NKorea warns of nuclear war amid rising tensions

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea's president ordered his top security officials Sunday to deal "resolutely and squarely" with new North Korean warnings of a nuclear war on the eve of his U.S. visit. In Washington, Vice President Joe Biden said "God only knows" what North Korea wants from the latest showdown.

President Lee Myung-bak travels to Washington on Monday for talks with President Barack Obama that are expected to focus on the North's rogue nuclear and missile programs.

The trip comes after North Korea's Foreign Ministry threatened war with any country that stops its ships on the high seas under new sanctions approved by the U.N. Security Council in response to its May 25 nuclear test.

It also vowed Saturday to "weaponize" all its plutonium and acknowledged a long-suspected uranium enrichment program for the first time. Both plutonium and uranium are key ingredients of atomic bombs.

So why don't we just take out their nuclear enrichment sites and all known missile silos and be done with it? That's the only thing that will keep them from pursuing their nuclear intentions.

Story
 
Agreed, but we'd better be VERYYYYYYY sure they don't have missiles stationed somewhere else or have submarines with the ability to launch nukes. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, conventional wisdom said to just invade Cuba before the weapons were ready. We were wrong. There were some that were already launchable. Had we invaded, World War III would have started and we'd have been nuked.
 
we do not want to start a war with them. NKorea has 5 million in their army, plus they have chemical and biological weapons. many many innocent people would die. SKorea would be invaded, Japan cities would be targeted and China would be overrun with refugees. it would be a bloody mess. do everything to prevent it.
 
What war, their army would fall apart if they started a war. They don't have 5 million soldiers, they have 1 million standing army, 5 mil is maybe the reserve. But they have trouble feeding the population at peacetime, how would they withstand a war? The North Korean regime certainly doesn't want to start a war with anybody since they know that that would be their end. They're just showing off a bit.
 
The problem ...

The problem is that North Korea always backs up its threats by forcing engagements. They did it to Clinton in 1999, W. again in 2002. They go farther every time.

At what point does it turn into a "flashpoint"?

Five minutes of shelling Seoul will do all the damage needed. I'm sure at that point the North Korean regime would be over, but I wonder when they will be stupid enough to instigate events that lead to it?

"Defending yourself" is called "an US offensive" by North Korea, and South Korea is tired of it too. Japan is already beyond tired of its citizens being kidnapped by official agencies of North Korea and don't be surprised when North Korea tries to instigate an incident when they do it with an American citizen or soldier.
 
Re: The problem ...

Five minutes of shelling Seoul will do all the damage needed.

It's not that simple. For example look what it took for us to topple a fairly defenseless country like Iraq. NK has overwhemingly more military capability than did Iraq and a more nationalistic population.

Also, there are too many targets for NK in SK and China would have a major problem with another war in the Korean peninsula.
 
Re: The problem ...

Five minutes of shelling Seoul will do all the damage needed.
It's not that simple. For example look what it took for us to topple a fairly defenseless country like Iraq. NK has overwhemingly more military capability than did Iraq and a more nationalistic population.
Apparently you either have a severe lack of geographic knowledge or a severe, repeat lack of comprehension whenever "Prof Voluptuary" adorns a post.

In either case, I was saying that all North Korea has do to is shell Seoul (that's in South Korea) for 5 minutes to basically destroy a major industrial base in the world in a way that would take several decades to recover from.

And after that, everyone would call for a "regime change" in North Korea, not just the US, hardly! My continued point is when will North Korea push for engagement after engagement, escalation after escalation, until they feel "justified" to do that?

Until you can stop and recognize my point, instead of assuming what you think is my point, you shouldn't bother responding to me, and go bother someone else. The one poster several of you keep avoiding that actually has years in-country might be one to start with.
 
Re: The problem ...

Apparently you either have a severe lack of geographic knowledge or a severe, repeat lack of comprehension whenever "Prof Voluptuary" adorns a post.

In either case, I was saying that all North Korea has do to is shell Seoul (that's in South Korea) for 5 minutes to basically destroy a major industrial base in the world in a way that would take several decades to recover from.

And after that, everyone would call for a "regime change" in North Korea, not just the US, hardly! My continued point is when will North Korea push for engagement after engagement, escalation after escalation, until they feel "justified" to do that?

Until you can stop and recognize my point, instead of assuming what you think is my point, you shouldn't bother responding to me, and go bother someone else. The one poster several of you keep avoiding that actually has years in-country might be one to start with.


Prof. I'm in Seoul as I am typing. It is the same old feeling.

You should go a little easier on this forum. People want to learn, but if you make them feel bad then they usually shut you out. I'm sure maybe the poster was "misinformed" in your opinion, but shit all mighty so are 99% of the North Koreans. I'm not saying the poster was clueless, I'm just saying go easy on him. I know we've talked about politically stuff often, but I can only imagine the outcome if we talked like this to the folks in DPRK, ROK, ROC, etc.... I love Seoul and I don't want to see it in rubble. Kim's son stands no chance of holding the dynasty together. It is just a question of how much Kim cares about how he is remembered in the history books. If he doesn't care that he is considered a tyrant then we might see some serious shit. Otherwise, I think it is just a time issue.

