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Foreign Policy Expert Discusses North Korea on 1370 Connection

A former University of Rochester professor who now holds a chair in security policy at Ohio State University thinks Americans are more worried about the potential threat of an unstable North Korea than they should be.

John Mueller is the author of best-selling books on security issues including "Atomic Obsession:  Nuclear Alarmism from Hiroshima to Al Qaeda" and spoke on WXXI’s 1370 Connection on Monday.

Mueller said some caution about the direction of North Korea after the death of Kim Jong-Il may be warranted, but profound worry is not--North Korea's bark, he says, is far bigger than its bite.

Mueller says the North Koreans' actual pattern is to make saber-rattling gestures in hopes of getting more aid for their faltering economy--and it may be far cheaper to pay them off than engage them in a confrontation.

Click on the audio player above to listen to an excerpt from Monday’s 1370 Connection.