Possible war with North Korea brewing?

[cstaylor]

Delay by U.N. on Rebuking North Korea Is Urged

China and Russia sought today to delay a Security Council condemnation of North Korea's nuclear arms program, a day after a top North Korean general said any sanctions or blockades initiated by the United States would be considered a "complete breach" of the truce that ended hostilities on the peninsula 50 years ago.

[Iambobo]

Well, to be serious, the war in Korea never ended. Not peace declaration was ever made. There is only an 'un-stable' cease fire, that has existed for the past 50 years.

But are right...multiple factors have been building up renewed conflict for ages...all we need is a trigger. History repeats this structure before every war. But we can still hope of the best....I guess. (hey, that ryhmes!)

[Crispy]

This is the best example of "fools rush in" that I have ever seen. North Korea would look like the surface of the moon minutes after making any kind of offensive action against the US.

[cstaylor]

North Korea would have plenty of warning about any attack, unless the Bush administration keeps the South Koreans in the dark like Clinton planned.

[Neo-Rio]

North Korea would have plenty of warning about any attack, unless the Bush administration keeps the South Koreans in the dark like Clinton planned.

Well, lets hope the CIA sponsored saboteur teams are ready at the North's nuclear lauch sites,... just to make sure the nuclear weapons explode on North Korean soil rather than get airborne and explode elsewhere.

[GargoyleTS]

Nope Neo-Rio. I would bet dollars to doughnuts (cause doughnuts are worth more) that we got a couple of busloads of Patriot(TM) Missiles parked in SouKo that the military is just DYING to test against Nukes. Plus (and no I haven't read anything about this) is the US even in danger here? I thought the Korea had mega-beef with SouKo and Japan, the US was just in both places and an incidental target. I would bet the citizens in greatest peril are the ones in SouKo, both US and Korean. Next in line is Japan (why?) and then the world at large, the US if possible. Or the whole thing will go all to hell when NorKo launches Nukes in response to Humanitarian Aid Drops from American bombers being interpreted as an attack.

[DJEB]

Plus (and no I haven't read anything about this) is the US even in danger here?

In a word, no.

Friday, February 14, 2003

North Korean threat exaggerated

IVAN OELRICH
SCIENTIST

CIA Director George Tenet told Congress Wednesday that North Korea has a missile that can reach the United States, even though North Korea has not yet demonstrated this capability.

Coupled with the crisis of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons, this has led many to believe North Korea could strike the American West Coast with nuclear weapons.

Yet this is not the case. Events in North Korea are indeed worrying, but the public debate is not helped by exaggerating the threat.

Most of our information about North Korean missiles comes from observing flight tests]The so-called Taepo-Dong 2 -- the missile that is claimed to be able to reach America -- is even more problematic. The second stage could be the same as the first stage of the Taepo-Dong 1, sitting atop a new, bigger and as yet publicly unknown first stage. Until something is flight-tested, performance of the missile will remain speculation about what the North Koreans could build with available technology.

A total assessment of the North Korean ballistic missile threat also requires some knowledge of the possible payloads. If the missiles are intended as nuclear weapon-delivery vehicles, then advances in nuclear bomb design can have as much of an effect as advances in missile technology.[/b]

Unfortunately, the United States knows even less about North Korea's possible nuclear weapons than it does about its missile technology. But our government estimates that North Korea missiles can reach the United States with a nuclear warhead assume quite sophisticated nuclear weapon designs.

Until the North Koreans flight-test the missile, it is too early speak with any certainty about their ability to reach the Pacific Northwest and government officials should be more careful to qualify their estimates of dangers facing the nation.

Ivan Oelrich is a senior research associate with the Federation of American Scientists.

[ramchop]

Plus (and no I haven't read anything about this) is the US even in danger here?

In a word, no.

How many US citizens live in Japan and Korea? NK don't need an intercontinental missile to threaten America.

[ramchop]

From the NK delegates:

It is a grim reality that the black clouds of nuclear war are gathering on the Korean Peninsula minute by minute

[Taro Toporific]

From the NK delegates:

It is a grim reality that the black clouds of nuclear war are gathering on the Korean Peninsula minute by minute

WOT BLACK CLOUDS?

[

THE FUTURE SO BRIGHT, WE GOTTA WEAR SHADES.

[Taro Toporific]

Plus (and no I haven't read anything about this) is the US even in danger here?

In a word, no.

How many US citizens live in Japan and Korea? NK don't need an intercontinental missile to threaten America.

46,244Americans living in Japan

[url=http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:AiIVUKBdZ9sJ:[url]www.csis.org/polmil/KoreaGPInterests.pdf+%22number+of%22+%22americans+living+in+korea%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8]80,000[/url] Americans[/url] living in Korea (?)


N.Korea said to have reprocessed spent fuel
NHK News July 10[
South Korea says that North Korea is believed to have reprocessed a small amount of spent nuclear fuel rods -- a measure that can extract plutonium for use in nuclear weapons...

[DJEB]

Plus (and no I haven't read anything about this) is the US even in danger here?

In a word, no.

How many US citizens live in Japan and Korea? NK don't need an intercontinental missile to threaten America.

Threatening the U.S. (a country) and endangering some U.S. citizens abroad (be they in a military base or not) are not one and the same. South Korea is enough of a target to wreak havoc on the world.

[Taro Toporific]

Delay by U.N. on Rebuking North Korea Is Urged

North Korea says it has the plutonium for nuclear weapons
ABC Online, Australia - 14 July 2003... The claim comes at the same time as a report in a Japanese newspaper, which says Pyongyang has about 200 ballistic missiles pointed at Japan. ...

