MEDIA REACTION ON NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS AMMAN 007742 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN USAID/ANE/MEA LONDON FOR TSOU SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR JO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON NORTH KOREA Editorial Commentary -- "Will the world coexist with nuclear Korea?" Columnist Mohammad Kharroub writes on the op-ed page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (10/10): "The North Korean nuclear issue is different from its Indian and Pakistani counterparts who are considered the last to snatch their membership in the six-country nuclear club. India and Pakistan are waging a feverish battle of armament and they are arch enemies working hard to build a huge arsenal against one another in a manner that could be considered an internal war.... North Korea is something completely different. That is why the nuclear test explosion was shocking and surprising, and it even ridiculed the expectations that believed that Korean announcement of the nuclear test was just a test balloon aimed at improving negotiating conditions with Washington.... The least that can be said is that North Korea re-wrote the world's agenda and imposed on the five member countries in the nuclear club to re-read the issue, forcing them to come off their high horses and exposing the master of the White House, especially in view of the massive failure of the policies of force, wars and pre-emptive strikes. As 'a war leader,' [the U.S. President] failed to stop North Korea, and Iran, from going ahead with their nuclear programs.... Will the world coexist with one of the countries of the axis of evil going nuclear? The indications say yes it will, although North Korea will pay a huge price, but now it does have the opportunity to acquire more benefits and incentives without having to lose or abandon its program." -- "Hope for peaceful resolution" Centrist, elite English daily Jordan Times (10/09) editorializes: "The fact that North Korea has openly declared its intention to test a nuclear device ahead of time, knowing all too well that it would invite a chorus of condemnation, gives way to speculation. Is it merely bluffing to extricate from Western countries concessions denied in the past or is the regime intent on flexing muscles in an already jittery neighborhood? Reviewing things, as recently as September 2005, North Korea agreed to give up nuclear testing in return for some incentive, including a reactor for civilian use. Immediately thereafter, the US imposed financial sanctions on the country. Matters continued to deteriorate between North Korea and Washington when North Korea test fired seven missiles last July. Then, last week, North Korea again raised the stakes by announcing its intention to test a nuclear device. It seems that North Korea is trying to tell something to the US and its partners in the so-called six-party talks on the country's nuclear program. Yet the ease with which North Korea expressed readiness to renounce its nuclear plans only a year ago may be an indication that convincing it, again, to stop testing on a quid pro quo basis would not be that difficult. It is hoped that the international community has not heard the last word from North Korea and that peaceful options are still available, provided there is willingness across the board to resort to them." RUBINSTEIN