COLUMN Middle Ground

Author: Fahim Ahmed

As United Nations weapons inspectors return to the presidential palace in Baghdad, security threats against U.S. interests continue to loom across the globe. In Bali, Indonesia, a suspected suicide attack by al Qaeda left more than 180 dead. In Mombasa, Kenya, another bombing killed 13, including three Israelis. On the same day, a missile attack missed an Israeli charter jet flying out of Mombasa. And in Pyongyang, the North Korean government declared the reactivation of its nuclear weapons program. At a time when the Bush administration maintains that Iraq and Saddam Hussein constitute the greatest threat to U.S. interests, early signs of emerging security risks originating from enemies, old and new, continue to be ignored.
The recent developments of the past two months have forced even hardliners in the administration to confront the continued threat from al Qaeda and its operatives. A voice recording of Osama bin-Laden has been confirmed as authentic by technical experts in the CIA. Al Qaeda has also claimed responsibility for the bombings in Bali and in Mombasa, debunking the notion that the organization is in the defensive. Its key leaders continue to elude U.S. and Allied intelligence services. Several U.S. senators have alluded to the possibility of impending attacks from al Qaeda. Despite the military success in Afghanistan against the Taliban regime, the national security objectives of the mission remain far from being achieved.
On the other hand, a newer threat has emerged from across the globe: North Korea. Its recent declaration of the reactivation of its nuclear weapons program has severe implications for U.S. security interests. Critics in the intelligence circle, including Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, foresee North Korea as a potentially greater threat than Iraq. North Korea is reported to have missile capabilities in the 1,000-kilometer range, and is believed to be working on a missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland ("Senator: North Korea a bigger threat than Iraq," CNN.com, Oct. 20, 2002). Whereas Iraq does not yet have nuclear weapons and has only limited capabilities of delivery, North Korea has now publicly acknowledged its nuclear and missile capabilities.
It is quite surprising, therefore, that the Bush administration has chosen to pursue a more hardline approach with Iraq, when it seems to favor more diplomatic means in addressing the potentially greater threat from North Korea. While Iraq has had a history of military engagement with the U.S. that may make a vigorous response more necessary, the case of North Korea, with its enhanced military capabilities and U.S. economic interests in the region, compels a rethinking of the U.S. defense and foreign policy. Interestingly, these concerns have been echoed across the partisan divide. Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a recent statement argued that in interest of national security, the U.S. cannot "pick and choose" its enemies.
Therefore, the Bush administration's policy on terrorism and national security needs to undergo a thorough re-evaluation in light of recent developments. The White House and the Department of Defense need to demonstrate to people that they are indeed fighting the real threats, instead of ghosts from the past.