by Timou

Created on: June 29, 2009   Last Updated: July 02, 2009

The question that perturbs me the most is not whether North Korea is a bigger threat than Iran, or vice versa. What perplexes me the most is why the two countries are perceived so strongly to be threats to world peace.

It does not seem logical to me that major nuclear powers such as the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom should see the moves made my North Korea and Iran towards attaining nuclear technology to be a threat when they themselves possess a huge nuclear arsenal and have consistently resisted international calls to disarm. Even more hypocritical is the fact the countries with nuclear capabilities are shielded from international scrutiny due to alliances and political favors. Israel is known to have its own nuclear arsenal despite claiming the contrary, but repeatedly refused inspection by UN nuclear inspectors. It does so with the blessings of the US, itself the world's foremost nuclear power, while vehemently berating Iran for pursuing nuclear intentions.

One then wonders which of the two poses a greater threat to world peace. World peace, in my view, really means nothing more than peace for the US and its allies. So long as something threatens the US or its allies, it automatically translates into a threat to world peace. Which then poses a greater challenge to the US and its allies?

That answer comes simply to me North Korea. The major American presence in East Asia is manifested in its proxies, Japan and South Korea. In other words, the complaints and concerns that the Japanese and South Koreans issue are likely to be heard much more clearly than those of other countries. Let us not forget that both countries enjoy special positions within the larger scheme of American foreign policy, being bulwarks against the spread of communism during the Cold War.

In contrast, Iran is surrounded by countries that have not traditionally enjoyed much American patronage in the first place. Besides, a fractious Arabian continent, divided along power lines, is of much greater benefit to long-term American and Israeli interests. To face a united pan-Arabian continent would interests polar to the US and Israeli is one of the ultimate nightmare scenarios that both allies hope never to face.

With regards to the political structures of both countries, Iran has a much more structured and stable political system, with checks and balances that are no doubt nowhere as robust as that of other political entities such as the US or China. The President for example, is not the sole source of political power. The Supreme Leader enjoys power over the President, but even then, he can be replaced by a panel of high-ranking clerics known as the Guardian Council.

North Korea, on the other hand, is very much a hermit state. Trying to understand the regime is pretty much a guessing game. All that is known is that the man with ultimate political power is President Kim Jong-Il, but beyond that, little is known about the political structure. If little is known, then there is much more unpredictability in managing affairs with the North Koreans. It is this strong element of unpredictability that makes North Korea that much more of a threat than Iran.

Thus, the North Koreas are a larger threat to world peace than Iran, though whether this threat is real or perceived, or whether it has been hyped up by external interest remains very much contentious.

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