Saddam is over. Start learning to pronounce Pyongyang, Kin Yong Il and Yongbyon. North Korea will soon be the preeminent enemy of the United States, and hence the focus of the administration's foreign policy worries.

A serious look at the escalating crisis with North Korea will show that we are now reaping the consequences of failed Clinton policy, that we live in a much smaller world, and that President Bush will soon face tough decisions about the possibility preemptive strikes (perhaps even using nuclear weapons).

Unlike with Iraq, nuclear weapons instead of chemical and biological will be the center of attention. Unlike Saddam's best missiles, capable of just over a hundred kilometers, North Korea's best are figured to be capable of thousands of kilometers. North Korea is presumed to have a handful of nuclear weapons, and the capability to quickly produce weapons grade plutonium from spent fuel rods.

After the cold war, Americans have all too often lived complacently - believing that the threat of a devastating nuclear attack on the United States is obsolete. As North Korea continues to act belligerently, and further develops their already frightening nuclear technology, it's time we start recognizing this threat as legitimate. Representatives of the Korea government have threatened to rain fire of US cities. The communist government has flaunted previous agreements with the United States. Recently, two North Korean MIG's toyed with an American surveillance plain, again trying to flex their muscle. They have continued to intimidate Japan (a US ally) by "testing" their missiles directly over Japan.

Because of the communists track record of proliferation the possibility of a dirty nuclear bomb attack on a major US city is no longer just the topic for grade-B movies. North Korea has always sold their military technology for cash - to the most despicable terrorist sources and rogue nations. There's no reason to think they wouldn't sell parts of their supply of nuclear material if given the chance. Perhaps there are some advantages to attending a college certifiably in the middle of nowhere.

The nuclear North Korea issue is not new. This communist nation has a long history of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. North Korea started seeking nuclear materials in 1979, and was pressured by the United States and the Soviet Union (oddly working together) in 1985 into sighing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. After flaunting the regulations and apparently continuing their quest to attain nuclear weapons, President Bush the elder first appeased the Communist North by agreeing to withdraw tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in exchange for cooperation. President Clinton came into the picture in 1994 when he again appeased the North Koreas by negotiating the Agreed Framework. Under this agreement the Communists 'agreed' to freeze their nuclear weapons program in exchange for several light water nuclear power plants.

I know this may surprise you, but we have now found that the Communist North Korean government has broken this 'agreement.' Indeed, they were forced to admit last October that they have been developing nuclear weapons for quite some time (a flagrant violation of the Clinton diplomatic agreement.) Perhaps this should be a lesson: diplomacy with the Communist North does not work. The Clinton administration operated under the "walk softly and carry a big carrot" philosophy. It now appears that this philosophy would only work to contain Bugs Bunny. Perhaps engaging in diplomacy with a country with a track record of disregarding diplomatic agreements is not the best option.

Enter 2003. The United States is fighting a war in Iraq, and the North Koreans appear dead set on developing nuclear weapons as fast as possible. A likely scenario would be for Kim Jong Il to begin reprocessing fuel rods into plutonium as we continue to wage war in Iraq. This would force Bush to make a tough decision regarding a preemptive strike against the nuclear facilities of North Korea. Without acting quickly, the Koreans would develop enough fissile material in six months to a year to have dozens of nuclear weapons. Unless human nature changes, diplomacy likely won't deter the commies this time.

A raid on the nuclear facilities alone would risk a very bloody war in South Korea. However, the repercussions of a preemptive strike against the communist conventional forces would be worldwide. Most discussions of a full scale preemptive strike at the nuclear infrastructure and the troops involve tactical nuclear weapons and perhaps even neutron bombs. Breaking the nuclear taboo would be a bold move indeed. If you think the doves are going crazy about war in Iraq, just imagine the reaction to a preemptive strike in Korea. If the administration backs down from eliminating the communist capability to produce nuclear material, then the United States must prepare for the likelihood of a dirty nuclear attack against a major city - thanks to proliferated communist goods. If North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons undeterred, the next terrorist attack on the United States may be armed with something far more dangerous than a Boeing 747.

All in all, we are witnessing a radical realignment of world political alliances. No longer can the United States count on all the westernized countries of the world to support our military engagements. We are now witnessing the formulation of the Frog alliance.
Because the United States is the favored target of rogue nations and terrorists alike, countries like France now prefer to disassociate with the United States for fear of being associated with the US and thus, having themselves targeted. It seems that as the threat to the United States grows during the 21st century, we will find ourselves more and more alone. These concerns are all the more reason for President Bush to formulate a firm, consistent foreign policy at this critical juncture.