An international investigation has found conclusively that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the South Korean naval patrol boat Cheonan in March, killing 46 sailors. Seoul has been wringing its hands over what to do about it, not wanting to get into a war with the truculent, nuclear-armed north -- which denies any involvement -- but deeply angry and eager to demonstrate that the south won't take such outrages lying down.
More sanctions against the already isolated North Koreans and haling Pyongyang before the UN Security Council are the steps taken so far. But nothing truly punitive is likely to get past China. So what to do?
The solution is: a ship for a ship, then a lie for a lie. I don't know whether Seoul has any killer submarines, but the U.S. does. A killer sub from South Korea or the U.S. could silently track and sink one of North Korea's four or so submarines. When the sub goes missing and North Korea screams about it, everyone would just emulate North Korea, look innocent and deny having anything to do with it.
Nasty for the North Korean submariners, to be sure, but they or their buddies engaged in an act of war -- a violation of the 1953 armistice agreement between the UN and Pyongyang that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. An act of war is what they would get in return, but on the terms set by North Korea -- a sneak attack, then a mendacious denial.What could the North Koreans say about it?
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