In an extreme situation N. Korea could sell its nuclear capability to al-Qaeda

In an extreme situation N. Korea could sell its nuclear capability to al-Qaeda
In an extreme situation N. Korea could sell its nuclear capability to al-Qaeda - Sputnik International
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The latest North Korean nuclear test was not just a political act. Pyongyang is actively developing its nuclear capabilities. This is the opinion of Dr. Charles M. Perry, which he expressed in an interview with RIA Novosti. Dr. Charles M. Perry is vice president and director of studies at the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis, Inc., and vice president of National Security Planning Associates, Inc.

 

North Korea wants to be accepted as a nuclear power before they seriously do anything to remove those weapons, if they have a word. I’m kind of skeptical. I did support and I still support the six-party process. Now that we don’t have the six-party, the five, including Russia, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and, of course, most importantly China, need to redouble their efforts to bring some pressure. It is becoming very serious in terms of the North developing nuclear capabilities. We are not sure exactly what happened in the test, whether it was full success or not. The nature of the test was more operationally oriented than just a diplomatic bomb to create an effect. The implications are a little bit more serious.

There was some news coming from Moscow that the explosion would be much larger like 20 kilotons, which I think would be more along the demonstration model, a diplomatic kind of effort. But the fact is it looks like it was not, it was below 10 kilotons, which means it is more of an operational work in progress to create a capability that would in time possibly be a marriage to their missile and in time be of interest to a country or a group that they might choose to transfer things to. So, it comes to the real consequence of it, the real concern. We have to respond, we have to bring some sanctions, some pressure.

Maybe along this, Bank of Macau type model, the financial pressure that can hurt the leadership a bit more than the people, hopefully. And they did seem to pay attention to that kind of thing in the past. We have to tighten the screws. But, of course, when you tighten the screws, you should worry about what it means in terms of collapse or true isolation to the extent that the North has so little access to economic, financial support from the outside that they have nothing to sell but their nuclear capabilities. And if they really are refining them to the level that al-Qaeda or some other operative might want them.

In an extreme situation, where they see themselves even more isolated than they are now with traditional, if not allies, supporters like China really coming down hard, they might really then take that next step of exporting, selling their nuclear capability. And that’s the biggest danger from the U.S. prospective, certainly, and I think, broadly in the region, Japan, and the UN community.

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