Again, thanks for the contributions,

miles123
 
what's so bad about peace, love and understanding?:dunno:
 
what's so bad about peace, love and understanding?:dunno:

Nothing, It will just never happen in this generation or the next
 
Theyre just posturing to look like they are tougher they might actually be. The truth though is that the people of the country are most likely nothing like their gov and are just good caring people but get a bad name because of a few rotten apples. Look at most governments and you will find the same divide between the people. Iran now is the shining example where most people thought they stood undivided on political issues and now we all know the truth is that they really want to move in a different direction. So I say bomb North Korea?...Hell no!
 

Facetious

Moderated
Re: NKorea warns of nuclear war amid rising tensions

A wise man once said that "Silence is Consent"

Our President sure likes to read Israel the riot act, yet he has so very little to offer the thugs of the world e.g. (PRC subsidiary) Kim Jeong is Ill, Mahmoud A•Mad•Jihad and the Ayatollahs etc.
 
Re: The problem ...

Apparently you either have a severe lack of geographic knowledge or a severe, repeat lack of comprehension whenever "Prof Voluptuary" adorns a post.

In either case, I was saying that all North Korea has do to is shell Seoul (that's in South Korea) for 5 minutes to basically destroy a major industrial base in the world in a way that would take several decades to recover from.

And after that, everyone would call for a "regime change" in North Korea, not just the US, hardly! My continued point is when will North Korea push for engagement after engagement, escalation after escalation, until they feel "justified" to do that?

Until you can stop and recognize my point, instead of assuming what you think is my point, you shouldn't bother responding to me, and go bother someone else. The one poster several of you keep avoiding that actually has years in-country might be one to start with.

You're right. I read into your post what I thought you were saying instead of what you actually wrote. My apologies.:o
 

Mr. Daystar

In a bell tower, watching you through cross hairs.
Let China and Russia deal with them. They are just as concerned, and are their neighbor. We have troops in S Korea, to aide them, so let the other big boys in the region deal with this. We are stretched to the limit with our troops, and our finances as it stands...we have problems to fix elsewhere, most importantly right here.
 
China consider North Korea to be in their sphere of influence. If action is to be taken, China must be in board
 
What bluff?

Well, I suppose we could call North Korea's bluff...but what are the chances :rolleyes:
This is what I don't understand. The US does not care about what North Korea threatens. The US only cares about what North Korea actually does!

This isn't about "bluffs." This is about trying to avoid escalation when North Korea actually tries to cause it.

The US sits there, does nothing, and North Korea will instigate something -- in South Korea (tactical engagements), in the waters around South Korea (tactical engagements), in Japan (kidnappings), over Japan (missiles -- all it takes is one airburst to cause trillions of dollars of damage), etc...

And even then, the US, South Korea and Japan downplay it, being very, very passive. Clinton was. W. was. Now Obama is as well. That's not the problem.

When North Korea rattles its sabres, it actually instigates a military confrontation, often against civilians, sometimes against military units. That's not a "bluff," that's an attempt to escalate it.

Furthermore, the new UN sanctions now give the authority to inspect cargo headed for North Korea. This is the first, major "proactive" sanction yet. North Korea considers such "an act of war."

Guys, please -- I beg of you -- read up on the history of engagements in the Korean theater. From the real, tactical engagements that occur to the numerous complaints Japan -- our strategic ally -- has with North Korean actions against its citizens and security.

This isn't like Iran. Other than funding of Hamas and Hezbolla, Iran actually has a legitimate argument that they are "passive" and not trying to instigate conflict. In fact, they have a strong argument that their history is a result of American influence, both pre and post 1979.

North Korea, on the other hand, is not afraid to instigate conflict and harm foreign citizens when it does not get the appeasement it expects. This includes more and more entitlements even after everyone else lives up to their agreements -- the US, South Korea, Japan.

Right now, both Japan and South Korea have eliminated most of their entitlements out of sheer distain for North Korea's utter lack of accountability and adherence to past agreements. North Korea also considers this an "act of war."

Some people have said "oh, well, we're allowed to defend ourselves." I don't think you realize what this means.

How would you like it if Mexico regularly raided Texas, killed US soldiers, engaged our ships around San Diego, and also sent government forces to regularly kidnap American citizens from Hawaii to extort money?

And after Mexico agreed to stop for substantial US funding and entitlements, a year or two goes by and they start it up again, only to ask for more. And after 15 years of that, the US finally said, "no," and Mexico said that was an "act of war"?

Welcome to the reality that is North Korea. I still absolutely dislike Carter for formalizing the "appeasement" issue in 1994, because it has only made them far worse.
 
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