Political Twins
Do North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad have anything in common? It is hard to find any similarity at first sight. One lives according to Juche doctrine, another—to Mohammed’s teaching, one builds Korean socialism, another—Islamic democracy. One, “chief, chief’s son” Kim Jong-il, lives like a Celestial; another, unknown until recently Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad, on the contrary, presents himself as a plain fellow out of the masses. Here again, they are just the opposite of each other. Besides, unlike dear leader Kim who rules without a backward glance to anyone, president Ahmadi-Nejad must look up to Islamic revolution leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Still, these two absolutely different men are political twin-brothers. What unites them, outweighing all differences, is their manner of political interaction with that part of the world which is concerned about North Korean and Iranian “threat”. Playing cat-and-mouse with that part of the world, both like to assume vague significancy, act on the verge of foul, and dupe the opponents. They also think they can twist anyone round their finger. Yet, no matter how cunning they are, both Kim Jong-il and Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad are quite predictable. Moreover, their behavior may be easily foreseen.
What is peculiar to that behavior? First of all, both are men of their word. Meaning that once they give their word, they can easily take it back. It belongs to them, doesn’t it? So why not take it back, should the situation demand it.
It is notable that Kim Jong-il timed the launching of Tepkhodon-2 to the 6th anniversary of his declaration that he is ready to give up missile programs, which will remain in the history of modern diplomacy as “Kim Jong-il’s joke”. It was Russian president Vladimir Putin who announced the good news that Kim Jong-il came to reason and began considering to give up missiles. Putin said that in summer 2000, en route to the G8 summit in Okinawa, after he talked privately with Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang. A couple of months later, Kim Jong-il said he just joked when he spoke to Putin. He added that North Korea will not give up its missile programs—and the events of recent days have proven it. Another explanation exists, where the blame is shifted on interpreters who have allegedly distorted Kim Jong-il’s words when he spoke to Putin. Yet, the story repeats again. Before the next G8 summit, Putin talks privately to Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad in Shanghai, and announces the good news that Iranian leader received positively the offer to settle Iran’s nuclear crisis. Meaning that Ahmadi-Nejad sort of promised to behave well. It is easy to guess that when the time comes, he will not keep his promise, as a true owner of his word. So, he will demonstrate once again the worth of words of such world dimplomacy grandees as Kim Jong-il and Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad.
Sergey Strokan
All the Article in Russian as of June 19, 2006
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