N. Korea will punish the US.

N. Korea has threatened to shoot down US spy planes after it is alleged that three espionage missions were carried out last week.

North Korea says it will punish the US, after claiming it is conducting spying flights over its territorial waters.
The country's Air Force Command accused the US of carrying out three aerial espionage missions in the last week.

The command said it believed the US was preparing to attack and suggested it would resort to shooting down US spy planes if they continued their flights.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk...

Whether this is just an idle threat or not, i don't know. It's something i can imagine the US really does'nt need at the moment.

CX.

All you can do is hope the U.S. stops these overflights, or at least doesn't claim that they are 'atmospheric testing' flights. A repeat of the Powers incident we do not need.

Seems like US is checking for any suspicious military activity, because of our current situation with Iran.

With the situation in North Korea and the fact that their leader is just a little wacko, I figure the US is going to want to know what they are doing. Idle threats or not it still is a dnagerous situation. I think it would be interesting to put the north korean leader and the iranian leader in the same room and see which one makes more sense over what they are doing. Both are dangerous but hey so is bush. Lets hope all it is is a bunch of saber rattling. Pretty scary right now. But at least they are still talking a little. When they no longer talk that's when I will get really nervous.

You'd think that we wouldn't even need spy planes with all of these satellites in space.

Watch_the_rocks, could NK be referring to flights like the one that in 2001 ended up landing in China?

Evanfitz, here's info on the plane involved then. Lots of electronics to monitor what/when satellites can't (weather, time). I think these planes can be a link between satellite and ground. Secure communication relay. Read paragraph above Operational Deployment.

www.janes.com...

If the US is flying "spy planes" over Korea then it goes to show that satillites can't do it all (as they claim) Kinda brings up other ??s
As for Korea, I think the leader of Korea is just huffing and puffing He knows damn well what would happen to him if he even shot at one of the planes. This is why he's making statements to the media. If, he was really going to shoot down a US military plane he'd just do it like the Russians did and say "see their spying on me" while standing in front of the plane wrekage.
I believe that the leader of Korea is power hungry not stupid, I'm sure he saw the footage of Musab getting blown up. He knows there's a couple of bombs with his name on them, just waiting for a reason. (I don't know if you noticed but Bush doesn't need a lagit reason to do anything)
Korean leaders know they can't shoot down a US plane without reprisial, thats why its in the news.
Korea is all bark no bite, (I'm sure the have the means to shoot down a plane just not the stupidity)

If the US is flying "spy planes" over Korea then it goes to show that satillites can't do it all (as they claim) Kinda brings up other ??s

You make a good point there.

As to add somthing to the post, Iran, and north korea, is on the table, we just dont know whats for starters and whats for pudding.


[edit on 11-6-2006 by Denied]

posted by hawk74

If the US is flying "spy planes" over North Korea then it goes to show that satellites can't do it all . . As for NK, I think Kim Jong Il is just huffing and puffing . . He knows what would happen if he even shot at one of the planes. This is why he's making statements to the media. He knows there's a couple 500 pound laser guided bombs with his name on them waiting for a reason. NK is all bark and no bite. I'm sure NK has the means to shoot down a plane just not the stupidity.
[Edited by Don W]

I’m sort of disappointed to hear the US is using such old planes to gather intelligence. Weather info, yes, spy Intel, hmm? The Brit’s Janes - the world’s foremost private authority on military and naval equipage for over 100 years - says the 1955 EP3s can fly at 400 mph cruise, reach 28,000 feet and stay aloft for 7 or 8 hours. Equal to 2,800 + miles. All at a nominal $2,100 per flying hour. Even our own Nike-Zeus anti-missile missiles of the 1960s could reach that altitude.

In 1954, I helped service a B45, at Kimpo, Korea. The B45 was our first jet bomber. In 1960, the Ruskies showed they could bring down a U2 at maybe 80,000 feet? After the U2 was no longer invincible, the US lengthened the wings of the Brit's Electric Canberra and had a high flying B57. I think the U2 morphed into the TR4.

The other day a person who had been to NK spoke on CSpan2 and explained how much better an infrastructure the NK had than the American people are led to believe by both White House inspired CIA prop and the lazy American media. Comparing NK to E Germany, he said NK was more advanced and could fit in easily with South Korea in a unified country. America has decided we do not want the 2 Korea’s to unify.

As for national security vis a vis NK, I believe we have left NK to China as sort of a step-child. Maybe at the Chinese' request? China ultimately wants the 38,000 US soldiers in South Korea to go. I am hearing that the South Korean people also want them out. It’s just a carry over from by-gone days that inhibit the full expression of Korean nationalism. Our presence keeps alive old injures when families divided between autocratic capitalists and autocratic communists. There are still 10s of 1000s of Korean families split over this “dead” issue which they see the US as largely responsible for.

See www.theaviationzone.com...


[edit on 6/11/2006 by donwhite]

I love these threads for this reason, North Korea is talking smack all day long, but we want to invade countries with less military capabilities and natural resource rich in oil.

We are picking our battles based upon the ability for the country to fight back and what they can best provide for us after we conquer them.

NK is not worth our time, due to it's alliances with red China. We piss off China, there goes all of the money that their imports demand from the U.S. Also NK has very little rich oil reserves that we can scavenge, and a government with a capability to arm every man, woman, and child within days at a population count around 100 million.

The smart money goes with beating up on richer, smaller, and militarily weak nations with no nukes and no ties to big world economies which we are dependent on.

Minimize loss, maximize profit and resources.

