Security Council deplores N Korea rocket launch; U.S. halts food aid

NK's Food stocks may be large enough and known to US -

One step forward, two steps back.....

Farmboy: I maintain that, provided we have enough food, hungry people should be fed wherever one finds them. I know this is a minoriy view here.

I don't think you're in the minority. It's just difficult to give aid to a country that will use the aid as a means to free up capital to do things like missile testing. There is no easy answer.....either way you lose, and so do the people.

The missile is built within The Peoples Republic and not bought with foreign currency. The stuff it takes to make a rocket is different than what it takes to make food. Shame on the United States to use food as a weapon!America is suppose to be the land of the free the shinning city on the hill top. I just wish the leadership gets to see pictures of the starving. Your plan is a failure, has not worked in the 60 years of isolation and hate, just because someone is different.

YuriOtaniApr. 14, 2012 - 08:25AM JST. Shame on the United States to use food as a weapon!America is suppose to be the land of the free the shinning city on the hill top. I just wish the leadership gets to see pictures of the starving.

Why is there always some liberal maggots who wants to help everyone else with U.S. money and continue to be critical of U.S. stance. If you send food to North Korea, the military will take that food, and the people get nothing. Is it really that hard to see that you cannot help them? It is the problem of the new child dictator, Kim Jung Un, if he wants assistance, let him ask for it. If that happens, there should be world community oversight to ensure that the aid gets to where it is needed to help the hungry.

Why doesn't China help them? They are their allies, not U.S. U.S. is their sworn enemies so let them eat leaves, bark, dung, etc. The food may not reach the people that need it, and Kim Jung Un will get the credit and gratitude and thanks for the food when it really belongs to the U.S. Why make them strong and healthy? so they can storm across the border? No way, until N. Korea changes its politics, why support helping them in any manner?

FarmboyApr. 14, 2012 - 09:14AM JST. I don't find this sort of statement helpful, and it reflects badly on your character, in my opinion. Kindness and charity are not weaknesses, and they don't imply that you are easily taken advantage of, if that is your fear.

North Korea is a much more complex problem than the posters on here seem to realize. Regardless of overinflated claims about the ability of the U.S. to take them on, the NK Army is the 5th largest in the world. They are well supplied and well armed despite their apparent lack of new technology. The entire country is highly fortified with many more deep rock bunkers than U.S. have bunker buster bombs. These people are neither crazy nor stupid. The NK have been carefully playing a very high stakes game of brinkmanship for over 50 years. And very successfully at that. They know exactly what they are doing and every provocation and retreat from an agreement has its purpose.

On initiation of any general hostilities (remember they are still in a state of declared war) that area near DMZ would become a hell on earth. The capital of South Korea, along with its financial center, major port, and most of its industrial capacity would be gone. The US, China, Russia, and South Korea only have one card to play against North Korea, and that is food aid. The NK well know the havoc that malnutrition is causing in their own country. The problem is that all the countries want to get something in return for the aid. Once the aid is committed, it loses its value, at least for a year or so.

At this point U.S. is wise to step back from the Six-Party talks and not make any concrete offers of aid until the dust settles from the transition, something that could take as much as five years. They need to keep the NK engaged so that the substance is there, but just not offer the substance quite yet unless dramatic concessions are unilaterally made by the North Koreans.

This is what happens when the naughty child kicks out. They get punished by the parent

The missile is built within The Peoples Republic and not bought with foreign currency. The stuff it takes to make a rocket is different than what it takes to make food. Shame on the United States to use food as a weapon!America is suppose to be the land of the free the shinning city on the hill top. I just wish the leadership gets to see pictures of the starving. Your plan is a failure, has not worked in the 60 years of isolation and hate, just because someone is different.

Resources are fungible - even if we do send food aid, what guarantee is there that North Korea won't simply import less food / dedicate less resources to agricultural production, and instead use the gains on its military and/or leadership? And hell, even if food aid is appropriate, surely China, a country that has trillions of dollars of reserves and is supposed to be on friendly terms with North Korea, should be providing the food aid?

The US is 15 trillion dollars in debt for goodness sakes. I don't care if this food aid costs peanuts in comparison - its the principle of the thing! The principle!

