Dear Editor,
While the latest missile test is being hailed as a success by North Korea, the United Nations Security Council has issued a statement condemning North Korea for its latest missile test. Adding to an already long list of sanctions, the council is planning new ones for North Korea. If this is not the most blatant display of double standards in recent times, I really don’t know what is.
All five permanent members of the Security Council are well known nuclear powers. As if that is not enough, they have all conducted recent missile tests or have armed nuclear weapons or both.
France is an established nuclear power. In the late 1990s, that country carried out several nuclear tests in the Pacific. Unlike North Korea, which did hers underground and is being damned by the council for doing so, some of France’s were in the open, damaging the environment. The Security Council did not consider the issue of sanctions a worthy response.
Great Britain continues to operate its submarine-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force on submarines that are virtually undetectable. These missiles can be fired at any target on the planet. Nobody is even considering any form of sanctions against her.
Late last year, China tested a missile capable of destroying satellites in orbit. The Chinese missile is more capable than the one North Korea fired, yet the Security Council did not call for sanctions to be imposed on the People’s Republic.
The US tested an ICBM in March 2015. That country is an accomplished ICBM power, with regular testing of very advanced missiles. No one at the Security Council even bothered to raise the issue of these American missile tests, much more call for sanctions.
Russia still has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and missile force. In late 2015, Russia successfully test-fired an advanced long-range missile from a submarine. Why is the Security Council silent on Russia?
North Korea has said repeatedly that it will continue to ignore the Security Council. As far as I can see, it has every right to be defiant!
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
While the latest missile test is being hailed as a success by North Korea, the United Nations Security Council has issued a statement condemning North Korea for its latest missile test. Adding to an already long list of sanctions, the council is planning new ones for North Korea. If this is not the most blatant display of double standards in recent times, I really don’t know what is.
All five permanent members of the Security Council are well known nuclear powers. As if that is not enough, they have all conducted recent missile tests or have armed nuclear weapons or both.
France is an established nuclear power. In the late 1990s, that country carried out several nuclear tests in the Pacific. Unlike North Korea, which did hers underground and is being damned by the council for doing so, some of France’s were in the open, damaging the environment. The Security Council did not consider the issue of sanctions a worthy response.
Great Britain continues to operate its submarine-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force on submarines that are virtually undetectable. These missiles can be fired at any target on the planet. Nobody is even considering any form of sanctions against her.
Late last year, China tested a missile capable of destroying satellites in orbit. The Chinese missile is more capable than the one North Korea fired, yet the Security Council did not call for sanctions to be imposed on the People’s Republic.
The US tested an ICBM in March 2015. That country is an accomplished ICBM power, with regular testing of very advanced missiles. No one at the Security Council even bothered to raise the issue of these American missile tests, much more call for sanctions.
Russia still has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and missile force. In late 2015, Russia successfully test-fired an advanced long-range missile from a submarine. Why is the Security Council silent on Russia?
North Korea has said repeatedly that it will continue to ignore the Security Council. As far as I can see, it has every right to be defiant!
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com