North Korea's decision to carry out its second nuclear test on Monday could have far-reaching consequences, if South Korea and Japan conclude that nothing can be done to persuade Pyongyang to denuclearize. Under such circumstances, developing their own nuclear weapons might become increasingly desirable for Seoul and Tokyo. Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala
One of the better analyzes I'm read on North Korea's nuclear tests. Goes in-depth about the US - North Korean dynamic vis a vi nuclear South Asian, and also discusses the regional nuclear dynamics very well.
North Korea has seen how nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in 1998, initially condemned by the international community, were later overlooked as the West came to see those two countries as too important to ignore. Pakistan became the West’s frontline ally in the “war on terror” after September 11, 2001, and received billions of dollars in aid, while India’s rising economic power made it unrealistic to marginalize it. Unfortunately for Pyongyang, it has nothing to offer the rest of the world. Thus, its brinkmanship if anything makes it harder for the US to offer North Korea meaningful rewards.
