POLITICS: North Korea Raises Threats Of Nuclear War

North Korea has made startling new threats towards the United States in a New Years editorial printed in the communist states three major newspapers. The editorials are a turnaround from the previous years messages for stability in the troubled region.

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"The danger of a nuclear war is growing on the Korean peninsula as the days go by, owing to the U.S. moves to stifle the (North Korea),"

"All Koreans should stage a powerful struggle for peace against war in order to drive the U.S. troops out of South Korea, remove the very source of a nuclear war and defend the peace and security on the Korean peninsula."

The threats of the North may be a prelude to forthcoming Nuclear talks. The notoriously difficult regime headed by Kim Jong-Il has long sought after nuclear weapons and this saber rattling may be an indication of the presence of working weapons. The next logical step would be a nuclear test or a missile test.


[edit on 2-1-2005 by Banshee]

I usually watch this situation pretty closely, but have been away over the weekend.

I am shocked that things have progressed to nuclear threats.

IMO, I think it's time to seriously consider our options, and move on them....

The thing that really saddens me is that this is exactly the type of thing the Bush Administration is waiting for. If Diplomacy were important to them, this would be settled.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens I guess.

These are not the type of people to muck around with...who in this government is capable of diplomacy now?

Not so rash, I think it has been shown that the North Koreans like to make threats, to me they seem more like a spoiled child.

I would stay calm and not worry... we've been here before with them.

As for diplomacy.. well it hasn't worked yet.

Do you really think the North Koreans would be foolish enough to launch a suicidal nuclear attack of any kind?

It just sounds like more sabre rattling form the North Koreans.

Its a shame on them that they have to grab attention to themselves by threatening the World with Nuclear War when there is already enough problems in the Asian Regions at the moment.

North Korean Government Get a life..........

I'm not even the least bit worried about N. Korea attacking the U.S. with nukes. I am however, the tiniest bit concerned that our own government might nuke us, and blame it on N. Korea. The deception would be useful as a final, cohesive power grab on the part of the powers that be. Watch for it, and we'll just have to wait and see.

This is purely propaganda in my opinion. Pyongyang has made, let me rephrase that, has been making comments like this for years. It may and probably is a 'scare' tactic on their part. They have been testing things for awhile and are capable of hitting the US. If something will happen, which I am led to believe it will not, they will strike first. The only problem with this is that the rest of the Nuke powers will probably strike them back, or just create an all out Global Nuclear War. As nutty as I think Kim Jong-Il is, I do not think he will start anything like this. There is too much at stake not only for him, but the rest of the world as well. If it was as a serious problem as everyone is making it out to be, something would have been done by now. I don't think every leader in the world would just sit around and let this happen. While I believe N Korea is a 'threat', they probably would have reacted by now instead of stringing everyone along.

An all out attack on N. Korea could have been made during Summer Pulse 2004 if there was an extremely high probability they were going to use Nuclear Weapons any time soon. With almost the entire US battle groups within striking distance, as well as other members of the world, N Korea could have been eliminated to a bunch of dust in no time at all.

*spelling



[edit on 2-1-2005 by TrickmastertricK]

I agree, I have said it before and Ill say it again. To Quote Bill Cosby 'Those of you with children will understand"

The key to understanding Kim "I act like I am out of a comic book" Jong, is to think of him as a toddler. Self Centered, tantrums left and right, lots of posturing. Its toddler psychology at its finest.

However, at some point, enough is enough and somebody will have to give him a time out

Well they were threating Japan the other day

I tell you what this sound like a dog with a lot of barking but not bitting.

NK only nuclear thread will be to SK and the surrounding countries.

He is not thread to US at all. Their location would be easier to take over by the US than let say Iran.

I don't think that US will allowed NK to do any damage at all.

TrickmastertricK,

Japan accused NK of being liars, they said the remains returned were not that of the hostage (sorry I forget her name). Japan then suggested stopping food aid as a result. If you read the original statement, it does not really suggest a war as such, just a retaliation.

