Nuclear Korea needs attention

The problems with North Korea continue to escalate.\nOn a routine surveillance mission March 2, a U.S. aircraft flew in international airspace about 150 miles off the Korean peninsula when four armed North Korean MiGs approached and flew within 50 feet of the plane for 20 minutes, U.S. officials said. The U.S. plane returned to its base in Okinawa, Japan, unharmed.\nBut the incident left us shaken. \nAfter recent findings that North Korea has kicked out U. N. nuclear inspectors, pulled out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, test-fired a missile and started up a reactor believed capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium, this latest incident scares all of us.\nNorth Korea is a much bigger threat now than most people originally thought. It's not just building nuclear capabilities, it's going on the offensive -- aggressively.\nThe March 2 incident should have been an eye opener to American citizens and especially U.S. officials.\nYet they seem to be indifferent. At least that's the side they're showing to the public.\nWe need to set a clear policy on how we plan to deal with North Korea, both within the United Nations and for our own people.\nNo more "axis of evil" labeling and ambiguous policies. If the United States is not going to take action against an obviously dangerous country, then let the public know. We can't just act like this incident and the other findings before it were not legitimate threats -- especially when it seems like officials are just inflating problems with Iraq. \nWhy stir up one war when it seems a more dangerous foe is being left alone? It makes no sense.\nWe understand the problems the United States has with Iraq and North Korea are two different issues and therefore should be handled in different ways. Saddam Hussein will comply with the threat of force, as he has cooperated as the military buildup around Iraq increases. But Pentagon officials say Kim Jong Il has disregarded North Korea's nuclear non-proliferation obligations and will consider any sanctions against North Korea as an act of war.\nWe cannot be as forceful toward Jong Il as we are with Hussein because he simply will choose not to listen. But setting a clear policy on how to treat the situation with North Korea will help everyone understand where the United States is coming from and what we hope to accomplish.\nU.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said talking directly to North Korea would be a "bad practice." Other U.S. officials said their strategy is to cast the standoff as a multilateral issue with surrounding countries, not just a dispute between the United States and North Korea.\nBut the aggressive incidents cannot be ignored.\nSet a clear policy on how to deal with North Korea and Kim Jong Il alone, then work with the other countries to figure out a solution.\n-- Ben Cunningham for the Editorial Board