Welcome to BASE21

“We are quite satisfied with just One Episode of the Star Wars”

We looked on with grave apprehension when you stood before the White House as the leader who would take the U.S. into the twenty-first century, in which she would have to bear heavy responsibility for peace and prosperity in the World. We cannot but confess our growing fear in witnessing our initial apprehension become reality with the passing of each day. Here, we would like to draw your attention to just one of the many concerns we have.

We remember: The “Star Wars” project of President Ronald Reagan, whom you hold in deep respect, ended in senseless waste of vast valuable resources which could have been used to enhance the welfare of the people all over the world, rather than defending the life and wealth of the American people or the people of the world.

We remember: Your predecessor, former President Bill Clinton, drove the people of the world into a greater insecurity by his insistence on building a “missile defense system” even in the first year of the Decade of Culture of Peace declared by the United Nations.

We may end up remembering you, Mr. President, as the person who created a cataclysmic threat against peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world with your unnerving pursuit of a more powerful and more all embracing missile defense system.

Mr. President, you may want to say to us that “it is the right of the United States of America to defend itself and its allies”. You may harbour deep disappointment towards the Korean people who, instead of expressing gratitude and encouragement for your efforts, declare their apprehension. Mr. President, we believe you have to answer our suspicion and apprehension before asserting your rights.

Mr. President, you and your Administration pointed to north Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) as the central reason for your ballistic missile defense system. The military spending of north Korea, however, is less than one-hundredth of that of your government. North Korea is not known to possess nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles. She has complied with the agreements to freeze its nuclear weapons development and has lived up to its pledges to suspend test launching of missiles. Furthermore, north Korea has repeatedly expressed her willingness to abandon the development of medium-to-long range missiles that your Administration is concerned with, if the U.S. government addresses the issues of security guarantees and normalisation of relations between the two countries with sincerity and good will.

What is the rationale for stubbornly pushing ahead with the plan to build a ballistic missile defense system ? which the U.S. government had promised to discard even at the height of the Cold War ? against north Korea? What is the reason for postponing the resumption of negotiations with north Korea? Are you afraid that the “evaporation” of the carefully erected “north Korean threat”, by removing the often repeated excuse, may send your “Star Wars” plan to the dust bin of history. May it be the case that you are waiting and hoping for some other excuse to arise while you try to steer away from resuming the negotiations with north Korea?

It is widely believed that the National Missile Defense and Theatre Missile Defense (known together as Ballistic Missile Defense) is actually aimed at China while north Korea is used as a convenient scapegoat. The recent attitude of your Administration to Russia, the arch-enemy during the Cold War, and to China who you describe as a “strategic rival”, seems to give credence to this belief and suspicion.

Even if you come true with your intentions, our apprehension and opposition to your NMD-TMD (BMD) plan will remain unchanged. We are painfully aware that true reunification and peace in Korea is only possible within the context of genuine security and peace in East Asia and the world as a whole.

You may wish to believe that U.S. economic and technological supremacy can bring NMD and TMD, which dreams of hitting a flying bullet with another bullet, into reality. The truth, however, is that however powerful a shield may be, it is bound to be penetrated ? and it only requires that it be done just once. It will not be just missiles which will undermine your dream-shield. The billions of dollars and scientific-technological capacity ? which should be better used for enhancing the quality of life of the American people and the people of the world ? wasted in a meaningless and destructive arms race will jeopardise the morality and legitimacy of your Administration, and undermine the security right in the very the homes of the people. Your Administration will be making an enormous mistake if you believe this is in America’s national interest.

There is only one way to cleanse all the suspicions and apprehension. The first step lies in a public declaration to the American people and the people of the world to abandon the misplaced and misconceived ventures for NMD and TMD. Your Administration can lead the way by dismantling all offensive weapons, including nuclear weapons, in response to the aspiration of the people of the world for peace. Mr. President, then, you will be remembered by all people of the world in the same breath as the word “peace”.

The choice, Mr. President, is yours. On the one hand, you and your Administration will be faced with a powerful resistance from the world’s people if you continue to pursue the development and deployment of NMD-TMD, coerce allies to partake in this madness, and compel them to redirect the national resources necessary for the welfare of the people to the purchase of the weapons that make up the system. On the other hand, you can participate and lead the way in nurturing world peace and common welfare by ending the adventurous NMD-TMD plan.

Lastly, we would like to convey to you our resolute determination. If you and your Administration insist on venturing into “Star Wars” ? on the flimsy excuse of a north Korean threat ? despite the opposition of the forces of conscience within your own country and the peoples of the world, we, the Korean people, will link arms with all the peace-loving people across the world, to lay your mindless NMD-TMD plan to rest.

April 9, 2001

Korean Committee Against NMD-TMD and for Peace

Contact: Youngmi Yang (yang@pspd.org)
Cheong Wooksik (civil@peacekorea.org)
Yoon Youngmo (inter@kctu.org)