That incident was used as an example, the Piece was dated December 31,2004. If Japan continues with these allegations and a does put sanctions on N. Korea, they(N. Korea) will see it as a 'declaration of war', which will be met by 'physical strength.

mrwupy

There are unsubstantiated rumors that pieces of a NK ICBM were found in the Pacific Northwest. Nothing concrete mind you just rumors. This may explain why we are taking such a circuspect way with him

There is most likely more to this than we are being told.
Covert ops to support a coup, sanctions and so on.

Until someone like this is under control, I can understand every effort to insure it.

Let us hope that the people surrounding this mad man have the sense to stop him
before it's too late.

IMHO, I think this is a very significant sign of desperation from Kim and North Korea.
This past few years has shown that North Korea, and in turn, Kim's waning power, is going through devastating economic consequences. Things are only getting worse. Kim's playing of the "nuclear option" card indicates more than many think. This is no different than a wild animal being cornered; desperation takes hold. What is scary is that desperation may drive Kim to really doing something that he might otherwise might not have done. As time has shown these past few years, as things continued to further deteriorate in North Korea, so has Kim's threatening rhetoric increased.



seekerof

North Korea, when I lived in South Korea, always had the army guys talking about discipline (U.S. Army guys). They said North Korean soldiers were tough. There have been some bad media incidents. Cholera outbreaks, things of that nature. I think what Americans really don't understand yet, is that we are not capable of disabling AND occupying an enemy country.

The way it seems is that the U.S. Army has been shrinking for years. It should, we have no need for a huge bulking force of men with guns and kevlar. Large armies need large supply lines. The way it should be is simple. Threatening countries get a few surgical strikes on their infrastructure. Hit a power base. Refinery. Something of importance. Attacks are led by highly trained, small surgical teams. Slip in, slip out. Guerilla-Warefare has been out of the bag for a long time now. I'm afraid armies are obsolete short of genocide. I'm not prepared to carry any burden like that on me. None of you should be so eager either.

If any of you truly believe that nuclear weapons are a weapon that can be used by the US, I promise that international discord would fall on us like a hammer if we EVER let a nuke fly. We would face stiff international punishments. It would take 5 minutes for the French to start spouting our own terriorist propaganda at the US. And what could we say? "What nuke? Ooooh, that one.. heh. It was a joke? No.. seriously man.. a joke."

The main problem i see with getting into a gun fight with NK is how the Chinese would react. After the dust had settled would the Chinese sit by and have US forces on her borders? Also would we see Chinese forces taking an active role as in the first war with NK in 50's? There are too many unknowns with any action against NK and thats prob why we have seen no real moves by the US to curtail Kim Jongs nuclear ambitions.
I think some kind of confrontation with NK is becoming more inevitable by the day. As to what form that confrontation will take, well we will have to wait and see. I don't know how many US CBG's are off the coast of Korea but the USS Abraham Lincoln was en route to those waters before being diverted to help provide aid to the Tsunami disaster.

If an action against NK did occur and the Chinese did get involved it could escalate into something far more serious very quickly. The US is right to tread carefully, I'm sure that a plan is in place for any escalation of NK Saber rattling should it move beyond mere threats.



[edit on 2-1-2005 by Janus]

This would be a war about ceasing a WMD program and not about rushing the enemy out of a given territory. There would be no need to push the North Koreans to the chinese boarder. Only a need to disable a program and possibly other military instillations, a quick strike if you will.

I understand what you are saying but if the US did as you say do you think old Kim would be across the border into the South pretty quick? I mean the guy isn't the most stable leader in charge of a large Army is he?
I think any strike by the US will lead to a ground conflict of some sort.
Then you have the scenario of trying to push them back into the North and then running the risk of Chinese involvement. Its a tricky one thats for sure, how to tackle NK without the risk of Chinese intervention.