Crisis of the missiles North-Korean of July 2006

Shootings of missiles

The July 4th 2006 the North Korea carries out 7 shootings of ballistic missiles (according to the Americans, whereas the Russians counted " of it; a dizaine"), including 1 intercontinental Ballistic missile of the " type; Taepodong-2" of a theoretical range from 3500 to 6700 km likely to reach the American territories of Hawaii and Alaska in contradiction with its former engagements (Moratory unilateral on the tests of missiles issued by the North Korea in 1999) and without warning preliminary to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

However, the missile of long range " Taepodong-2" " fell down to only a few hundred kilometers of its launching pad, probably destroyed on order of the center of contrôle" by the North-Koreans, according to Dimitri Kossyrev, political commentator of RIA-Novosti, or victim of a technical failure according to other sources (what returns to same, in any event).

Always according to the Russian political commentator, the shootings North-Korean would have only one value limit to the military plan, without representing a surprise nor an increased military threat for the American experts:

" The day before this event of the American experts had declared that they doubted that the missile North-Korean with increased range can transport a of the same load importance. Lastly, Washington post recalls that the North Korea " need for several years will still have before creating a sufficiently small nuclear load to be able to place it in the missile".

" Without speaking that in spite of the reiterated assertions of Pyongyang, the experts do not believe that the North Korea is a “nuclear power”. Thus, from the purely military point of view, there are not place too much to worry, abstraction made of the possible fall of a missile North-Korean on an air route or a boat of pêche"

It should be recalled that this text was written before the Nuclear test North-Korean of October 9th, 2006.

The diplomatic reactions however were very sharp, the North Korea having carried out shootings the American national feastday, in a context of renewal of the agreement of defense nippo-American.

The justification North-Korean: to force the Americans with the negotiation

The North Korea justified its shootings of missile while observing that they raised, according to it, of its sovereign right to defend oneself in the event of American attack. Thus, according to South Korean specialists quoted by Philippe Pons.

" While being armed, Pyongyang really seeks to prevent an American attack, scalded by the invasion of Iraq, affirm South Korean analysts. And, frustrated by the multi-party negotiations, the North Korea especially seeks to force the United States to engage of the bilateral negotiations, thus imitating Teheran. The goal: monnayer the abandonment of its nuclear program against economic concessions. " In the short run, the United States will react with anger to launching missiles, but they will realize that the only long-term solution is to engage of the direct talks with the North Korea " , Paik Hak-soon estimates, of the Sejong Institute in Séoul".

The official news agency North-Korean KCNA in addition estimated that, according to it, " it acts " exercises of routine intended to reinforce the defense of the pays" .

The show of force North-Korean intervenes in a context where the North Korea wishes to raise the American financial sanctions against Pyongyang, and where the blocking of the negotiations on the nuclear fill North-Korean is also charged to the intransigence of Washington: thus, according to the Canadian daily newspaper " Presse" , " “The North Korea and the United States will have to change attitude. Washington in particular will have to cease all requiring immediately, and accepting gradual concessions”, estimates American David Albright, former inspector for the nuclear weapons in Iraq Later on, according to the South Korean news agency " Yonhap" , the North Korea would like to lead the Americans to negotiate a peace treaty: “North keeps the open door with the dialog with the United States, points out the South Korean news agency. The North Korea would be of agreement to give up its nuclear program in exchange of security guarantees and an economic aid. ” (source: arranges South Korean Yonhap, July 6th, 2006).

The AFP reports that the number one Kim Jong-Il North-Korean refuses to make " least the concession" in the United States and informed that its country was ready with a " war totale" (...) in the event of " vengeance" from the United States.

The North Korea announced Wednesday the cancellation of meetings intercoréennes families separated by the war from 1950-53, showing its neighbor of the South to be made the accomplice of the Occident in his judgment of the shootings of missiles North-Korean and placed his army in state of alert.

International reactions

Opposition of the majority of the great powers

These shootings thus caused strong reactions in the international community, in particular on behalf of the the United States, of the Japan, Russia and the South Korea. The Japan and the the United States denounced a " provocation" North Korea, while the South Korea expressed its " condamnation".

According to the agencies AFP and Reuters quoted by " Le Monde " , " the American ambassador with UNO, John Bolton, announced Friday July 7th that a draft Resolution calling with financial sanctions against the North Korea, after the shootings of missiles of Pyongyang, would be officially presented to the Safety advice of UNO in the course of the day.

" George W. Bush, as, considered to him at Chicago as the Safety advice was to vote for a resolution which " condamne" North Korea. Without pronouncing the word of " sanctions" , the US president underlined the need for reaching to an international consensus UNO. Thus, the United States supports a draft Resolution deposited by Japan, which invites the North Korea to take again the negotiations on its nuclear programs and the threat of punitives" measurements;.

The draft Resolution, initiated by Japan with the support of the United States, the Great Britain and the France, made following the retaliatory measures immediately adopted by the Japan: the connections by ferry between Japan and the North Korea were suspended.

The South Korea announced the suspension of its cereal deliveries in the North Korea, while the dialog intercoréen for the Réunification of Korea continued: according to the South Korean agency " Yonhap" , " South Korea and the North Korea agreed on the joint behavior of a festival in favor of the reunification in North Korea mid-August. It is what its promoters of the South dimanche" announced; ).

A call of China and Russia with the diplomatic negotiation

The Popular republic of China, for its part, refused to denounce the shootings North-Korean, calling the international community with the dialog and reserve.

Chinese persons in charge then went to Pyongyang to lead diplomatic negotiations.

The resolution voted by the Safety advice of the United Nations

The Safety advice of the United Nations adopted Saturday, July 15, 2006, unanimously, a resolution of compromise, immediately rejected by Pyongyang, demanding that the North Korea suspends all the linked activities with its program of ballistic missiles.

" This text, result eleven days of difficult negotiations between the great powers, does not comprise, as opposed to what wished Japan and the United States, of reference to article VII of the Charter of the United Nations which allows, in the event of nonrespect, the recourse to the force (...).

Mr. Pak (Pak Gil Yon, Korean ambassador in the United Nations) also condemned what it described like attempts “to use the Safety advice ill-advisedly for their political goals méprisables”, in order to insulate the North Korea and to subject it to pressures. He informed that the North Korea would not have an other solution only to take “stronger physical actions” if a country “dared to criticize” the manœuvres" .

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