Obama gov't advised to be ready for conflict with N. Korea

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- The incoming Barack Obama administration should
be ready for a possible conflict with North Korea, China and in the Middle East,
a progressive U.S. think tank has recommended.
"The U.S. military must also maintain its readiness for possible contingencies,
such as a conflict in the Middle East, with North Korea, or with China," the
Center for American Progress Action Fund said in an additional contribution to
the policy recommendation book titled "Change for America: A Progressive
Blueprint for the 44th President."
"Because such contingencies may differ significantly from Afghanistan or Iraq,
maintaining the readiness of the U.S. military writ large is a balancing act
between the demands of ongoing operations and the possible requirements of other
missions that may arise," the think tank said in the book, released recently.
The policy recommendation of the think tank, headed by former White House chief
of staff John Podesta, who leads Obama's presidential transition team, contrasts
with Obama's pledge for greater engagement with North Korea, including a possible
meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
At a presidential debate last month, Obama dismissed Republic rival John McCain's
criticism that it is naive to meet with Kim without preconditions, saying that
any summit meeting should follow due preparations.
The president-elect has said the Bush administration's reluctance to deal
directly with North Korea resulted in the North's detonation of its first nuclear
device in 2006 and the quadrupling of its nuclear weapons to eight by the end of
Bush's eight-year term.
Reports said that Obama may send a prominent figure as his special envoy to
Pyongyang soon after his inauguration on Jan. 20 to prepare for a possible visit
there himself to make a breakthrough in the on-and-off multilateral nuclear talks
that began in 2003.
The book called for the next president to cooperate closely with the
international community to reduce nuclear threats from North Korea and nuclear
terrorism.
"The Cold War is long over, but the Cold War weapons remain," it said. "The 44th
president must finally disarm this deadly legacy, protecting America from nuclear
threats old and new."
To that end, the think tank urged Obama to use "a threat assessment unbiased by
ideology, an integrated and comprehensive strategy, the full power of
presidential persuasion, and the cooperation of many nations large and small."
"With the right strategy aggressively implemented, the president could prevent
nuclear terrorism, block the emergence of new nuclear states, reduce toward zero
the risk of nuclear weapons use, and restore powerful global barriers to their
spread," it said.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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