Editorials in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal said Iran and North Korea are presenting a test of character and will for President Obama, giving him no time to settle in at the White House.
Those editorials came as Iran has used a missile to launch a satellite, meaning Tehran now can build indigenous intercontinental ballistic missiles, and as North Korea appears poised to launch either a long-range Taepo Dong-2 weapon or perhaps a satellite. (Please see full story in this issue.)
The Post said North Korea repeatedly breaks its word, and will stage outrageous provocations to push the United States and other nations into giving it ransoms of energy, food or other items, only to violatepromises made as a means of obtaining those goods.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was well to snub North Korea on her upcoming trip to China, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea, the Post stated.
Meanwhile, the Journal said that Iran is testing Obama’s mettle, terming the combination of long-range Iranian missile prowess and an ongoing Iranian nuclear production program that Western observers fear will be used to make atomic weapons, which the newspaper termed a “lethal mix.”
The United States has proposed building the European Missile Defense system, to kill any missiles that rogue states such as Iran might fire at Europe.
All of this Iranian intransigence proves the vital U.S. and European need for missile defense systems, the Journal said. If Obama meant his campaign pledges last year, when he said he wishes to nurture relationships with U.S. allies, then now is the time to prove that resolve.
Europe needs missile defense, the Journal pointed out.