Reaction to AFA President's comments on North Korean Missile Launch

In response to "The General Dunn News Clip 4 4 2009” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvPedpMde9A on FOX News: I thoroughly agree with AFA President Mike Dunn’s views stated in the interview on Fox News Channel during the 9:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) segment of “America’s News HQ” broadcast, Saturday, April 4, 2009. This interview with Fox News Channel occurred prior to the North Korean missile launch last weekend.
A narrative of the FOX newscast, itself follows (for those who may not have an adequate sound system on their computer):
[Note: Beneath the live headshots of the FOX newscaster on the left and AFA President Dunn on the right, the segment title read: “DEVELOPING… NORTH KOREA: ROCKET LAUNCH COMING SOON”]
The Fox newscaster asked Lieutenant General Dunn, “What do you think North Korea’s trying to do with this threat to launch a missile?” AFA President Dunn replied, “I believe that when they say they’re going to launch a space vehicle, but, really, the test is going to be more about testing its rocket system and the rocket motor in the different stages of the missile.”
Question: “And what can they hope to accomplish by doing something as provocative as this, and the President also indicating that they cannot do it without impunity?” Dunn’s answer: “I think they intend to test it and then field ICBM’s. They’ve built silos in the mountains of North Korea. I think they’ll deploy an ICBM system, and I think this ICBM system will be available for sale. It could be that this is an Arms Bazaar in the World stage that others are looking at.”
The Fox newscaster picked up on this possibility, saying: “That’s the question. Will they use this as a sale to countries like, oh, let’s say, ‘Iran’ and some other countries?” Dunn answered: “Well, North Korea and Iran have a business relationship, and this is -- the timing of this is absolutely -- from North Korea’s perspective -- perfect. They’ve got a new Administration the World is focused on … the financial crisis – and NATO Summit, and G-20 Meeting, and this is about a month after the Iranians launched a missile.”
Then the FOX newscaster asked, “General, what can we do about this?” Dunn replied, “We’ve got just – I don’t think diplomacy’s going to work - we’ve got about three options.
“First of all, we should have a robust missile defense. We need to spend a great deal of money in this area. And, coincidently, the press reports from yesterday are talking about the Pentagon bringing down the Missile Defense Agency, which is supposed to build missile defenses. And this is the agency that President Reagan created.”
Dunn continued: “The second thing is we should have a strong deterrent on the peninsula. And the third thing I think we ought to do is to put some real pressure on the Kim Regime. We should crack down on his illicit activities, drug smuggling, his counterfeiting of currency, and the sale of military equipment and hardware around the world.”
The FOX newscaster extended to AFA President Dunn FOX NEWS’ appreciate for his appearance on “Americas News HQ”: “Lieutenant General Dunn, thanks for joining us and sharing some insight on that, because a lot of people are watching North Korea. And they like that attention, anyway. But we’ll continue to watch them. Thank you, sir.” AFA President Dunn replied: “Thank you, Kelly. Appreciate it.”
My further comments on the AFA President’s FOX NEWS appearance:
Our ability to utilize the first option General Dunn suggested, that of a “robust missile defense,” is threatened by the Administration’s attitude toward missile defense. AFA President Dunn’s second and third suggested options, those of a strong deterrent on the peninsula and a crack down on North Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong-Il’s regime, go hand-in-hand with our ability to maintain a robust missile defense.
Of great danger are the links between nations unfriendly to our Nation, especially those business connections between North Korea and Iran. Written between the lines of this interview is the warning that an “Arms Bazaar” may be in operation, which is only given a boost by missile launchings such as the one that took place last weekend. Whether or not the North Korean missile fizzled is not the point, here. The launch sent a message that North Korea is defiant and is certainly acting with impunity, that is, in such a manner as President Obama asserted would not have been possible. To act with impunity is to act in complete freedom from unpleasant consequences, as if to be exempt from punishment, harm, or recrimination. The fashion in which North Korea behaved illustrates that the United States, in regard to this incident, exerted no deterrence, no dissuasion, and no successful show of power to in any way deter North Korea from behaving in any way they pleased. What is to stop North Korea from its next move, if our supposed dominance and super power gains such disrespect, disregard, contempt, insolence, and impertinence?
The President, Congress, the Pentagon, and all others in positions of power to act wisely on the heels of the North Korean missile launch should heed each and every word of advice given by Lt. Gen. Mike Dunn.
Enrico R. Valentia