An unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates

Sabado, Hulyo 20, 2013

The North Korean Ship Imbroglio

By now every foreign policy aficionado has heard of the Chong Chon Gang, a DPRK emblazoned cargo ship that was seized in Panama for transporting missiles and helicopters. Pundits argue that this was the most hairbrained exercise in illegal transport of contraband, being that the ships smokestack was painted with DPRK's national flag. It's like a serial killer wearing a shirt saying "I love to Kill!"

FP contributor Elias Groll asserts that this is probably a rushed job, something that was planned in a very short period of time, hence the gross lapses in sublimity. But hold on, maybe this is just a diversionary tactic, something the DPRK did to distract attention while something more important is getting shipped right now to North Korea. By obviously letting this ship get caught, the North Koreans are betting that the world's attention will be momentarily shifted long enough for the really crucial cargo to slip away the world's prying eyes, maybe one now did actually slip away and is making way to the waters of Southeast Asia, eventually sailing to port in North Korea.

With the paranoid, almost delusional regime of the North constantly trying to evade restrictions imposed by the U.S., this is something that is more than just simple stupidity, as it undoubtedly is, but then again, nothing is plain and simple with the North, so the world should neither look at this incident with a "got you" bravado but instead ponder as to whether there could be more than this - as most likely it is.

Walang komento:

Mag-post ng isang Komento