U.S. Might Use Force against N. Korean Regime

Former CIA director James Woolsey (photo) hinted that the United States could resort to force to deter North Korea from developing nuclear weapons, reported the Sankei Shimbun on Saturday.

In a speech addressed in Tokyo, Woolsey said: "There`s no guarantee that the North Korean regime will not enrich plutonium and threaten the United States and Japan. We also do not know whether it would not trade warheads with terrorist groups."

"China has the key to a peaceful solution of the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula,” he stressed. “If Beijing fails to persuade North Korea into giving up its nuclear ambitions, we may have to consider using force as the last resort."

The Bush Administration is developing small-sized nuclear warheads to deter countries with new nuclear weapons programs, reported the New York Times yesterday.

On Saturday, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee passed the 2004 Intelligence Spending bill after fierce debate. The appropriations bill has to pass through the House Intelligence Committee and a joint session of Congress. In the process, heated debate is expected to ensue.

If the bill gets passed in Congress, it would allow development of small nuclear weapons. Democrats, who oppose the passage, argue, "Abolition of the ban would trigger nuclear proliferation around the world."

Bush Administration officials and Republicans argue for the abolition and contend that America needs a new type of nuclear weapon to deter countries in the process of arming themselves with nuclear warheads. They point out that the devastating effect of traditional weapons of mass destruction disqualifies them from operating as a practical nuclear deterrent.

Kwan-Hee Hong Hun-Joo Cho konihong@donga.com hanscho@donga.com