Where The Hell Am I?: security

Showing posts with label security. Show all posts

Sunday, January 21, 2007

China, Missiles, and Satellites! Oh My!

While I was at a ski resort and away from my computer a few interesting stories happened. I had the privilege of watching news from BBC World, Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera in English broadcasts while I was away. I won't blog about them all, but this one caught my eye.

China has tested a missile that can successfully destroy a satellite in orbit. It seems that it was common knowledge that China had the technology, but the test confirms that they can do it.

Maybe I'm incredibly naïve, but as a sovereign nation, doesn't China have the right, and I'm sure its citizens would say, duty, to pursue military technology and to test it?

As Anne Penketh mentions in her article in the Independent "US alarmed by Chinese 'missile strike' on satellite", this type of test has not been "outlawed by international law." China didn't do anything illegal. It just seems like they've managed to step on a few diplomatic toes. They've also made it clear that the playing field in regards to the ability to shoot down satellites is now, without question, equal.

Both the United States and Russia have had this ability for years. Also, my country spends a fair share of its budget on the encouragement and pursuit of military research and development in both the public and private sector. I would expect that with its strides in economic development that we will continue to see China increasing its military capability. I would hope that the folks in the Pentagon are making sure they're on the advanced end of development because China isn't showing any signs of cutting off military spending anytime soon.

Is this test reason for alarm? Possibly.

However, as stated, people knew China had the technology before they completed the test. I don't see why China has to answer the United States regarding this test because it's not like the United States has been in the habit of getting approval for all of its military moves. I understand the concern over space debris, but neither the United States nor Russia were worried about space debris when they blew up satellites in the 1980s. To their credit, both countries did agree to stop blowing up satellites because of the risk of space debris. However, back to the point of my country thumbing its nose at other countries, the case and point is, of course, the war in Iraq.

The diplomats in China aren't stupid. This test was done to send a message. It might be to force Washington's hand in agreeing to a treaty to ban space weapons that Bush refuses to sign or just to ensure that China's unofficial military policy of asymmetric warfare is under no threat from the United States and its allies.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the current administration in Washington, D.C. has the requisite acumen to decipher the message accurately.

More links:
World Politics Watch: China's Anti-Satellite Test Revives Debate About Space Warfare
New York Times: China Shows Assertiveness in Weapons Test
Washington Post: China Criticized for Anti-Satellite Missile Test
International Herald Tribune: News Analysis: China's missile test: A message for U.S.
BBC News: China test sparks space arms fears

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

North Korean Espionage in Seoul

No, it's not the spy! I posted a picture for those who hate to read (but this is a bad blog to come to if you hate reading). The picture of actor actor 유오성, Yoo Oh-seong, who portrayed a North Korea spy in the 1999 South Korean comedy The Spy. (Image taken from the Korean Film Archive website.)

Oh boy! Fun and espionage in Seoul, South Korea!

Today while waiting for my monthly "she's an insulin dependent pump wearing diabetic" check-up, I had the chance to scan a couple of news papers.

Both the International Herald Tribune and the Joong-Ang Ilbo ran stories on the recent arrest of a North Korean spy. This arrest happened on the eve of the Ulji Focus Lens which is a joint military drill between the US and South Korea. Both the US and South Korea claim it's a purely defensive exercise. However, North Korea always claims it is a grave military provocation. As if shooting off missiles, selling arms, declaring your country to be a nuclear power and having a dictator state isn't a good reason for both the US and South Korea to be on high alert and work together.

Well, clearly, for the North Koreans sending spies down to South Korea is justified.

South Korean authorities arrested 48 year old Jeong Gyong-hak who entered the country on a Phillipine passport he acquired by bribing officials in the Phillipines. According to the International Herald Tribune article, he was arrested in a Seoul hotel where officials seized a Philippine passport and "$3,188 and a compact disc that contained codes to de-scramble instructions from Pyongyang." He is reported to have "...allegedly took pictures and acquired map coordinates for military radar facilities, nuclear power plants, and U.S. and South Korean military headquarters..."

According to the Joong-ang Ilbo article, the purpose of this espionage was to verify the exact coordinates of military targets such as the Air Force radar facilities and Defense Ministry headquarters. Authorities also revealed that Jeong traveled to South Korea before on a Thai passport three times between 1996 and 1998. The Tribune reported that the passport was changed from Thai to a Phillipine passport to avoid being exposed after a North Korean diplomat defected in Bangkok in 1999.

So, for now, the stories coming out of South Korea have me typing away. Let's hope the fun continues.

More articles:
South Korea arrests suspected spy from North
South Korea 'arrests North spy'

Same anger, different year:
Anger over Korea military exercise (2002 "anger")
N Korea condemns US-South drills (2006 "anger")

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Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Missles, Nukes, North Korea...oh my!!!

Almost 24 hours after North Korea started launching its missile tests I've gathered some thoughts together on this big ol' mess.

