Clinton: North Korea More Dangerous Than Iraq

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said on Saturday during a book tour that North Korea is more dangerous than Iraq.

While visiting the Netherlands to promote his new biography, in an interview with the daily NRC Handelsblad, Clinton said, “North Korea is the most isolated country in the world, and it cannot properly feed its people. However, its million-strong armed forces, powerful missiles, and ability to attack South Korea are very threatening.”

However, the former president said the U.S. is not likely to launch a preemptive attack against North Korea, referring to President George W. Bush and the difficulties of the preemptive U.S. attack against Iraq.

“Preemptive attack is right in principle but has no satisfactory effect. Neoconservatives of Bush’s administration incited preemptive attack against Iraq, but they underestimated the difficulties of securing public safety and transplanting democracy,” pointed out Clinton. He added, “President Bush branded North Korea as part of an ‘axis of evil,’ along with Iran and Iraq, but he is recently taking an attitude of appeasement toward North Korea. It is because he wants to show that relations with North Korea have improved before the U.S. presidential election in November.”

Hyung-June Park lovesong@donga.com