The Obama administration has had two major foreign policy events to deal with since mid-December. First there was Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which much of the world's crude oil supply travels. Then North Korea's Kim Jong-Il died and his youngest son was named his successor.
Both countries have threatened the world with nuclear weapons in the past. Will both nations continue to be a foreign policy headache for the United States and its allies? Here's how President Obama has handled both of these threats to peace in the past as a guide for how the American government may respond to possible aggression by countries that are possible making nuclear weapons.
Iran's Strong Stance
Iran has been threatening the world with naval blockades for months in order to cut off oil supplies. But the Associated Press states the newest report from Iran has one of the country's government-controlled newspapers claiming there is a secret underground nuclear facility. Iran also claims it has begun enriching uranium at the site.
The Revolutionary Guard has continued to step up pressure on any possible economic sanctions limiting Iran's oil exports. Should that happen, Iran's navy claims they will block the Strait of Hormuz. The oil embargo would be in response to any advancement of Iran's nuclear ambitions.
The Obama administration has relied on economic sanctions so far to this point. The Iran Sanctions Act was signed in the summer of 2010. The United States has also been working to try to limit Iran's access to financial resources in the international finance market. With this supposed nuclear site, Iran is taking a very strong stance in defiance of international orders to stop processing nuclear fuel.
The U.S. Navy rescued 13 Iranian fishermen from Somalian pirates in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 7. Even though economic sanctions are the preferred method for controlling Iran, the United States military may be ready to act on a moment's notice should the situation get out of hand in a hurry.
North Korea's New Leadership
North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, is trained to be a military commander. He is a four-star general in the North Korean army. The United States, through third parties, were in continued negotiations with North Korea to end their fledgling nuclear program.
Yet recent reports claim the new dictator is still going to be combative. Leaders in the isolated country have called for human shields to protect their new commander. Reuters reports North Korea is perhaps "one or two years away" from mounting a miniaturized nuclear warhead on a medium range missile. A year ago, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated a long-range nuclear program was about "five years" in the making.
Similar to Iran, the choice of the Obama administration has been to rely on economic sanctions. Military action would be less preferred. However, should North Korea become much more hostile there can be a quick response from American forces. Thousands of U.S. Army troops are stationed in South Korea, a presence that has been felt since the early 1950s in the Korean War. Obama can easily call the military into action from North Korea's neighbor in a pinch.
William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.
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