6/11/08 from “North Korea welcomes U.S. food aid” (cnn.com)
The US is in operations to deliver 500,000 tons of food to North Korea. Talks between the US and N. Korea have been successful and aid is expected to begin shipment this month. Concerns by US that food would not be used effectively have been eased by agreements that the UN will monitor deliveries. Alternatively, the N. Korean government has been assured that utilizing the UN will prevent the US from spying on the country. The food is desperately needed in the country to feed the 23 million residents. Recent and past natural disasters have limited the countries already dwindling food supply. Furthermore, S. Korea has begun to enforce stricter restraints on relations with its Northern counterpart, leading to threats by the North to refuse future assistance. The aid has also come only recently after the countries nuclear disarmament and release of nuclear testing information to the United States. US officials claim that the aid is in no way related to the nuclear actions.
I am excited to see aid going into the country. I find the timing in relation to the nuclear issue a little funny; either way, the fact that they have closed their nuclear program is a good thing. The article also mentioned that the aid was a gesture by the US to show our natural good will. I don’t think we are naturally good willed, but I think we are doing the right thing.
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I am glad to see that aid is being delivered to North Korea as well. I doubt very much that the timing of relinquishing the nuclear arms program and the giving of aid are coincidental but a good venture none the less. It could have been a strategy of North Korea – they are aware that the only way they will ave sanctions removed and receive aid is by removing the nuclear weapons program. As Professor Sweetman said in class the other day, they were faced with an ultimatum whether to feed their people or continue on with the nuclear program. I am very happy to hear that they decided the latter. However, if The United States was genuinely good willed, they would have offered the aid regardless of the nuclear program North Korea was undertaking. Simple politics. This is a good illustration of how a country can set policies dictated by the strenght of their economy rather than by the use of arms. Good illustration of that concept learned in class.
Comment by jalhaj June 27, 2008 @ 6:02 pm