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U.S. plans naval exercise

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington Aug. 18. In what would definitely be seen as provocative not only in the Korean peninsula but in the Asia Pacific and Russia, the Bush administration is planning a Joint Naval Exercise off north-eastern Australia next month to train for interdiction at sea arms and other materials heading the direction of North Korea, The New York Times is reporting.

Unnamed officials and Asian diplomats have been quoted as saying that the exercise will be carried out in the Coral Sea; and that `officially' it would be directed at no one; but the principal intention was to send a sharp signal to Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons system. The fact that the U.S. is planning to send such an aggressive message is unlikely to go down well in the Asia Pacific and Russia, many of whom are getting ready for the six-nation meeting in Beijing next week, the principal topic being North Korea. For two days, representatives from the U.S., China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and North Korea will be gathered in the Chinese capital. And the Bush administration has not outright rejected the talk of some formal/informal bilateral meetings with the North Koreans during this session.

The apprehension among diplomats, according to the newspaper's story, is that the Coral Sea exercises off north-eastern Australia will be seen as provocative not only by North Korea — which has been demanding a change in the U.S. attitude — but also by China and Russia. Both Beijing and Moscow have repeatedly told the U.S. that a tight-fisted and confrontational policy towards Pyongyang will do little to ease the problem. "We are not saying which countries are being targeted, because it would not be politically wise. But the U.S. believes that one of the reasons why North Korea has agreed to the six-party talks in Beijing is that they are feeling the pinch," an Asian diplomat has been quoted as saying.

What is taking place is that this Republican administration is trying to tighten interdiction of arms and materials heading to North Korea as well as weapons and missile heading out of it; and at the same time Washington is trying to draw up a maritime interdiction regime in international waters to its liking. One of its chief proponents is the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, John Bolton.It has to be recalled that Mr. Bolton during a recent visit to South Korea sharply criticised North Korea and its leader which was seen in some quarters as being intemperate. Pyongyang came back with stinging attacks on Mr. Bolton with the warning that he should not represent the U.S. at the Beijing meet.

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