North Korea, a furtive and Stalinist country, launched six missles today.  At least one of the missles was designed to be long range, capable of reaching the United States, but that one failed about a minute after launch.  The others flew into the Sea of Japan, making our major Asian partner very nervous — Tokyo will take the matter to the U.N. Security Council.

Since we are in Iraq, have 200,000 troops and civilians there, and are spending $200 billion a year there and for the foreseeable future, there is no military response available to either intimidate the former playboy and dissociated dictator, Kim Jung Il.  Nor could the United States contain, short of an atomic bomb response, aggressive moves by the North against South Korea.

North Korea, as you may know, is following/leading/going parallel to Iran in developing nuclear capability.  They were a client of the Pakistani scientist who peddled atomic knowledge and equipment across the world to rogue states.

It’s not really changing the subject when I note that in Afghanistan, the Taliban are killing a few Afghans that are associated with Western forces.  The ones they are killing are ALL translators.  The Taliban has recently launched attacks with as many as 400 troops massed into one operation.  It’s a much higher level of insurgency than we see in Iraq.

Also today, the United States military announced that the special team formed to take out Osama bin Laudin has been disbanded.  Did someone say “dead or alive”?  Excuse me, that was “bring it on”.  No, it was “Mission Accomplished”. 

I agree that they should disband it.  After all, Pakistan is not in control of the so-called “Tribal Areas” along the Afghan border if for no other reason than Musharreff is hardly in control of the rest of Pakistan.  In all events, the idea that someone will give up Osama and/or that the United States will be able to go in there in force or in stealth is not probable at this time.

The military is doing it for the reason that it’s several thousand GIs short of Special Forces, Seals, and the like. 

Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Pakistan, Iran and the list goes on when you remind yourself that Israel is in a shooting war with Gaza again.  Tel Aviv has taken a large number of the Hamas parliamentary leaders into custody and is occupying ground in the north end of the Gaza Strip.  Tanks and men are on the ground and there are missle and artillary strikes against Hamas offices and HQ. 

I do not think it imprudent to say that American foreign policy has seen better days, even recently.  I do not think it unfair to say that America is rather quickly showing itself to be an inept hegemon.  I also think it is fair to say that this president has nothing to offer but a record of foreign policy failure and poor judgment.

You and I will pay the price for his bungling.