words]J. E. WitheeOct 9, 2002 17:342996
People need hope [60 words]Mark FeldsteinOct 9, 2002 17:232995
Playing into the left wing's hand [147 words]Harry JohnsonOct 9, 2002 14:492993
A brewing disaster [29 words]Isaac BotbolOct 9, 2002 13:062991
China's Role? [57 words]Peter WestreOct 9, 2002 11:332988
Reunification at all costs? [297 words]Joshua TruaxOct 9, 2002 11:272987
Timely Observation and Analogy [209 words]Ken HamiltonOct 9, 2002 11:032986
Thoughts on Korea [219 words]M. SmithOct 9, 2002 10:382984
Not often wrong, but wrong never the less. [349 words]Roy JacobsOct 9, 2002 10:362983
NIce guys finish last, and often dead [43 words]"JB" in PGHOct 9, 2002 10:302982
More dangerous than Iraq [27 words]Thomas JonesOct 9, 2002 09:582980
American Civil War [53 words]Victor LipshutzOct 9, 2002 09:542979
Western Delusions [52 words]Adam GreavesOct 9, 2002 08:342978
We too [41 words]George ValdshteinOct 9, 2002 07:222977
Good article [20 words]Steve NorthOct 9, 2002 06:092975

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