Another region the report cited as a trouble spot: North Korea, are known to have weapons grade plutonium. The ISSS report said North Korea had obtained enough plutonium to build between five and eleven nuclear weapons. I say, “If it hasn’t already built them.” The report also mentions that all attempts at a diplomatic solution have failed, largely because, based on his past actions (threaten-use force-think later) and handling of this matter the Pyontang government are suspicious of Bush and his commitment to diplomacy, they believe he has “hostile intent.”
Scaring China with the threat of U.S military action has never really worked either, though the latest method of trying to increase influence by increased trade, while China, cited as another possible flashpoint continues to increase defence budgets and amass WMD’s. Whether this will increase American influence in Chinese affairs is yet to be seen, but it is already showing other “rogue” states that if you want to be able to do as you please in your own country and make your own interpretations on international law (and you’re not America). WMD’s are the way to go if you don’t want to be invaded.
Iran is another example of this, which, between the two will no doubt lead to others. Despite the escalation of all these regions “troubles” into possible “flashpoints” for international crisis, largely being unintended consequences of Bush Jnr’s Threat first-Use Force-Think Later attitude to foreign policy. The U.S administration response to the report sounds like the same old message:
The pentagon is changing its emphasis in “a new strategic environment,” with a 46% increase in its military combat power by 2008, emphasis on highly mobile Special Forces, greater precision-strike capability and new naval “expeditionary and littoral” forces.
The U.S administration has clearly learned nothing from Afghanistan and Iraq, or its own message: “direct force should only be used as a last resort in a diplomatic world.” Blair and especially Bush seem keen to thrust diplomacy upon everyone else, (contradicting themselves) with the direct force they advocate. Democracy by definition is something that is chosen, projected democracy will never work for the best. Even the U.K had to endure many years of brutal civil wars before establishing lasting democracy. The pentagon demonstrates further stupidity in its (above) “long war” doctrine, by predicting that the “War on Terror” will morph into an indefinite global struggle. I think the IISS report shows it already has, don’t you?