WHEN WILL NORTH KOREA GO
WHEN WILL NORTH KOREA GO BIBLICAL?: After the past week of myriad North Korean provocations, that Onion story of a few weeks ago is looking more and more prescient. Their latest threat — torching New York, DC, and Chicago: “North Korea would launch a ballistic missile attack on the United States if Washington made a ...
WHEN WILL NORTH KOREA GO BIBLICAL?: After the past week of myriad North Korean provocations, that Onion story of a few weeks ago is looking more and more prescient. Their latest threat -- torching New York, DC, and Chicago: "North Korea would launch a ballistic missile attack on the United States if Washington made a pre-emptive strike against the communist state's nuclear facility, the man described as Pyongyang's 'unofficial spokesman' claimed yesterday. Kim Myong-chol, who has links to the Stalinist regime, told reporters in Tokyo that a US strike on the nuclear facility at Yongbyon 'means nuclear war'. 'If American forces carry out a pre-emptive strike on the Yongbyon facility, North Korea will immediately target, carry the war to the US mainland,' he said, adding that New York, Washington and Chicago would be 'aflame'." This isn't really funny, but part of me is amused by the Pyongyang's apparent desperation to get the Bush administration's attention off of Iraq and onto the Korean peninsula. A suggestion -- start thinking in Biblical terms. As his critics like to point out, this is a President who's very open about his faith. You want his attention, go Old Testament on him. Locusts, frogs, boils, famine -- now those are threats!! An ultimatum that every first-born male child in America will be dead in ten days will definitely generate some bilateral talks.
WHEN WILL NORTH KOREA GO BIBLICAL?: After the past week of myriad North Korean provocations, that Onion story of a few weeks ago is looking more and more prescient. Their latest threat — torching New York, DC, and Chicago: “North Korea would launch a ballistic missile attack on the United States if Washington made a pre-emptive strike against the communist state’s nuclear facility, the man described as Pyongyang’s ‘unofficial spokesman’ claimed yesterday. Kim Myong-chol, who has links to the Stalinist regime, told reporters in Tokyo that a US strike on the nuclear facility at Yongbyon ‘means nuclear war’. ‘If American forces carry out a pre-emptive strike on the Yongbyon facility, North Korea will immediately target, carry the war to the US mainland,’ he said, adding that New York, Washington and Chicago would be ‘aflame’.” This isn’t really funny, but part of me is amused by the Pyongyang’s apparent desperation to get the Bush administration’s attention off of Iraq and onto the Korean peninsula. A suggestion — start thinking in Biblical terms. As his critics like to point out, this is a President who’s very open about his faith. You want his attention, go Old Testament on him. Locusts, frogs, boils, famine — now those are threats!! An ultimatum that every first-born male child in America will be dead in ten days will definitely generate some bilateral talks.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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