THE DPRK JOINS THE NUCLEAR TERRORIST GANG
(Comments: tony.papard@btinternet.com)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (i.e. North Korea) has now conducted a nuclear test, and so has joined the gang of nuclear terrorist nations which threaten innocent populations with annihilation.
Nuclear weapons are morally indefensible, illegal weapons of mass destruction which target innocent populations completely indiscriminately. There can be no justification for any nation either acquiring these horrific weapons, nor holding on to them.
The hypocrisy of the other nuclear powers condemning the DPRK for acquiring nuclear weapons when they themselves refuse to give up their own illegal nuclear arsenals, is astounding in its arrogance and double standards. All the nuclear powers are committed, under international treaties, to getting rid of their nuclear weapons, but instead USA and UK, among others, are planning a new generation of nuclear weapons in defiance of all these treaties.
Whilst nuclear weapons have proved militarily useless in countless wars, they are held on to as status symbols. They did not help the nuclear powers in conflicts such as the Korean, Vietnamese, Soviet-Afghanistan wars. Nor in the various conflicts between Israel and its neighbors. Nuclear weapons did not deter Argentina from reclaiming the Malvinas (Falklands). All that can be said is that they might deter the nuclear power itself from being attacked if the other side believes the nuclear threat will actually be carried out. However even this is doubtful in this age of suicide bombers. Nuclear weapons certainly did not prevent 9/11 or the other terrorist attacks on nuclear powers.
In any case, it can never be justified to annihilate thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians for any reason whatsoever, and to do so would invite a nuclear response and a world-wide holocaust. These dangerous weapons of mass destruction must be scrapped, and the older nuclear powers must set an example by starting this process themselves and getting rid of all nuclear weapons in the world by international agreement, inspection and verification. This must apply to all states, including USA and UK - they must throw open their nuclear facilities to UN inspectors if they are to expect countries like Iran and the DPRK to do the same.
Nuclear weapons do not make us safe. The fact that nuclear powers threaten innocent populations with these illegal weapons only encourages terrorism from others. How can Tony Blair and George Bush convince potential terrorists that it is wicked to destroy the World Trade Center and thousands of lives, or to explode bombs in buses and trains, if they themselves are planning to destroy whole cities in certain circumstances? By holding on to nuclear weapons, are we not making it much more likely that terrorists will get hold of a nuclear device and use it against us? Suicide bombers are certainly not going to be deterred by any threat of nuclear retaliation, nor are nations led by religious fanatics willing to risk nuclear suicide. In USA itself there are right-wing religious fanatics, dangerously close to the President, who positively welcome a nuclear holocaust and look forward to it, believing it is foretold in the Bible and that they and their families will be saved by being taken up in the Rapture.
The world is becoming an ever more dangerous place, far too dangerous to allow the spread of nuclear weapons, which must be scrapped everywhere. Permanent UN inspection teams must be put in place in every country in the world to insure nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction are a) destroyed and b) never produced again. This can only be realistically achieved if all countries throw open their doors to UN inspectors without exception.
If the existing nuclear powers say these weapons are essential for their defense, as a deterrent, then every other country in the world can say the same. Would the world be a safer place if every country had its own nuclear arsenal, thus greatly increasing the risk of nuclear conflict, and of terrorists/suicide bombers getting hold of these weapons? Most certainly not.
This is total madness. Nuclear weapons must be abolished world-wide by international agreement as soon as possible. You can't single out one or two countries like the DPRK or Iran and say they can't have nuclear weapons, whilst other countries can.
After the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan by USA and UK, is it any wonder other countries which feel threatened by US/UK imperialism are encouraged to acquire nuclear technology? If nuclear weapons have spread to the DPRK and possibly to Iran in the near future two countries are to blame more than anyone else - the USA and the UK.