Clash of Strategies: Pax Americana and the Nuclear Ambitions of North Korea

Abstract

America currently finds itself in a precarious position as it grapples with developing the right strategy for dealing with the current crisis in North Korea. For nearly 50 years the US has negotiated with North Korea in an effort to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula nudge North Korea into the fold of democracy and one day achieve Korean unity. The net result of a half-century's worth of US appeasement reveals that North Korea is in better shape now than it was at the end of the Korean War. North Korea has progressed from being a regional menace to a genuine nuclear weapons power that may threaten the security of the US homeland. How is it possible for one of the world's greatest powers to be on the "horns of a dilemma," strategically, by an economically failed rogue state? What actions should the US take to protect its interests and preserve peace? This paper will discuss key issues that serve as stumbling blocks to long term peace and stability in Korea and recommend a strategic course of action to achieve US goals.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 19, 2004
Accession Number
ADA424212

Entities

People

  • John E. Stone

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
  • International Relations
  • Korea
  • Korean War
  • National Security
  • Negotiations
  • North Korea
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Regional Security
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.