Direct talks between the US and NK years ago would have avoided where we are today. I just posted about this elsewhere. The problem (and i think its the same problem with Iran) it the US believe they can ignore something until it goes away or they have to blow it up. The US government really are just as insane as the N Korean government. Talks could have easily avoided the test they did, talks could put the two countries on grounds that are at least are a little more stable. But talks are something the US will never do, and to think, there always going on about diplomacy.

But talks are something the US will never do,

Fair enough, i don't think the U.S is going to talk directly to the N.K either. So what is the international community to do?

N.K needs to be punished or brought into line somehow, that's obvious, but how?

N.K says sanctions mean war, what do we do? Call their bluff? Impose sanctions?

They certainly seem prepared to follow through on their rhetoric..This is all getting dangerously close to war..

..and not any war, war with a Nucleur nation. Not cool.

The danger, as the administration appears to see it, is that talk would legitimise Pyongyang's nation.

Agreed Edn the only way out is talks, anything else will only inflame the situation further.;
But being an optimist i believe talks will happen as more war is undesireable (the public would not what another c*#' up) and an eccelaration in buying arms from lets say russia is just as undesireable. There for i believe this again is mostly posturing as the u.s.a sees nk as only understanding force and nk view the usa as only understanding force, this is how the two talk. indeed the two camps are much the same as both have little regard for international laws, and i think they understand each other better than we might first imagine.

I would hope, that if the US refuse to talk the EU will talk. Really (and maybe I'm wrong) I think most of the worlds problems can be sorted in one way or another if people would stop being ignorant asses with there pride and all that crap and just talk to each other.

Someone may want to inform that twisted little midget that we are already at war with NK. We had a cessation of hostilities but not an end to the war. i guess he didn't get the memo.

I am normally VERY anti-war, but in the case of Kim Jong Il, I do not think he can get one of his donggers off of the gounr without our Aegis anti-missile systems engaging and destroying the missile in flight. The real threat is that he attacks SK or Japan.

Remember:

1. US anti-missile PAC-3s in SK.
2. US anti-missile shipboard just off of the Korean coastline.
3. Our "untested" ground based interceptors seem to work.
4. Kim's Donggers do not seem to work well.
5. If he launches ANYTHING over Japan, SK or beyond it will equal INSTANT Tomahawk, B-2 and possibly low-yeild SLBM attacks... INSTANT. His country will be set back 50 years in less than an hour. Then the only worry is a ground war with SK, HOWEVER if China does not back Kim, it will be FAST and decisive, we already have a ton of troops just outside the DMZ.

Don't worry so much about this mouthy toolbox with untested/unreliable small numbers of weapons. He will get 100% SMOKED if he makes any more aggressive moves.

Just my HO.

One last thing to hel[p put your mind at ease... this is the EXACT sort of conflict that would allow us to "test" our fourth generation low yeild fuison nuclear weapons... Imagine standard cluster bombs except that the bomblets are all super-mini nukes. The fusion type weapons will not create the "dirty" fallout the Pu/Ur old school nukes do.

It will be TOTAL and COMPLETE annahilation from the air and sea.

The SKs and US troops in SK are also VERY well fed and armed, unlike the NK army.

Don't worry, he has had this coming since he stopped talking to us in the 90s. REMEMBER we did enter talks with him in th 90's, offered him a nuclear reactor, failed to finisih it and he withdrew from the talks... not us as far as I know.

Bye, Bye, Jong Il. You are picking the wrong fight at the wrong time.

I don't believe the U.S. should commit to one-on-one talks with little kimmy. This is right in China and, some of our closest allies, Japan and SK's back yard. Six party talks are the best way to deal with this problem but little kimmy won't give them the time of day. The only way we could commit to war with little kimmy is if we had a coalition of primarily Chinese soldiers supported by American and Chinese navies; America is overcommited at this point anyway, and with the road syria and israel are heading down, it appears we will have more to worry about soon enough.

Originally posted by AHCivilE
I don't believe the U.S. should commit to one-on-one talks with little kimmy. This is right in China and, some of our closest allies, Japan and SK's back yard. Six party talks are the best way to deal with this problem but little kimmy won't give them the time of day. The only way we could commit to war with little kimmy is if we had a coalition of primarily Chinese soldiers supported by American and Chinese navies; America is overcommited at this point anyway, and with the road syria and israel are heading down, it appears we will have more to worry about soon enough.

