A Victory For the US…Unless the Deal to Make it Happen Erodes Our Security

Nick Zahn / August 04, 2009

It can’t be helped that Bill Clinton’s presence in Pyongyang sends a message. Another, less prestigious envoy may have been more appropriate. But he’s there, and it looks like he will be bringing the reporters home. Certainly that is cause for celebration. Unfortunately, there is no doubt that Kim Jong-il will see such a high level visit as a win, providing him incentive to perpetuate provocative action, including the ongoing development of missile technology and atomic weapons. The photo-ops of the trip already point to this.

The greater danger, however, is that past mistakes will be repeated. In 1994, as now, pressure was building on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. Former President Jimmy Carter came to the rescue. He came back with an offer from Kim Jong-il’s father to freeze the program. In exchange, the then Clinton Administration dropped its effort to bring pressure to bear on North Korea and began down a road that led to the ill-fated 1994 Framework Agreement, an agreement that, among other things, promised delivery to North Korea of two nuclear power plants and heavy fuel oil. In 2002, it was discovered that they were cheating on their end of the agreement. (more…)