US: North Korea, Iran Are WMD Threats

The Pentagon named North Korea and Iran as hostile states that either possess or are seeking to possess weapons of mass destruction in its latest Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) on February 3.

The report, the first of its kind since 9/11, was written based on a U.S. Defense Department review in March 2005 on defense strategies against terror. The review said the war would be a long one.

The report named North Korea and Iran as potential enemies with regard to the prevention of possession and use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by enemy states and non-state actors. “These actors may not respond to traditional tools and concepts of deterrence,” the report said.

The report claims that North Korea has pursued nuclear and biochemical weapons while selling arms, including long distance missiles, and WMD technology to “states of concern.”

The report also says that diplomatic and economic measures, in addition to active measures like the WMD Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) need to be taken to prevent the acquisition of WMD by hostile states and non-state actors.

The Pentagon is planning the creation of a joint task force to lead and manage special operations efforts to defeat non-state threats against the U.S. and its allies before they mature. The Pentagon has already announced plans to create special operations units from the U.S. Marine Corps and increase the size of existing army, navy, and air force special operations forces by 15 percent.

The report will be submitted to the U.S. Congress by President George W. Bush, along with a defense budget of $439.3 billion for 2007, on February 6.

Soon-Taek Kwon maypole@donga.com