Center for International Policy

Bush's Reninciations of treaties are troubling
By Jim Mullins, CIP Senior Fellow
South Florida Sun-Sentinel - 10/09/2004

Ever since nuclear weapons were conceived and demonstrated to be the ultimate horror - having the ability to destroy the world as we know it - efforts have been made to limit their production in states that possess them to stop their spread to other states and to eliminate them eventually.

The Comprehensive Test Ban, Nuclear Nonproliferation and Anti-Ballistic Missile treaties were negotiated with American leadership and support as a means to alleviate the fear and dread that the specter of nuclear war engenders in all hears.

Fear of a "mushroom cloud" loosed by terrorists in league with Saddam Hussein was one of the propaganda devices that enabled President Bush to stampede the public and Congress into invading Iraq based on now-discredited premises. His renunciations of international treaties, particularly on nuclear issues, are deeply troubling.

He abrogated the ABM Treaty; he failed to support ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty signed by President Clinton; and his unilateral pre-emptive approach to war, in defiance of U.N. commitments, has made a mockery of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty - resulting in a rush to acquire nuclear weapons. North Korea most likely has a few, Iran is suspected and Brazil and South Korea have expressed interest.

His reference in last week's debate to "diplomacy" in the case of North Korea, the most dangerous by far, requires a second look. When the Cold War ended, North Korea was cast adrift and the United States, expecting its imminent collapse, continued sanctions. It then began to store plutonium fuel rods from its electric plants as a bargaining chip.

The Clinton administration forged the 1994 agreement whereby North Korea would put the rods in storage and the U.S. would supply fuel oil to generate electricity temporary. In the meantime, a consortium including Japan, South Korea and the U.S. would collaborate on building two light water reactors (with no nuclear application) by 2003, heading to North Korean independence from foreign oil for electricity generation.

The U.S. did nothing to hold up its end of the bargain, leaving South Korea and Japan holding the bag for the $1.2 billion investment and North Korea dependent on U.S. welfare for sporadic oil shipments.

Kim Dae-jumg, South Korea's first democratically elected president, began his "Sunshine Policy" opening to the North. It was achieving success when he made a state visit to Washington, where Bush publicly reprimanded him for dealing with North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il. The president cut off all diplomatic relations with North Korea and later publicly called its leader a "pygmy" and declared that "I loathe" him.

In last week's debate, the president said that North Korea had violated the 1994 agreement by enriching uranium.

It may have violated the spirit of the agreement, but the facts are that uranium enrichment was not prohibited in the agreement and that the United States violated its commitment in other instances, including "steps to normalize relations" and assurances ruling out "the threat or use of nuclear weapons" against North Korea.

North Korea is steadfast in its terms. It will: end the effort to produce weapons-grade uranium; continue to abide by existing safeguards on plutonium-based nuclear facilities shut down under the 1994 agreement; and accept whatever inspections and verification measures are deemed necessary by the United States.

The U.S. in turn would be obliged to: make a public pledge not to stage a pre-emptive attack on North Korea; sign a peace agreement ending the Korean War, replacing the 1953 Armistice; normalize diplomatic relations, opening the way for economic aid from U.S.-controlled multilateral financial institutions.

The U.S. refuses to "consider" negotiation until North Korea complies will all its proposed concessions. Bush considers this proposal "diplomacy," after he had called North Korea a member of the "axis of evil" and reserved the right under his 2002 national security doctrine to strike North Korea preemptively at his discretion. Japan, China, and others have been brought in, in a figleaf attempt to sway North Korea to accept the unacceptable.

Bush took credit in the debate for his diplomacy in Libya's proffered renunciation of nuclear weaponry. The fact is that Great Britain, France and Italy took the initiative in negotiating the deal over a period of years.

Tony Blair sealed the agreement with Maommar Gadhafi in person, by flying to Libya and resuming full diplomatic relations on March 24. The United States followed three months later, on June 28.

Bush confuses open bullying, threats and name-calling with diplomacy. Reviving the nuclear threat, thus legitimating others to acquire nuclear technology, has made America and the world more fearful and far less secure.