The use of sanctions to coerce Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear weapons and related programs is not working. North Korea continues to survive and expands its nuclear and missile capabilities. It is time for the U...The use of sanctions to coerce Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear weapons and related programs is not working. North Korea continues to survive and expands its nuclear and missile capabilities. It is time for the US to construct a more successful North Korea strategy by applying a smart power strategy before the North Koreans can operationalize their nuclear ICBMs within the next several years. If and when that occurs, the US will inevitably consider the use of force to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, but that will be too costly for the US and its allies. Washington must do all it can to avoid another war on the Asian mainland. The only practical uses of force are as defensive and enhanced deterrence measures to protect the US and its allies against North Korean nuclear and conventional provocations. Instead, the US should call for an immediate freeze of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and demonstrate its willingness to co-exist with Pyongyang, Only by accepting co-existence with Pyongyang, Washington has an opportunity to persuade Beijing and Moscow to join its efforts with Seoul and Tokyo to denuclearize North Korea. It is time to engage North Korea by accepting it as it is and exercising strategic patience of a different kind to achieve US aims.展开更多
文摘The use of sanctions to coerce Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear weapons and related programs is not working. North Korea continues to survive and expands its nuclear and missile capabilities. It is time for the US to construct a more successful North Korea strategy by applying a smart power strategy before the North Koreans can operationalize their nuclear ICBMs within the next several years. If and when that occurs, the US will inevitably consider the use of force to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, but that will be too costly for the US and its allies. Washington must do all it can to avoid another war on the Asian mainland. The only practical uses of force are as defensive and enhanced deterrence measures to protect the US and its allies against North Korean nuclear and conventional provocations. Instead, the US should call for an immediate freeze of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and demonstrate its willingness to co-exist with Pyongyang, Only by accepting co-existence with Pyongyang, Washington has an opportunity to persuade Beijing and Moscow to join its efforts with Seoul and Tokyo to denuclearize North Korea. It is time to engage North Korea by accepting it as it is and exercising strategic patience of a different kind to achieve US aims.