On Tuesday, Iran demanded the right to dramatically expand its capacity to make nuclear fuel. Meanwhile, North Korea moved heavy equipment in possible preparation for its first test of a nuclear bomb.Of course, if we had some support from the so-called "world community" on Iraq, we may have been able to do something about all of this. Superpower or not, the US and a limited coalition can only do so much while the rest of the world looks on hoping for failure...
The moves by the two remaining members of President Bush's "axis of evil" — Iraq was the third — dominated talks at the United Nations, where delegates are at a month-long conference on the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003. Both that nation and Iran appear to have made significant nuclear advances during the Bush administration's first term. Iran has steadily built facilities that it insists are meant to produce nuclear power but which the Bush administration says are part of a bomb-making effort. North Korea has evicted U.N. nuclear inspectors and declared that it has a nuclear bomb.
North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test. But satellite surveillance shows that the reclusive nation has been moving cranes, trucks and heavy concrete to a remote testing site in northeastern North Korea, according to a senior State Department official who deals with North Korea. He asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Two years ago, U.S. satellites identified a site used to test conventional explosives that could trigger a nuclear explosion. The movements might or might not be preparations for a test; North Korea has carried out such actions before, knowing they'll be observed.
This is serious business. And all the more reason to justify the Iraq war. Can you imagine what the situation would be like right now if we hadn't gone in? Libya would have serious WMDs; Syria would still be occupying Lebanon; freedom wouldn't be on the march in Egypt, Quatar, and Kuwait; and Saudi Arabia would still be a pain in the rear.
All said and done though, we still have a LOT of work to do...
