Time for Diplomacy

We don’t have the military resources to mount an effective invasion and occupation of Iran or North Korea. This statement is whispered often but rarely stated outright by anyone that wishes it could be otherwise. We have used so many resources and personnel in our attempt to control the nation of Iraq that the Administration has no choice but to look to a diplomatic solution to the threats posed by North Korea and Iran. Both of these countries are in blatant defiance of international agreement and are pursuing not only weapons of mass destruction but also the means to deliver them. The administration’s position on Korea is to continue to demand that diplomacy come only from 6 party talks. This puts China in the lead in the negotiation process. China is one of the few countries left that trade with North Korea. The Chinese don’t have to be concerned with Kim John Il’s nuclear and missile capacity. China is the last country Korea would attack. America may well be the first target on Korea’s list but we refuse to talk directly to the government that could cause us peril. By putting China in the driver’s seat in regards to the negotiation process has given them undue and unnecessary influence in the region. The Bush administration has been pushing the “6 party talks” idea since they came into office, but in that time we have seen no diplomatic progress. On the contrary, the relations and tensions between North Korea and ourselves have only gotten worse. It is time to put the future of our national security in the hands of our diplomats and negotiators and out of the hands of the Chinese and Russians. Our security is not the responsibility of the Chinese. They can’t be expected to put our interests ahead of their own. This was a point the President was trying to make when he criticized John Kerry’s “global test” statement. Given that we don’t have the military resources to remove the North Korean regime the way we did in Iraq, it is up to our diplomats to secure our safety, not the Chinese.
Likewise in Iran we have let the Russians and Europeans lead the way in confronting President Ahmadinejad. Iran doesn’t pose a threat to Moscow except in the form of the trade they would lose if the Russians pushed too hard for Iranian compliance. Russia doesn’t need Iranian oil, but we do. Iran has been a consistent supporter of terror groups acting against the west. The Iranian government went so far as to not stamp the passports of some of the 9/11 hijackers when they passed through that country on their way to the U.S. This made it easier for these terrorists to enter the country without alerting the authorities. The connection between 9/11 and Iran is much more real than any perceived Iraq involvement but we no longer have the resources to invade Iran. Our security is now the responsibility of our diplomats not the those in the global community. Perhaps I am too willing to make deals with our enemies. Had we more military resources at hand today I might be more “hawkish”. The fact is we are no longer able to bully the world with bluster. Even the President has toned down his “bring it on.“ rhetoric. Should we let the Russians or Chinese make the deals so we can save face? Allow them to make the compromises so we can appear uncompromising. When I look to the recent events in Israel and Lebanon I see what can come from uncompromising resolve. The administration has supported Israeli action as it destroys Lebanese infrastructure. Hezbollah terrorist kidnapped two Israeli soldiers with demands of a prisoner exchange. During the cold war we often made prisoner exchanges with the Soviets. We compromised with our enemy because we respected their military power. Why can’t we show Arab states the same respect? What do we have to loose except the chance at peace? Will we continue our disengaged support of the conflicted if Iran involves itself? What will the new government of Iraq do if it’s borders are breached again, this time by Iranian forces? 4 years ago Saddam Hussein was contained in a box of sanctions and military threats. As time goes on I feel as though that box is now closing in on us. Let us all hope that our diplomats are savvy enough to talk us out of it.