Japan and South Korea, which are on the frontline have demanded tough U.N. action on North Korea.

I think the UN has a few other nations that need more attention than a country who has launched a failed rocket who hasn't attacked anyone it isn't at war with....

And stop food aid? Way to punish the people who are already suffering enough...

sfjp330: The NK have been carefully playing a very high stakes game of brinkmanship for over 50 years. And very successfully at that. They know exactly what they are doing and every provocation and retreat from an agreement has its purpose.

Successful in what way? Preventing an invasion that no one wants? Protecting the dear leader? Other that they have a failed society.

Benefactors should help those who help themselves.

NK did not help themselves.

The world is astonished to see a regime admit to failure. Now that SK and the US seem to detect new earthworks at Punggye, third nuclear test may be the case which seems to be far more serious than the rocket launch. What concerns us most is that the embarrassed regime might be determined to cause a stir again to regain the pride and remind the world what they are made of.

The best case scenario would be technocrats within the regime grab this opportunity with both hands and see off militarists, convincing the leaders that long-standing defiance yields only extreme poverty and laughing-stock science, so it was time to make its peace with the rest of the world.

To achieve it, unlike usual sanctions, UN resolution and condemnations with no effect, it is important to take the longer view and work carefully to help those within the regime who want a change with more contacts and exchanges because it is we who can break the impasse not the other way around. I do not try to oversimplify what is complex. Is this off-topic?

YuriOtaniApr. 14, 2012 - 08:25AM JST The missile is built within The Peoples Republic and not bought with foreign currency. The stuff it takes to make a rocket is different than what it takes to make food. Shame on the United States to use food as a weapon!...

I have to agree with YuriOtani (one of those rare cases :) ). The US humanitarian aid always is and always was conditional. It is very different from European humanitarian aid, which is unconditional, and even Chinese aid, whenever that aid comes. Thus, it is not surprising that the US can cut it or renew it amidst hunger. There is no charity here, and it should be taken as such. It is shame that the US attach conditions to food. You either give free food or do not try to get political and geopolitical victories through the hunger of NK population. I do, however, support the general stance of the US towards the NK problem.

There is no charity here, and it should be taken as such. It is shame that the US attach conditions to food. You either give free food or do not try to get political and geopolitical victories through the hunger of NK population. I do, however, support the general stance of the US towards the NK problem.

Konsta, it appears you have a future as a politician! Nice ride on the fence...lol. Yes, US aid in all forms to NK has always been conditional, food or otherwise. Dealing with NK is like dealing with a child. When the child acts as requested, the child is rewarded. If the child misbehaves, the child is reprimanded.

That being said, I know many people feel that while the NK gov't deserves the punishment, the people do not. Unfortunately this is a catch-22. We can not continue to provide support to a gov't when we don't approve of the actions of that gov't and unfortunately the people are left to suffer at the hands of their governments actions...

I hope it's not off-topic. According to a journalist's article in Japan, actually USA and the SDF saw the rocket launch as the good opportunity while China has been baffled.

Okinawa, who has opposed to the deployment of the SDF, had no choice but to have about 1000 troops in place. What's more the SDF took PAC3 and Aegis equipped with SM3 there. It had wanted to openly train elite units. And USA also gathered its state-of-the-art machines in Kadena base to prepare for it. But on the other hand, China, which has bolstered its naval force to try to practically control the East China Sea and the South China Sea, had the most to lose. Because of this incident USA and the SDF managed to improve the position where they can keep China in check.

But it's not this, but missile launch itself that has bemused China. Although NK has tried to gain economic aid and food aid from west for long, it's a large amount of Chinese aid that NK wants most. But China had not paid attention to the issue, so it resorted to the favorite tactic to draw the best from China, which was what NK had in mind this time around.

Konsta: You either give free food or do not try to get political and geopolitical victories through the hunger of NK population.

I think most of the time, or nearly all of the time, that logic applies. But North Korea is an exceptional case. There's no guarantee that the food will go to the people at all, which means it is a rare case where it could be counterproductive. And North Korea sets themselves apart again by choosing weapon development over food, so they are actively helping to create the shortage.

