Editor's note: This is the third of three commentaries on North Korea and its ties to the Middle East. Be sure to also read Part 1 and Part 2.
"[James] Kelly made it clear that something had gone dreadfully wrong in his trip to the North."
– "A Puzzling Move by Pyongyang," by Don Kirk, MSNBC, Oct. 18, 2002
Years ago, I was telling friends and associates that if they wanted to watch the birth of Armageddon, look to North Korea. They laughed. And when they dried their eyes, they laughed again. Then they said, "Everyone knows that it's coming out of the Middle East … even the Bible says that, dummy!"
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I swallowed, and went on to risk looking even more the fool.
I told them yes, indeed, the Middle East will be involved, and because they are larger, it will seem as if it is all them. But I reminded them to study history, and the way God works. You see, it is always the thing you never expected that gets you. This is how He tests our mettle … sort of "What-will-you-do-if-I-throw-this-at-you" situation. How we respond with foresight and wisdom determines our success. But being a loving Father, He always gives us plenty of indicators – signs, if you will – that we might do our best to be prepared in the face of great evil, for He wants us to succeed. He designed us for success. He achieves nothing on our behalf if we lose.
And beyond that, we have seen in the past – over and over again – that evil seeks out evil, that they create secret combinations and make blood oaths against the good people of the earth. They bond together in their mutual treachery, and no malevolence is too much for them to consider. They will try to distract us from their wickedness by claiming it is all for God – as Islam does. Or it is our fault for being fat, spoiled Americans – as North Korea does daily. Or, even more vile, they will point to American sins and excess and claim that we are merely "reaping what we've sown." And being kind, forgiving and self-evaluating people, we hesitate just long enough for them to strike at us.
Last year, Pakistan was on the verge of war with India – which terrified us – because we well-documented Pakistan's nuclear technology, and know of their intimate relationship with North Korea. The man who is at the head of the nuclear program in Pakistan hates all things Western … he and North Korea were made for each other. That is exactly the problem.
"A barter deal that traded North Korean missile technology for Pakistani nuclear know-how was engineered by A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's bomb and a man whose anti-Western values have been known for years, sources told NBC News on Friday. News of the involvement of Pakistan's top scientist in the secret pact comes on the heels of North Korea's admission that it has been pursuing nuclear weapons in violation of a 1994 agreement with Washington …
"U.S. OFFICIALS who spoke on condition of anonymity told NBC News on Friday that Pakistan, a key ally in the U.S. war on terrorism, was a major technology supplier of North Korea's nuclear weapons program … "Khan visited North Korea in the late 1990s," a reliable source outside the government said, noting that the eminent scientist provided "information and technology" to the North Koreans and also hosted a delegation from Pyongyang in Pakistan."
– "Pakistan Scientist Brokered N. Korean Deal," by Robert Windrem, MSNBC, Oct. 18, 2002
What is most remarkable about this is that it comes as no surprise whatsoever to U.S. officials. We have considered Khan an "evil scientist" for decades, with well-documented reasons. Thirty years ago, he was accused of stealing the formula for making bomb-grade plutonium from the Amsterdam Physical Dynamics Research Laboratory where he was working at the time. The greatest irony of this is the fact that FDO is a subsidiary of the European nuclear facility URENCO, which was created by Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands because they didn't want to be dependent on American nuclear fuel, and wanted to supply their own enriched uranium.
That arrogant and very European justification for creating a potential learning ground for terrorists could be the downfall of the most powerful country in the world – their ally, no less – and the only country on earth who could save them from attack. In other words, if we go down, they aren't far behind us. They may very well be responsible for their own future demise.
Efforts to try Khan as a spy for Pakistan fell through. Back home, he was touted as a national hero. Of course, Khan blamed the charges on the Western influence and, of course, couldn't miss slipping Israel in there when he said: "All Western countries, including Israel, are not only the enemies of Pakistan but in fact of Islam. Had any other Muslim country instead of Pakistan made this progress, they would have conducted the same poisonous propaganda about it. The examples of Iraq and Libya are before you."
We are left to wonder: Pakistan was supposed to be on our side – right? They are our friends, and friends don't abandon one another. That is what the term "allies" means – right? But, wait … in the latest battle with the Middle East, we have seen countries like Saudi Arabia waffle on commitment, and European nations like Germany as well. This is fast shaping up to be Israel and America against the rest of the world, and leading the way against us will be the Middle East, shoved from behind by North Korea. We have trusted Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, and yet he is the one who promoted Khan in 1998 for his great service to Pakistan. We suspect – and facts are beginning to back it – that Khan provided North Korea with the knowledge they would need to produce enriched uranium – the stuff most vital for a Hiroshima-like bomb.
Now comes the why. Why would North Korea be aiding the Middle East, and vice versa? North Korea is not Islamic, and the Middle East is not communist. Islam is doing their deeds in the name of Allah, and North Korea is all about Marxism-Leninism. North Korea despises all things that make their people rely on someone other than the government – such as religion – and the Middle East fought a war 20 years ago to oust communism. So why would they make this unholy alliance? Have they come together in their mutual hatred for America and Israel – two successful countries who epitomize everything they hate – or is it something more?
Yes to both.
A couple of years back while I was watching the news, a political analyst made the statement that America could never sustain a two-front war today as they did in World War II. I felt an ominous shudder. I believe with all my heart that North Korea is aware of this, and is now arrogantly flaunting the fact that it can nuke us, and there is nothing we can do about it.
They know we are busy in the Middle East and that, right now, that is our top priority. What better time for them to finish what they began 50 years ago? This is their chance, and they know it all too well. They've waited decades for such an opportunity, and they aren't about to miss it. The signs are all there – they have been for some time now – and now with North Korea's admittance, it seems that nothing and no one can stop them.
"A top official told NBC News on Thursday night that the United States could not challenge North Korea because there were only so many crises it could handle at the same time."
– "N Korea's Brazen Scam," by Andrea Mitchell, Oct. 18, 2002
Only so many crises we can handle at one time. None of my friends are laughing anymore.
Related columns:
Part 1: "North Korea – Our greatest threat is east of Middle East"
Part 2: "North Korea and Islam: Co-conspirators"