In 2016 the Foundation of International Freedom celebrated its tenth anniversary. In 2006 I wrote a treatise on the major international problems of the day entitled “Simple Solutions for Complex Problems”(See Archives-2006). Our Directors decided a new “think tank” could provide a venue to further these discussions and on November 8th we organized the Foundation of International Freedom.
As a result of my experience in the Middle East beginning in the 1970’s, we decided the initial focus of the Foundation would be in that area. Since then the Middle East has become increasingly hostile, culminating in the attacks of 9/11, 2003 organized by Osama Bin Laden.
The subsequent years have been an historic period in which the United States, which together with coalitions of many free countries, became involved in a series of conflicts in the area, culminating with the disaster in Syria and the widespread attacks by Islamic terrorists which continue to this day.
Although the turmoil that characterizes the Middle East will continue, the largest danger facing our civilization is North Korea.
Now under the control of Kim Jong Un, its third generation of tyrants, the Hermit Kingdom has acquired an arsenal of nuclear weapons and has developed intercontinental ballistic missiles that threaten the US.
The obvious intent of assembling these weapons together with an arsenal of artillery aimed at Seoul is to maintain the Kim Dynasty in control of this sad country, General James Mattis, the US Secretary of Defense, has stated these weapons under the control of an unstable leader is the most serious threat now facing our country.
Although the use of military power to solve problems is rightly considered a last resort after diplomacy has failed, it should not be abandoned. The two other great powers, China and Russia, and most of the countries in the United Nations have totalitarian governments whose interests generally are divergent from those of free countries.
As we proposed ten years ago, the optimum solution to confront international aggression and terrorism would be a consortium of free countries. We submit that this is still a worthwhile goal to pursue, but in the interim, the United States must be prepared to act alone to eliminate this threat.
Byron K. Varme
Executive Director