[ramchop]

American intelligence on North Korea is very very flawed. They are 10 years, 20 years behind. Fact. North Korea already have hundreds of nuclear warheads all locked on American cities.

[Taro Toporific]

American Fact. North Korea already have hundreds of nuclear warheads all locked on American cities.

Nooooooooooooooooooooo! Those guys can't shoot straight and they only could afford to buy enough RFNA and Hydrazine (UDMH)to get a missle to Fukuoka.

[Taro Toporific]

North Korea would have plenty of warning about any attack..

But what about the Japanese response???



...play with rockets at Tanegashima Space Center
NHK July 15, 2003
About 90 primary school children participated in this year's water rocket contest at Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan.
The space center sponsors the contest each year to promote interest in outer space among children. The children compete to design the rocket that can fly the farthest. ...

[Gestalt]

The claim comes at the same time as a report in a Japanese newspaper, which says Pyongyang has about 200 ballistic missiles pointed at Japan. ...

I'm pretty sure North Korea wouldn't blow up Shibuya.. they need the drug revenue! Plus think of all the money that flows from Pachinko parlours throughout Japan back to NK. Missile shield? Who needs one when you have a pachinko shield!

[Captain Japan]

I'm pretty sure North Korea wouldn't blow up Shibuya.. they need the drug revenue! Plus think of all the money that flows from Pachinko parlours throughout Japan back to NK. Missile shield? Who needs one when you have a pachinko shield!

This article http://www.kimsoft.com/korea/jp-nk1.htm is pretty good even though it is kind of old. I'd be curious to know what exactly is going on today and how much of the inaction on the abductions is related.

[Shibuya Me]

I have watched the news. ( ...by the way, there is no real news in Japan on television )...I have heard what others say about North Korea, I have watched CNN and still....I do not have a clue what the hell is going on?!

Does North Korea have nukes? Is this a poor country with no real nuke program?

I live in Shibuya. And I realize that North Korea will not bomb its big money maker here with all the PACHINKO establishments...but what if they do bomb Tokyo? Its not like we can say...hey! North Korea really did have a nuke!

I grew up in a world without war. Only recently...everyone wants to rule the world! Did Bill Clinton know something George W. Bush does not know? What does the " W " stand for anyway? William? ( Bill? )

Was the world afraid of Billy?

Why when Bush was elected ( I think he was elected?!) did the world go crazy?

Come on North Korea! Tell us the truth about William ( Bill ) Clinton!

Why bomb everyone now?

[cstaylor]

Search the web for the "Agreed Framework" and "Carter Nobel Peace Prize" for the reasons.

W stands for Walker... his father is George Herbert Walker Bush, but the son doesn't have the first middle name (two middle names is somewhat common on the American east cost IIRC).

[Captain Japan]

North Korea would have plenty of warning about any attack..

But what about the Japanese response???



...play with rockets at Tanegashima Space Center
NHK July 15, 2003
About 90 primary school children participated in this year's water rocket contest at Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan.
The space center sponsors the contest each year to promote interest in outer space among children. The children compete to design the rocket that can fly the farthest. ...

Ok, I'm just going to put this up here because it might make for an interesting read regarding this topic.

[mercutio]

Ok, I'm just going to put this up here because it might make for an interesting read regarding this topic.

Now *that* was an interesting read

[Taro Toporific]

Ok, I'm just going to put this up here because it might make for an interesting read regarding this topic.

Now *that* was an interesting read

Yeah, time the start putting together those "parts" mentioned in the Cap's interesting read...

Gunfire Exchanged at Korean DMZ
The Associated Press / 7/16/2003 10:17:31 PM EST
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South and North Korean soldiers briefly exchanged machine gun fire along their border on Thursday, but the South Korean military said it did not suffer casualties in the shootout.

[cstaylor]

The answer (at least to me) is obvious: Bush needs to do what Kennedy did during the Cuban missile crisis: warn North Korea publicly that any missile, launched from North Korea against any target in the Asian-Pacific area, will be considered a direct attack upon the United States, requiring a full retaliatory strike in response.

[Darkwing]

I dont think that the US is particulary concerned about an attack since NK has nothing to gain from Attacking...
I think they are more worried about the export of nuclear weapons than anything.

DW

[cstaylor]

But it might reassure Japan, China, and Australia.

I agree though... exporting the bomb-making material is probably the worst-case scenario.

[Kurofune]

I dont think that the US is particulary concerned about an attack since NK has nothing to gain from Attacking...
I think they are more worried about the export of nuclear weapons than anything.

I think you're right. I think North Korea has become desperate and is hoping to score appeasement money. They know damn well that the current US administration won't give them anything. They're probably hoping for money from China, Russia, and maybe Japan.

A high-level North Korean defector said that if China and Russia stopped sending aid, North Korea would collapse overnight. I suspect Japanese pachinko money would have a similar effect.

[Taro Toporific]

I have watched the news. ( ...by the way, there is no real news in Japan on television )...I have heard what others say about North Korea, I have watched CNN and still....I do not have a clue what the hell is going on?!....Why bomb everyone now?

NKorea Said to Deploy Artillery, Missiles
July 20 / AP--North Korea has moved heavy artillery closer to the tense border with South Korea, and last year deployed more missiles that are capable of reaching Japan ...

[Taro Toporific]

[Taro Toporific]