The Romanian scenario for the DPRK

WEEKEND JOURNAL: "How To Deal With a Dictator: North Korea's recent nuclear test is the regime's latest act of dangerous defiance," by Robert Joseph, Wall Street Journal, 6-7 June 2009.

Guy argues for a far tougher and more aggressive effort on the part of the U.S.

Why?

Kim Jong Il understands that the very survival of his regime, particularly as it transitions to his young heir, is dependent on his country being isolated. If he or his successor opens it up, they could well suffer the fate of Romania's Nicolae Ceausescu, who was deposed and executed in a violent overthrow following the collapse of communism. In fact, reports suggest that Kim was almost fixated as he watched those fatal events unfold in real time.

Kim is smart enough to be scared and he should be. China's security agencies spent some time in recent years interviewing key participants in Ceausescu's fall, to include Soviet KGB operatives who helped engineer it on Kremlin orders.

Comments

[Matt Osborne]

Ceasescu's fall was anything but operatic. That has to make the Opera Dilettante nervous... Interesting insight into the psychology of Jong-Il, to say the least. I'm Facebooking this.

[magnes]

I think , only fear , could not explain his action of keeping N . Korea isolated . It is possible that King Jong Il still has nightmares of Ceausescu's trial and violent execution .It could be a deadlock . Isolation generating fear and fear generating isolation , but most of all I think he is push forward to isolate and try to strengthen N Korea international position , not by ideology or fear , but by a strong self - identification of a country that he own , owning more in terms of direct power he could exercise that any other single person on this planet.

[Jeff J]

The one question I remember Tom making in regards to Iran was were they rational. Would Iran go so far as to risk it all. I assume the same question applies to North Korea but the better question might be are they crazy enough to use nukes.