Strong Sanctions and Strong Diplomacy for North Korea
Dear President Bush,
Strong international sanctions are needed in response to North Korea’s nuclear test, but so is strong diplomacy. The United States needs to be willing to talk with both friends and enemies.
In the five years since you labeled North Korea an “axis of evil”, Kim Jong Il’s government has withdrawn from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, announced that it has nuclear weapons, refused to return to six nation talks and launched seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including a long range Taepodong-2, and has now conducted a nuclear weapons test. The current policy has been a failure: it’s time to change course.
As proposed by Center for International Policy director Selig Harrison, I urge you to enter into bilateral negotiations with North Korea, press them to suspend further nuclear and missile tests while negotiations on normalization proceed and freeze plutonium production, and make a firm, timebound commitment to return to the six-party talks.
Sincerely,
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