Apparently, the United States can pursue diplomacy.
After years of hostility and threats, North Korea struck a deal with the U.S. last week to cease nuclear tests, uranium enrichment and long-range missile testing in exchange for 240,000 metric tons of food aid. The deal would also allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the nuclear complex in Yongbyon, North Korea.
The move was a step, if limited, in the right direction and comes at an important time for both countries.
North Korea is just coming out of a change in leadership following Kim Jong-il’s death and the promotion of his son, Kim Jong-un, as supreme leader of North Korea.
The country is also dangerously low on food, falling below the minimum grain supplies needed to feed each North Korean, according to researchers Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland. The aid being offered by the United States could help North Korea just get by and have enough food for its population.
Meanwhile, the United States has simultaneously been involved in a conflict with another country over its nuclear program: Iran.
In a previous column on the escalating situation with Iran, I emphasized that the United States should pursue diplomatic solutions when dealing with the country.
This newly-proposed deal with North Korea is a testament that diplomatic solutions can work, even with hostile countries, and that such solutions should be attempted with Iran.
In fact, it’s possible the United States was thinking about Iran as it negotiated with North Korea. The deal could be an example to the country and its people, demonstrating that we can work things out in other ways.
Of course, it’s healthy to view these types of deals with skepticism.
North Korea has agreed to suspend its nuclear program before. In 2007, North Korea agreed to shut down the Yongbyon reactor in exchange for 1 million tons of oil. However, the country restarted its program after both sides failed to agree on verification measures.
It should also be noted that immediately following that deal, North Korea attempted to save face by issuing its usual empty threats about “merciless sacred war” with South Korea.
Still, the potential benefits of pursuing such action makes the diplomacy worthwhile.
Halting North Korea’s nuclear activities would be a tremendous step for improving relations in the region, and having International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors on the ground in the country would allow the United States and the rest of the world to have concrete facts and data when assessing the country’s nuclear program. Before, we could only work with speculation of what is going on in the country.
Pursuing a similar type of diplomatic strategy with Iran could prove to be just as beneficial to the United States.
Of course, Iran isn’t in the same position as North Korea in terms of needs. However, a diplomatic strategy need only bring matters to the table that can be negotiated between the two parties in order to be successful.
Still, there are critics to pursuing such a strategy with Iran.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon stated the strategy used against North Korea will not work when dealing with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on President Obama to issue explicit threats of military action against Iran.
This is entirely the wrong way to go about resolving the issue.
These statements are a way to rile a fearful population into attacking an enemy that poses no immediate threat to our national security. Military threats will only embolden the Iranian government and unite the Iranian people against a common threat.
A military strike would do nothing but cost lives and will only disrupt Iran’s nuclear ambitions for a short time.
The program would eventually come back, and it would then have the support of its people as a method of self defense.
If the deal with North Korea demonstrated anything, it was that diplomatic solutions can be pursued.
We should start with those before we get extreme.
David Scheuermann is a 20-year-old mass communication and computer science sophomore from Kenner. Follow him on Twitter at @TDR_dscheu.
 
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Contact David Scheuermann at [email protected]