Even with that being said, I still don't know what the perfect answer is. I don't like not giving food.

Allowing people to starve to death does not work. Has not worked until now and shows no signs of working in the future. It is my belief the government of the Peoples Republic wants these people to starve and be weak. Because a sick weak people can not defy them. Stopping aid plays into their hands. The next atomic test is meant to stop aid shipments and reinforce the isolation. It is the isolation that is the problem and not the cure. So we feed the hungry at least that is on the side of justice.

I suppose that USA and Japan used Aegis for attack to NK peace rocket for provocation NK on new nuclear test. Also food problem do it more terrible. Rocket was not falling on Japan, but new nuclear test can justification lose money for PAC-3, Aegis, F-35 with debt 200% of Japan. No one country no offering a peace business to NK. All countries told about a-bomb and rocket. But no one countries not worried about 20 million people in NK. Japanese and SK politics are wild and had not moral.

BessonovYan, how can you as a Russian talk about others not giving aid. Russia made North Korea and now they standby doing nothing while they starve. Shows that Russia is loyal to nobody.

@YuriOtaniApr. 15, 2012 - 07:55AM JST

Japan and USA are winners of "cold war". So you have full responsibility for NK.

Japan and USA are winners of "cold war". So you have full responsibility for NK.

If that is the case, then why would Russia still want to be part of the Six-Party talks? Why not just leave it to those would take responsibility?

Perhaps the Peoples Republic will turn on the revisionist Russians? Take the power and gas being sent through their country and demand food. Maybe they will attack the soft under body of Russia? It would be a lot easier than attacking the capitalists in the south. So sleep well Russia, your misdeeds will reap you a just "reward"

@lostrune2Apr. 15, 2012 - 07:21PM JST

If that is the case, then why would Russia still want to be part of the Six-Party talks? Why not just leave it to those would take responsibility?

May be we don't want leave it ))) So two nuclear tests was near border with Russia about 150km. What would do PM Naoto Kan if that events would near Japanese border ?

@YuriOtaniApr. 16, 2012 - 03:57AM JST

We was help to many countries: NK, Japan and.... Don't worried about our "misdeeds", please you can worried about your "misdeeds".

BessonovYan, do not worry at all. The west would watch and eat popcorn. The Peoples Republic has an army of over a million plus 6 million reservists, Russia 350 thousand. It is not in Russia's best interest to let millions starve. It is not in the interest for the Republic of Korea, Japan or the United States. Russian nukes could not be used to defend. China would not allow it. Again using food as a weapon is EVIL! The Peoples Republic of China and the Russia let perhaps a 100 million of more starve to death.Peace can not be achieved with so many starving.

BessonovYan, do not worry at all. The west would watch and eat popcorn. The Peoples Republic has an army of over a million plus 6 million reservists, Russia 350 thousand. It is not in Russia's best interest to let millions starve. It is not in the interest for the Republic of Korea, Japan or the United States. Russian nukes could not be used to defend. China would not allow it. Again using food as a weapon is EVIL! The Peoples Republic of China and the Russia let perhaps a 100 million of more starve to death.Peace can not be achieved with so many starving.

Yuri, I agree with you, I was torn over whether the decision to halt the food aid was right, since most of it just goes to the pampered elite, who already have enough food, but if even a few grains left over reach those who need it, it is worthwhile. I agree, using food as a weapon is evil.

Japan and USA are winners of "cold war". So you have full responsibility for NK.

That logic makes no sense.

BessonovYan, the cold war is not over. Sitting in their silos and on their transport the missiles wait. Worse is that the warning time keeps getting shorter and shorter. The danger is with us until a true and just peace can be found. The West keeps doing the same old thing and failing. True the Republic of Korea tried and failed. America has failed from the getgo and people in the west do not see the people of the Peoples Republic of Korea as people. I see starving and suffering people and not things. The propaganda has dehumanized them. I see hungry people and if a true peace will be found it is not upon starving them. Yes send food and lots of it, also try and send teams or agricultural experts to help them grow food. Might not be possible from the west but China? Isolation has failed, nothing has changed.