Two sets of bad news hit the White House this week.

The United States continued to face strong opposition from the United Nations, and North Korea said it has a program of nuclear arms.

The news is discouraging to the administration after a successful vote for the president’s resolution by both the Senate and the House of Representatives last week.

While facing resistance from several nations, the United States has backed down from its demand that a new U.N. resolution must authorize military force if Iraq fails to cooperate with weapons inspectors, reports the Associated Press.

As an alternative, the United States is now offering a compromise that would give inspectors a chance to assess Iraq’s will to cooperate on the ground. The Bush administration said that if Iraq then failed to disarm, it would return to the Security Council for further debate and another possible resolution including military action.

That comes after North Korea admitted that it has been conduction major nuclear-weapons development. The confession comes after North Korea was confronted by new American intelligence.

In addition, North Korea informed the Bush administration that it has now “nullified” its 1994 agreement with the United States to halt nuclear weapons development.

The news comes 12 days after a senior American diplomat, James A. Kelley, confronted his North Korean counterparts with American intelligence data suggesting a secret project was underway. North Korea denied the allegation at first but later acknowledges the nuclear program, even saying they “have more powerful things as well,” a New York Times article reported.

As news of North Korea’s program leaked to reporters. A senior administration official said, “We seek a peaceful resolution to this situation.”

While President George Bush issued some of his toughest warning yet to Iraq, he failed to discuss the consequences North Korea could face if it does not comply with all of its commitments under the Nonproliferation Treaty.

This comes of no surprise to Tim Kosogof, a 22-year-old construction management student from Crystal Lake.

“With North Korea, it doesn’t seem like so much of a problem,” he said. “They seem to be quietly sitting there, or at least the public doesn’t hear about it much.”

Though Kosogof said he doesn’t expect to see the United States going to war with North Korea anytime soon, he does see President Bush sending American troops into Iraq.

And he said that as far as he can tell, Bush should do so.

We know they have weapons of mass destruction,” he said. “In the past, they have been a threat. They support terrorism.”

Kosogof said he doesn’t see another way to stop Iraq’s non-compliance with U.S. and U.N. resolutions.

“You just can’t keep slapping them on the hand,” he said. “That isn’t doing anything.”

However, USG Chief of Staff Joel Landry says the U.S. sanctions on Iraq’s economy are much more than a slap on the hand to the Iraqi people.

“The U.S.- and the U.N.-sponsored bombing have targeted civilian facilities and water treatment plants,” he said. “Since 1991 the people of Iraq have been deprived through the economy. If you solve the root problem, you can solve the others. End sanctions.”

As far as the war goes, Landry is completely against it.

In fact, he said the treats that the administration is offering might not even be factual.

“As long as public opinion stays in Bush’s favor, we may see greater and great threats being created,” he said. “And they are just that, being created.”

Landry said he is a part of a group that is taking an active stand against the possibility of war in Iraq.

He said that he is not planning on North Korea coming into the military spectrum yet because the United States will take a different approach with the problems evolving in North Korea.

“It will be totally different with Korea than with Iraq. It will be much more diplomatic,” he said. “And the U.S. does not have clean hands pursuing diplomacy in Iraq.”

More “diplomatic” solutions will be discussed during a second teach-in sponsored by the Committee Against War, which brings in facility and students to discusses and educate on the topic.

After a large audience at the first teach-in, it has been moved from the University Museum Auditorium to the Student Center Auditorium, located on the second floor. The Teach-In starts at 7 p.m. on Monday.

Reporter Kristina Herrndobler can be reached at [email protected]