-ADHD

Originally posted by hawk74
If the US is flying "spy planes" over Korea then it goes to show that satillites can't do it all (as they claim) Kinda brings up other ??s
As for Korea, I think the leader of Korea is just huffing and puffing He knows damn well what would happen to him if he even shot at one of the planes. This is why he's making statements to the media. If, he was really going to shoot down a US military plane he'd just do it like the Russians did and say "see their spying on me" while standing in front of the plane wrekage.
I believe that the leader of Korea is power hungry not stupid, I'm sure he saw the footage of Musab getting blown up. He knows there's a couple of bombs with his name on them, just waiting for a reason. (I don't know if you noticed but Bush doesn't need a lagit reason to do anything)
Korean leaders know they can't shoot down a US plane without reprisial, thats why its in the news.
Korea is all bark no bite, (I'm sure the have the means to shoot down a plane just not the stupidity)

I love this kinda response.

I'm sure you are completely aware that NK has threatened to nuke us AND fired a dummy missile that landed in Alaska. It was a dummy, but firing it at the US is still a ballsy move. But, of course, they're no threat at all to us.

ADHD, I totally agree with you. But, look at it this way, even the superpower has to start bullying weak countries before it attacks stronger ones that HAVE nukes...

All this talk about a Dicator that is waving his arms in the air saying "look at me"
This guy wants to be a tough guy ( I'm in construction we call short guy syndrome) He wants other countries to tremble in fear like his own people. Any type of unprovked offensive strike against the US would lead to his demise (he knows this) Sure, he'll push our buttons but thats it all talk.
The only thing that concerns me is him selling one to some terrorist group. Like Nicole Kidman said in "Peacemaker" "I'm not affraid of the man that wants 100 nuclear weapons I'm terrified of the man that only wants one"
But, of course, they're no threat at all to us.
They're a threat I never said they wern't just not the kind you point out. Do you think China would stand behind them if they pulled something stupid? Would anybody?
thuthseeka, why are you so quickly offended by someone with a different opinion?
Do you really think NK is that kind of threat? If their as dangerous as you say maybe we ought to fly really old spyplanes over their country to find out what they're up to
peace

I dunno where you got the impression I was offended.

I am amazed that people think countries that actually threaten us are not a threat, while countries that basically let us punk them are a threat.

Lordy, Donwhite, the plane may be old but it's what's inside that counts. I liked your Cspan info.

Here's an info link to future replacement for EP-3
www.globalsecurity.org...


ADHDsux4me, glad to see you putting your ADHD to good use.

I sorry truthseeka
I don't see it as a us vs. them I see one lunitic trying to be someone. I don't think (maybe I'm wrong) that the people of NK want to come off as threating to the US. It was the money from the US that was supposed to buy food and services for the people of NK that financed the whole nuke program in the first place. I think they would have rather eaten. I'd be willing to bet that a civil war would break out in NK if their lunatic leader did something outright. As for Iran, a recent thread states they've been a threat since '79. How can Iran not be a threat? I watch tv and see thousands of Irian people chanting "death to America". Suicide bombers. Kidnappings? These things I find threating.
I am open minded if I'm wrong I'm sorry please set me straight
I'm here to expand my thinking not set it in stone
peace

posted by hawk74

“Kim Jong Il . . in construction we call short guy syndrome. Any type of strike against the US would lead to his demise. The only thing that concerns me is him selling one atom bomb to some terrorist group. Like Nicole Kidman said “I'm terrified of the man that only wants one nuclear weapon." Do you think China would stand behind him if he pulled something stupid? Do you think NK really is that kind of threat? If they’re as dangerous as you say maybe we ought to fly really old spyplanes over their country to find out what they're up to. peace
[Edited by Don W]

The former Clinton ambassador to NK says Kim Jong Il has materials for at least 2 and maybe up to 10 atom bombs. This is not to say Jong has any bombs. Atomic bomb-making is not easy so I read. This is why we hear of testing “explosive devices” as to contrast that with testing real bombs. This is also to ignore completely the relative location and since 1950, the traditional role China plays with North Korea. NK is what we call a “client” state of China. China keeps NK afloat in food and other necessary goods and services. NK is one more card in China’s hand it plays against Japan and the United States. Taiwan is the second major card. In both cases, the dog is being wagged by the tail!

Another poster here repeated the patently false claim that NK had "bombed" Alaska. Purely scare type false hoopla from the military mad GOP. I think the NK missile fleet is mostly left over Scuds bought cheap from Iraq after 1991.


[edit on 6/11/2006 by donwhite]

Originally posted by ADHDsux4me

We are picking our battles based upon the ability for the country to fight back and what they can best provide for us after we conquer them.

NK is not worth our time, due to it's alliances with red China. We piss off China, there goes all of the money that their imports demand from the U.S.

I do believe Iran is more capable than NK and what exactly does china import from the US in any large quantity? nothing.... In fact we are trying to get them to import more american goods, although I wouldnt know what the hell it would be as I can only think of a handful of products made:

Zippo lighters, cars, and software and food

we dont produce much anymore and we are going to be like russia where weapons would be our largest export.

I think we should tell South Korea, "You have had over half a century to learn how to defend yourself. If you can't by now then you deserve to fall." and walk the heck away.

I know, I know, China will still back the north and we will lose face. The loss of South Korea is not that big of a loss. They hate us anyway.

Kim Jong Il has been raised with subserviant people who consider him a great leader. Let him try and lead those protesting students in the South.

Just my thoughts,

wupy

NK is a very real threat if tampered with. Remember the DMZ is the largest gaurded border in the world. Well over a million troops are protecting it.

One, the US is not in any real danger from NK.

If by some mircle, they got a missle to the US and say it had a nuclear device on it-NK would end...period.

China would not and coulf not stop the us from turning NK into a radioactive wasteland.

NK like to mouth off lots, but they have neither the tech or ability to do any real damage to the us, the us however, has the ability to kill every living thing in NK.

That is just something to think about as you hear their meaningless threats.