Posted by
Jay Noble on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 7:37:49 PM
The United States has reassured Japan that we will defend it against an attack from North Korea. The United States has a treaty obligating us to defend Japan from attack; it's one of the incentives for Japan not to develop nuclear weapons. Therefore, one might reasonably ask why is it necessary for the U.S. to offer up this reassurance.
I have previously written that Iran and the Jihadists are watching our reaction (or lack of reaction) to the North Korean nuclear test. Will our words of warning carry along actual consequences sufficient to punish and deter the North Koreans? Or will we be exposed as all bark and no bite? It's not only the bad guys who are watching, our allies are measuring us also. What they have seen cannot be encouraging. Consider that, so far at least, and despite all our huffing and puffing, we have yet to take any meaningful action to stop the North Korean nuclear program. We have not halted Iran's march toward nuclear weapons capability. Consider also that a large segment of the population of this country and one of its major political parties seem determined to beat a hasty retreat from Iraq, if in a position to do so, causing our commitment that nation be considered shaky at best. Under the circumstances, the Japanese have every right to seek a public recommitment.
In matters affecting the decision for war or peace, a nation's credibility counts for more than its military capability. American credibility has suffered a serious blow with the North Korean test, and their promise to continue with more testing in the face of our tough talk. We keep drawing lines in the sand that North Korea continues to walk over. Our reaction has been to run to the U.N., the one place guaranteed to do nothing that actually affects the situation. We have tied ourselves to the U.N. Security Council in the handling this situation, with predictable lack of results. The Iranians are taking note and drawing conclusions.
We cannot continue down this path and expect our warnings to be taken seriously by the North Koreans or Iranians. Our enemies have yet to be taught the price of their contempt. They perceive in the United States a lack of resolve which serves to embolden them. The stage is being set for tragic miscalculations in certain world capitals, the price of which will be measured in human lives.