1. I agree, we chould never go into talks be being threatened.
2. We already have a force stationed in SK and have for MANY years... I do not think on the ground in SK we are understaffed.
3. The B-2s, B-1s, B-52s, SLBMs, etc. are ready at any moment. We may be "overcomitted on the ground" In Iraq/Afghanistan, but our AF and Navy are not.
4. Syria does not want to mess with Isreal, Isreal used up all of thier aging weaponry (old cluster bombs, etc.) on Lebanon and protected that border with UN troops (mission accomplished), expect to see the "next gen" against Syria should they make any move for the Heights.

Again, IMHO.

Call me naive but I think if we wait long enough one of Nk's high ranking officers will get fed up and put some lead into that bouffant. NK is ripe for some big changes and all it would take is one guy. If that happened the world would be at their doorstep with food and aid. I just can't believe that everyone with access to that little slug buys into the whole "dear leader" cult BS.

Are you all aware that:

In EVERY NK home/kitchen there is a radio, tuned to only one station, the gov't station CONSTANTLY pumping propoganda into their homes. This radio can be turned down, but never turned off.

This is a country that ruly needs liberation, unlike Iraq.

Oh I just love this stuff.

Let's just nuke the suckers; all over in an hour and then all will be well in the world again. (I paraphrase).

Have we learnt nothing from the events of the last few years? No military conflict is easy or painless but much, much more importantly, no post conflict situation is straightforward. Does the US really want to be bogged down in a colonial style war in S.E Asia again? - because be under no illusions that, at best, will be the after effect of such a policy.

No fallout? - fallout doesn't just mean radiation you know or does nobody see the news reports from the Gulf? The political aftermath of such action would be devastating for decades to come and we may end being very lucky if a localised conflict is all we have to face.

The solution to this stand off rests in Beijing and it is time for the Chinese govenment to stand up and decide whether they want to be part of the world community or not.

Originally posted by kojac



It seems to me direct talks between the U.S and N.K is the only way out..

Why is it that its the USA that has to do something about it. One has to answer what does little Kim want from us. Hey , if he attacks anyone of our allies then he will be rendured non-functionable , this is a fact. So , my question is why does he want one and one talks with us. , anyone got an answer to that?.

Originally posted by timeless test
Let's just nuke the suckers; all over in an hour and then all will be well in the world again. (I paraphrase).

Mostly conventional, fully provoked if they launch ANYTHING towards Japan, low yeild 4th gen nukes... do some research... neat stuff with little lasting damage.

Originally posted by timeless test
Have we learnt nothing from the events of the last few years? No military conflict is easy or painless but much, much more importantly, no post conflict situation is straightforward. Does the US really want to be bogged down in a colonial style war in S.E Asia again? - because be under no illusions that, at best, will be the after effect of such a policy.

NK is small and has few targets worth hitting. Imagine something similar to the original air campaign over Iraq. Quick and dirty. I do not like war, but we cannot allow this little man to use threats of nuking US soil to get what he wants. THAT would be disasterous. Ther will be no "colonial style" war. The NK army along the DMZ is weak and undergunned. The SK/US army has been waiting for DECADES to wax them shoul d they fire bullet one.

Originally posted by timeless test
No fallout? - fallout doesn't just mean radiation you know or does nobody see the news reports from the Gulf? The political aftermath of such action would be devastating for decades to come and we may end being very lucky if a localised conflict is all we have to face.

Or, the world would realioze that the "dirty" Pu/Ur bombs they are trying to produce are 60 years behind our technology and possible give up on it. Who is going to jump in behind NK? China... no, no... Russia? They have their own issues with the ex-soviet republics. He has NO BACKING, in this matter, we are NOT the agressor and are defending one of our best allies... Japan, also SK and also ourselves.

Little Kim better STFU or he is going to be in an isolated little world of fire.

Originally posted by timeless test
The solution to this stand off rests in Beijing and it is time for the Chinese govenment to stand up and decide whether they want to be part of the world community or not.

Not according to Kimmy, he says the ONLY solution rests on direct talks with the US.