What to do with Kim Jong-il? Is he a Napoleonic brandy swilling nutter? Is he a misunderstood, yet merely annoying neighbor? Is he a loose cannon and threat to world security? or Is he a leader who is, at least, somewhat sane? I do have my theories, but I'm nowhere near arrogant enough to claim I have the solution when experts on diplomacy and security clearly have not a clue.

It really baffles me to think two professors, one at Harvard and one at Stanford, were calling for the Bush administration to launch a preemptive strike on the North Korean missile site. This would be an act of war. Considering North Korea has a military estimated at 1.1 million and the States is already involved in two wars, unless both Carter and Perry have secret armies set aside to tackle this, diplomacy might be the better option. I don't think anyone would disagree that these North Korean missile tests are just all around aggravating, bothersome, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling, irksome, irritating, maddening...(fill in more synonyms for "annoying" here), but waging tactical assaults on North Korea would have definitely been a bad idea.

There are so many issues swirling around North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – DPRK) and the Bush administration. I really feel that the Bush administration’s approach to diplomacy is rudimentary at best and a nightmare at worst. It seems that their approach to diplomacy is ordering countries to do what we say and taking a go it alone approach when blocked or questioned by other sovereign nations. That strikes me less as diplomacy as more like bullying. There just seems to be a clear lack of a problem solving approach to diplomacy and more of a "my way or the highway" approach. However, as the “highway” in international politics usually leads to bad results like sanctions and possibly war, maybe diplomacy might be best.

However, the States isn't the only player in this scenario.

China is dragging its feet it seems with the goal of continued economic expansion and, it seems, a fixation on keeping North Korea as a bargaining chip for on the Taiwan issue (which they should know is non-negotiable, plus I think Taiwan might have a thing or two to say about their own destiny). As North Korea’s biggest trade partner and provider of the majority of its food and energy, China has more influence than any other nation on North Korea.

Japan’s hands are tied due to its history of aggression in the region and the post World War II revision of its constitution, Article 9, which allows only a defensive military and not an offensive military.

Russia has been busy focusing on developing its economy and engaging the West and essentially neglecting the East.

South Korea also has been focusing on its economy. Hoping that harmony would prevail rather than brinksmanship, South Korea engages North Korea with carrots, the Kaesong Industrial Region, rather than sticks, sanctions.*

Clearly, the Bush administration has been dealing with oversights of ignorance which have been clear since the dreaded Axis of Evil reference in Bush's 2002 State of the Union address. It has consistently misinterpreted, wrongly assessed and ineptly handled international crises pretty much from its start. It seems that diplomacy consists of telling sovereign nations what they must or must not do which essentially puts them in the child role. However, what we're finding is those darn kids don't like to be called names and definitely don’t want to be told what to do.

Don't get me wrong, I am not blaming the Bush administration for the missile launches. Direct responsibility lands squarely on North Korea, but, as we have seen North Korea has all sorts of excuses as to why it, speaking of childish, behaves like a petulant child in international society. However, it just seems like there are no diplomats or true problem solvers that know how to work with people in the current administration. Instead of bringing people together, it has set on a mission it seems, to set up an environment where crises are more likely rather than less likely to occur. Doesn't everyone know not to run around calling people names?

So what to do with North Korea? Although that would be a great idea, we can’t roll back time and start over again. While it might sound awfully simplistic and naïve, maybe we could try diplomacy that truly tries to understand the other side(s) and seek solutions without name calling and grandstanding with the goal of negotiations that work.

* - carrots and sticks rewards and punishments used as a means to get the desired behavior you want

*Kim Jong-il spoof pic shamelessly lifted from this link: http://www.republicanvoices.org/kim%20jong%20il%20doll.jpg

And, here is a link to an article in the New York Times written by David E. Sanger about the current North Korean standoff: Few Good Choices in North Korean Standoff

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Tuesday, July 4, 2006

North Korea Launches Missles - oh no you dinnit Kim Jong-il!

Well, it looks like the news wires are reporting that North Korea (DPRK) did that missle test or launched that missle that everyone was telling them not to. They basically cut into the Germany v. Italy game and started announcing it. I'm groggy and in need of sleep, so I switched over to CNN to see what they had to say. So far the reports are there were three missles launched, but one failed.

Isn't it interesting that they chose to do these launches on the 5th of July here in Korea, but the 4th of July in the States? Also, they launched these missles right after we, the US, launced the Space Shuttle (that launch had been delayed a day or so). (And, btw, that's sarcasm. It's not particularly interesting as ...again... the DPRK is the playing the petulant child desperate for attention).

I'll post more later as the reports are just breaking right now, but here are some links. I've turned back to the game, and I'm desperately hoping for a score as they're in overtime now. I need some sleep! Oh, and just as I type this Italy scores...twice!!!

BBC
CNN
Reuters

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Okay, I got a few hours of sleep and wake up to see that the reports are that the DPRK has fired six missles. Lemme tell you a rant/commentary is coming, but now I have to get myself to the doctor for a check up.