Avoid Another Pearl Harbor By Any Means

The scene from South Korea was of the Yangpyeong Island in flames, which was caught in a surprise attack by the North Korean artillery. It is reminiscent of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where the sinking of the Pacific Fleet caused the declaration of war by the U.S. on the Japanese empire. It ended three and a half years later with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nobody in his or her right mind would want this to happen again. The problem is that the “beloved” North Korean leader is not of sound mind. Also, he has in his possession the nuclear button that he could push — who knows when or why — and trigger a second nuclear Holocaust.

Sanity must therefore be restored, and the only two actors in this conflict who can do it are the U.S. and China. Not even the Security Council’s role is relevant. The attack was the first by the North Korean army against South Korean territory inhabited by civilians. It was quite severe, and the quickest resolution would be for President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, to grab the “red phone” and think of the best way to stop this crisis together. It should be done before consulting with the other powers that have been involved for a long time in the “Korean issue,” such as Japan and Russia.

At this point, it is clear that Pyongyang has no respect for Washington, which has spent years in vain trying to halt its nuclear program. The U.S. does have some room to maneuver by pressuring China, so that it can make North Korea regain its sanity and come back to the path of negotiation.

The Pyongyang regime depends on Beijing to survive. The solution therefore lies in China. If the Asian giant really wants to show the world that it is a superpower with a pacifist spirit, now is the chance to prove it.