NPR : World Opinion: North Korea Tests a Nuclear Weapon

North Korea's Nuclear Ambitions

NPR.org, Oct. 10, 2006 · North Korea's announcement that it successfully tested a nuclear weapon has drawn condemnation from the international community. As politicians debate how to respond, some fear that nuclear weapons and know-how could end up in the wrong hands. Below, a sampling of opinions from around the globe:

LOS ANGELES

No More Negotiating With North Korea

Los Angeles Times

Oct. 10, 2006

After pursuing atomic weaponry for the better part of a generation, it now appears that North Korea has finally clawed its way into the "nuclear club." And that means that the global strategic game has changed forever. North Korea... is now a real and present danger. The time for negotiations is over. Now it's about containment and deterrence.

LONDON

Provocation and Proliferation

The Guardian

Oct. 10, 2006

The best hope for a way out of this nuclear blind alley must be for a more assertive role for Beijing, wielding some muscle in its own volatile backyard and showing that it takes its global responsibilities more seriously than it has in the recent past.

SEOUL

State of Emergency

The Dong-a libo

Oct. 10, 2006

The nuclear testing by North Korea proves that the pro-NK Sunshine Policy... has failed completely... It is essential that we, lacking the capability to protect our own security against the North without the help of the U.S., overcome this danger through close cooperation with the U.S. and by solidifying the Korea-U.S. alliance.

BEIJING

Return to Nuclear Talks

China Daily

Oct. 10, 2006

In conducting the nuclear weapon test, the DPRK went back on its word... Its move will leave an early resumption of the talks difficult. This, however, should not necessarily mean that the international community should discard the efforts to resume the talks. It is of dire necessity to make the attempt, especially at this moment.

NEW YORK

Nutso State Has Nukes

The National Review

Oct. 10, 2006

The George W. Bush doctrine died in the alleys and groves of Iraq, and nobody else is likely to volunteer for the job of world nuke cop. Wide, fast nuclear proliferation is in our future, and we had better come up with a strategic doctrine that encompasses it.

TOKYO

Pyongyang's Nuclear Threat

The Japan Times

Oct. 7, 2006

There is little that Washington (or Tokyo) can do, politically or financially, that it has not already done and military actions are simply not an option. ... The real leverage rests with Seoul and Beijing; no threatened consequences are credible if not fully backed by these two nations and, preferably, by Moscow as well.

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