Obama asks Putin to give up Cold War, looks at a Korean Missile Crisis

This week, on the eve of his first trip to Russia, President Barak Obama criticized the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for having a foot left in the Cold War. During his speech Obama, cited that the new President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, is more adapt to moving forward from this past.


With the discussion of the START I treaty at the head of the summit’s agenda, Obama is not treading lightly in regards to this former enemy. However, with the prospects of a reduction in nuclear arms and at least a discussion on SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative), both sides are looking for heavy concessions.


Obama wants to dramatically cut our nuclear arsenal, while the Russians would like for the U.S. to abandon its SDI program. This may pose a problem on a few different fronts.


As of 06:37 on 4 July, it is reported that North Korea has launched up to 7 missiles off their eastern coast. This will further defy the UN resolution following the May underground test of a nuclear weapon. North Korea is and has been pursuing a myopic foreign policy that is making the world scratch their heads.


While the United States still believes in diplomacy in regards to North Korea, many wonder what a possible ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) launch towards Hawaii, set for the July 4th Holiday, will do for relations surrounding the area.


According to analysts at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a think tank that analyzes nuclear issues, there is a belief that such a launch, coupled with a pursed nuclear agenda, could send the region into to a ripple effect of chaos.


It is thought that Japan, who has not had a standing army since WWII, may feel the need for a military buildup to offer itself a significant defense against North Korea. If this were to occur, China, who is already torn between a natural ally in Korea and desired ally in the United States, believes this could lead to nuclear proliferation within the region, in essence creating another Cold War. If such were to happen, China would most likely react accordingly. With essential ties to the North, if Japan were to rearm and pursue nuclear weapons for defense, China would be in a position to have to choose between a lesser of two evils.


As Obama discusses nuclear arms reductions with Moscow, they are in a wait and see mode. Their nuclear supply is believed to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 14,000 units, which far outnumbers any other nation, including the U.S.


It is doubted that a missile launch from Korea would even come anywhere close to Hawaii. In any event, the U.S. has deployed countermeasure to intercept any threat.