US, EU Condemn North Korea Rocket Launch
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (Worthy News) — The United States and the European Union strongly condemned Sunday, April 5, North Korea’s launch of a long range rocket that could potentially reach Alaska, which Pyongyang claimed was used for a satellite.
However Washington and experts were quick to point out that North Korea failed in its trumpeted effort to fire a satellite into orbit, after reviewing detailed tracking data that showed the missile and payload fell into the sea.
Some suggested the failure undercut the North Korean campaign to come across as a fearsome adversary able to hurl deadly warheads halfway around the globe.
Yet on a hill in Prague, flanked by his wife and first lady, United States President Barack Obama prepared to speak about his dream of seeing a world without nuclear weapons, and made clear North Korea’s actions underscored the dangers of nuclear proliferation.
“North Korea broke the rules once more by testing a rocket that could be used for a long-range missile,” Obama told thousands of enthusiastic Czechs. “This provocation underscores the need for action — not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.”
COLD WAR THINKING
He said “to put an end to Cold War thinking” the United States “will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy and urge others to do the same.”
However Obama stressed, “Make no mistake: as long as these weapons exist, we will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense to our allies — including the Czech Republic. But we will begin the work of reducing our arsenal.”
His speech was quickly criticized by John Bolton, a US ambassador to the
United Nations under President George W. Bush and an outspoken critic of North Korea.
It was “Utopian at best,” as long as there are “countries like Iran and North Korea that are willing to cheat on their commitments in order to get nuclear weapons,” he said in published comments.
US-EU SUMMIT
Obama later spoke about nuclear disarmament at a U.S.-EU summit in the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the EU shares American concerns over North Korea’s missile program.
“It is clear in our joint statement that North Korea cannot realize
either international acceptance or economic development linked to the
international system until it ceases its threatening behavior and works
with the other parties to implement the six-party joint statement
[on North Korea’s denuclearization],” Barroso said.
There was no clear agreement yet on whether to continue with a U.S. missile defense system Washington considers placing in the Czech Republic and Poland. Authorities banned a demonstration against the system during Obama’s trip. Activists, far outnumbered by security forces, attempted to protest anyway.
While the issue of North Korea overshadowed the summit, the EU and the US also agreed to continue working on bringing more security to Afghanistan and to continue cooperation in the Middle-East. They also agreed to speed up cooperation on other key issues, including energy security and concerns over climate change.