Gamal Nkrumah on how the West got it so very wrong on Pyongyang's nuclear policy North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has staked out a distinct role on the international political scene. He is simultaneously villain and hero. It's striking how many Third World leaders are looking to Kim for inspiration right now. Amid the international condemnation of North Korea's nuclear blast, there is a sneaking admiration for this daring deed. Only by playing hardball within the new world order, dominated by Pax Americana, can a Third World country carve a special niche in world affairs, even though with dubious means. North Korea's decision to test a nuclear bomb was, contrary to conventional wisdom, not an affront to international law, but rather a political move. "Detonating a nuclear device is a political decision -- it is not necessarily a matter of international law," professor Salaheddin Amer, a leading specialist on international law, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Amer explained that North Korea pulled out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in January 2003. It is thus under no legal obligation to abide by the restrictions it imposes. "Technically," Amer explained, "North Korea is not breaking international law. The North Korean nuclear test has triggered a debate in the Middle East, and inflamed the traditional grievance against the United States bias in favour of Israel. "Why is it that the world turns a blind eye to Israel's nuclear arsenal and makes a fuss over North Korea's nuclear bomb test? Why the double standards," he went on to ask. Western powers, in concerted action, have long prevented the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from voting on a motion to prevent Israel from utilising nuclear energy for military purposes. Why shouldn't Israel be forced to use atomic energy strictly and exclusively for peaceful purposes? Western powers, in a warped sort of logic, claim that Israel is a democratic state, the only true democracy in the Middle Eastern region, and is therefore entitled to freely develop its nuclear programme without the limitations of international inspections and IAEA safeguards. Israel is deemed a "responsible democracy", whatever that means. In reality, and as its barbaric aggression against Lebanon has shown, Israel is the only country in the Middle East, and the world, that is not subject to the full scope of IAEA safeguards. Israel is not even a signatory to the NPT. "Israel is a law unto itself," Amer remarked. "North Korea, isn't." He went on to explain that North Korea is stygmatised as a state sponsoring terror and a member of the axis of evil. "Israel hasn't signed or ratified the NPT. Egypt is a signatory of the NPT and hasn't ratified the treaty. The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are nuclear powers. India and Pakistan are also openly nuclear powers and not signatories to the NPT. Israel is an undisclosed member of the nuclear club. The point being that it has become increasingly difficult to join the nuclear club, and especially so for a developing country. North Korea is now making itself a member." Indeed, a fallout of North Korea's nuclear test is that a number of developing nations might follow suit. Even if there is strong international condemnation for North Korea's nuclear test, it is highly unlikely that the international community will impose sanctions on North Korea. China, Russia and South Korea are most certainly going to oppose the imposition of sanctions. China and Russia are veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council. China and South Korea have expensive trade and economic relations with Pyongyang. Neither the Chinese nor the South Koreans want to see a further deterioration in the North Korean economy, which is currently in shambles. China and South Korea fear that if there are further economic troubles in North Korea, a deluge of refugees will cross their borders and create instability in the region. Both China and South Korea have a vested interest in propping up the North Korean economy -- and they would do so regardless of Pyongyang's nuclear tests. Russia, too, would like to see a prosperous North Korea -- the country borders one of Russia's most economically dynamic and resource-rich regions -- the Rusian Pacific zone. North Korea is a country with economic potential and its neighbours realise the fact all too well. In the aftermath of the North Korean nuclear blasts, although strongly-worded statements were issued, the three powers fell short of threatening economic sanctions. Meanwhile, a desire for increased development aid, trade and economic assistance has been the main force behind North Korea's desire to detonate a nuclear bomb. Observers note that Pyongyang wants to be taken seriously, and being a nuclear power is one way of focusing world attention on its economic mess. "What are the economic means of North Korea? The country is labouring under serious economic woes. It is incapable of enforcing serious safeguards to its nuclear facilities. Ensuring nuclear safety is a rather expensive enterprise," Farouk Abdel-Rahman, head of the Nuclear Safety Authority, told the Weekly. Pundits debate the possible Western reactions to Egypt's resumption of its own nuclear programme, although it is rests on an entirely different agenda. Egypt's nuclear programme is open to international inspectors and President Hosny Mubarak's 1999 initiative stresses that the Middle East must be made a non-nuclear region. However, Egypt does have a legitimate need to develop its nuclear industry. "Egypt's petroleum reserves are estimated to last for a mere 14 years," explained Ahmed Ibrahim of Al-Ahram's Political and Strategic Studies Centre. "In comparison, Saudi Arabia's reserves are estimated to last 100 years." "Nuclear safety is guaranteed in Egypt, on the other hand. We have the expertise and we have the technology. The late distinguished scientist Fawzy Hammad, the pioneer of the nuclear programme in Egypt, supervised the training of an impressive cadre of nuclear scientists and technicians. They were dispatched to Western universities for further studies. I, myself, was one of those who were sent on scholarships to the United States and Denmark," Abdel-Rahman explained. "Currently there are some 300 scientists and experts. The safety standards are quite high. Otherwise," he concluded, "we would not be confident in reviving our nuclear programme."
