NORTH KOREA - TALKING UP THE THREAT

It is worrying that some members of the United Nations are making probably unhelpful pronounciation about the nuclear threat which North Korea presents to the world. Japan, for reasons which are not entirely apparent, placed some of her armed forces on alert to deal with what she and some other countries, including the United States, tried to convinced the world is an attempt by North Korea to test a misile system which could possibly be used to deliver nuclear weapons. These countries then attempted to talk up the threat of what North Korea was or was not intending to do. I find this to be both sad and worryinig, not least when we reflect on how the Bush Administration talked the American people and the 'coalition of the willing' into making an unnecessary and extremely costly war against the Iraqi people.Wise counsel should have prevailed, and countries such as America should have been open and honest in declaring that, while they believed that North Korea might have been planning and/or intending to develop and test a nuclear weapon delivery system, they have no confirmation or proof that that is what she is doing.World leaders should act in a way which inspires their people and others to develop trust in the accuracy and prudency of what they tell us. I believe that the Russians and the Chinese governments are dealing with the apparent North Korean nuclear threat, real and/or imagined, with the appropriate wisdom. It is dangerous to talk up a potential threat to the point of making it appear real or almost real, because then you have to propose and/or take real action which is warranted by the level of the threat you have just 'talked up', which can lead to further escalation of a situation which might not have escalated, had the original issue been dealt with more prudently. I believe that President Barak Obama is and will continue to do a sterling job in leading the American people and the world, although he must continue to consider the evidence of each major situation and the propose response and cost benefit analysis carefully.The North Korean regime presents a very big challenge to its people and propably the world, but it is a challenge which should be responded to on several different levels, short-term, medium-term and long-term perspective.Patrick14.04.09