Nuclear Arms Pact Reported Near Breakdown,"
bring the United States into the war. The leading
New York Times, December 6, 1998, p. 16. Selig
proponent of that thesis is Colin Simpson, The
Harrison of the Century Fund argues that
Lusitania (New York: Ballantine Books, 1972).
America's promise to lift sanctions was more
47. Security Strategy 1998, pp. 57, 3233.
important than its pledge to provide fuel oil. Selig
Harrison, "How to Deal with North Korea,"
48. The cost is shared by American and foreign cit-
Remarks during Council on Foreign Relations
izens. The Pentagon acknowledges "the sacrifices
debate, Washington, February 9, 1999, p. 1.
of the citizens who live near training areas or bases,
60. Glenn Baek, "Dangerous Endgame in North
and who sometimes endure noise and other incon-
veniences." Ibid., p. 13. But in the case of Okinawa
Korea," Washington Times, February 26, 1999, p.
the burdens are both overwhelming and unjusti-
D19; and George Gedda, "Albright Calls North
fied. Doug Bandow, "Okinawa: Liberating
Korea a Threat," Associated Press, February 25,
Washington's East Asian Military Colony," Cato
1999.
Institute Policy Analysis no. 314, September 1,
61. Among the admittedly more unusual evidence
1998.
of change was the recently revealed beer and pizza
49. Security Strategy 1998, pp. 23, 24.
parties hosted by the U.N. Command at the truce
village of Panmunjom and attended by North
50. Richard Fisher, Robert O'Quinn, and Daryl
Korean and U.S. soldiers. Don Kirk, "GIs and
Plunk, "Clinton's Trip to Asia: Time to Show U.S.
North Koreans Said to Mingle in DMZ,"
Leadership," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder
International Herald Tribune, December 12, 1998.
no. 1236, November 13, 1998, p. 9.
62. Some analysts fear that soon there will be
51. For instance, Moscow is replacing its 1961
another crisis that veers toward war, as did that of
treaty with North Korea with a new accord that
1994. See, for example, James Kitfield, "The Next
lacks security guarantees. "Russia Ready to Sign
Korean Conflict," National Journal, December 5,
Treaty with N. Korea," Reuters, February 22, 1999.
1998, pp. 287678. Critics of the Framework
Agreement blithely ignore the threat of triggering
52. Security Strategy 1998, p. 25.
hostilities and offer no practical alternative policy.
Yet simply cancelling the accord risks creating a
53. See, for example, Jennifer Veale, "Is This
frightening spiral beginning with a restart of the
Recovery for Real?" Business Week, January 25, 1999,
DPRK nuclear program and continuing with U.N.
pp. 5455; and Michael Schuman, "South Korean
sanctions, allied military strikes, and war.
Economy May Have Bottomed Out, But Many
Factors Still Present Risks to Investors," Wall Street
63. See, for example, Selig Harrison, "The Korean
Journal, January 29, 1999, pp. A12, A13.
Showdown That Shouldn't Happen," Washington
Post, November 22, 1998, p. C2; Joseph Cirincione
54. For a fuller treatment of this issue, see Bandow,
and Matthew Rice, "Korean Nuke Pact Works,"
Tripwire; and Doug Bandow, "America's Obsolete
Defense News, November 211, 1998, p. 13; and
Korean Commitment," Orbis 42, no. 4 (Fall 1998):
Donald Gregg and James Laney, "Don't Dismantle
60517. The Bank of Korea estimates that the
the Nuclear Framework on Korea," Washington Post,
North's economy has been shrinking since 1995.
September 21, 1998, p. A21.
55. The latest estimate for 1997 are a GDP of
64. See, for example, "U.S., Japan Agree to Study
$442.5 billion for the ROK and $17.7 billion for
Missile Defense," Washington Times, September 21,
North Korea. In the same year the South spent
1998, pp. A1, A20; and Bill Gertz, "Cohen Says N.
$15.5 billion on its defense. John Dori and Richard
Korean Missile Is Big Threat," Washington Times,
Fisher, eds, U.S. and Asia Statistical Handbook
July 10, 1998, pp. A1, A20. Naturally, the adminis-
19981999 (Washington: Heritage Foundation,
tration would prefer to intensify the dependence of
1998), pp. 5861.
U.S. allies by running such a system, but our allies'
defense should be their responsibility. The North
56. Bandow, Tripwire, pp. 7173.
Korean missile threat also creates an incentive for
the United States to develop a domestic anti-mis-
57. Voice of America, "Korea/Defense," September
sile system. James Anderson, "The Senate's
28, 1998.
Opportunity to Get Serious about Missile
Defense," Heritage Foundation Executive
58. Security Strategy 1998, pp. 2223.
Memorandum no. 551, September 8, 1998.
59. Thomas Lippman, "N. KoreaU.S. Nuclear
65. For a detailed discussion of this issue, see Doug
Pact Threatened," Washington Post, July 6, 1998, pp.
Bandow, "Nuclear Issues between the United States
A1, A13; and Philip Shenon, "North Korean
18