Issue 141 (May - June)

p. 11 Al Shindagah | Issue 141 | 11 sticking to deals is abysmal. In less than 18 months he has pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), threatens to withdraw from NAFTA, taken the US out of the Paris Climate Accord – and may be poised to tear-up the Iran nuclear agreement. Standing in Kim’s shoes for a moment, he would be mad to kiss goodbye to his deterrent in light of what happened to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein known to have destroyed his nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in 1991 and, more recently, Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi who renounced weapons of mass destruction in 2003 only to be rewarded with assassination. It is my opinion that the North Korean leader is going through the motions until he can get cast iron guarantees regarding the longevity of his rule and the integrity of his state. He is talking a good talk and being seen internationally in a positive light. He will certainly not believe anything that comes out of President Trump’s mouth, a man who changes his mind on a dime and has surrounded himself with neoconservative war hawks. The only country that may be able to provide the reassurances he needs is China, a country that so far has been kept out of the loop. Relations between Pyongyang and Beijing have cooled recently. China sees North Korea as a powerful buffer between it and the 24,000 US military personnel stationed in the South, not to mention a massive array of US missiles and tanks. With China on board ready to accept North Korea under its nuclear umbrella and concessions from the US to end military exercises and reduce its military footprint, Korea’s reunification in a nuclear-free peninsula could become a reality over time but I will not hold my breath. ©Shutterstock