WORLD: Korea Showdown - Latest News and Updates.

Originally posted by RR98
I won't make any predictions or recommendations at this point...this is a very precarious situation and could go in any direction. I will make an observation, though, that I made to my son last night...Kim Jong Il makes Adolf Hitler look like the epitome of mental health. The lunatic dictator of North Korea seems determined to march the world toward nuclear Armageddon. Let us hope that cooler heads prevail.

I hope your son is a bit older.

That is alot to drop on a little kid's mind. I remember all too well being a kid during the cold war.

US prepared to fight conventional war.

SKY News online article

America could fight a conventional war against North Korea if necessary, even while different types of conflict continue in Iraq and Afghanistan, the head of the US Army has said.

Some of you should visit the weaponry forum, we've already discussed the DPRK army in great detail.

Here's what we concluded:

The army would be entirely ineffectual.
The air force worse.
They may as well not have a navy.

But damned if we can stop the artillery.

Here some interesting info....

I cant vouch for its content but its interesting....
www.espritdecorps.ca...

THE WORLD'S TEN LARGEST ARMIES

1. China - 1,700,000
2. India - 1,200,000
3. North Korea - 900,000
4. South Korea - 560,000
5. Pakistan - 520,000
6. United States - 475,000
7. Iraq - 360,000 - Pre-2003, of course.
8. Myanmar - 325,000
9. Russia - 320,000
10. Iran - 320,000

First of all, im happy to see that there are people like me taking this crisis seriously enough..ATS is the best...you know in my Country..Malta..no body is following what is happening whilst my self im scared to death.

What I wanted to point out is asking if its a coincidence that is Obama talking to Israel and Iranian Officials visiting to North Korea..here are the links..

www.kcna.co.jp...

edition.cnn.com...

The thing is that I was afraid that with the chaos in the Korean Peninsula things could spark between Isarel and Iran..myself I dont beleive that the Korean Conflict can escalate into ww3 or nuclear war, but I am afraid that if something sparks between the muslim countries we'll have armageddon.

Also..I Hope all this is not a trap to the US..making the possible to leave the country weak..imagine if whilst engaging in 3 wars (iraq,afgan and now korea)..a nuke-terrorist attack happens in the States.


Btw : Nowadays it seems that everybody is imune to the nukes...nuclear war there, nuke them there, maybe this is beacuse people just got fed up awaiting a nuke attack since the beginning of the cold war...so now they beleive it will never happen...i watched a video yesterday and made me ashamed i was awaiting eagerly a nuclear war..this is no joke..nuke as no joke..please watch this video and pray for war not to happen

www.veoh.com...

Note : I was expecting USA Ufo disclosure by the end of this month..now with all this S***t i dont beleive it will happen

YONHAP - [URGENT) N. Korea fires short-range missile off east coast: source

[edit on 29-5-2009 by jonny2410]

Majority of the North Korean army has a diet similar to the third world, one cannot rule out desertions or defections - rebelling against the regime. Claims of "self defence" or strikes, by the Stalinist State is nothing but rhetoric.

reply to post by heineken


Most countries are not reporting on it, either they are not actually taking it seriously, or they are making a serious attempt to limit information.
This could be to prevent riling up markets, scaring the people, or simply to prevent leaking of information to N.Korea.

Personally, I think it's a mixture of all the above, but governments are certainly giving orders to controlled media to keep this quiet. You can see it in the difference in coverage from traditional national media to newer, more independent media groups.

In the UK, the BBC is avoiding it like their jobs are on the line, while Sky is updating periodically as news is confirmed.

On the discussion about attacking N.Korea...
I think an airborne assault on their infrastructure would be the way to go.
The only (major) issue is the artillery aimed at Seoul. That's their bargaining chip, they're holding Seoul hostage. If it wasn't for that, I think the response would already be under way and most of N.Korea would be rubble.

The N.Korean military power is quite meaningless. They may have close to a million troops, but if your intention is to contain the nation, while attacking the infrastructure from the air, most of those feet are wasted. Unless those soldiers can fly a plane, or drive a tank, they might as well be sweeping the runways with toothbrushes for all the use they are.
The borders would need to be secured to prevent a ground attack, but that's the only way their troops would be a risk.

N.Korea doesn't understand this. We don't need to go in there. We don't need a ground invasion. We just need to remove their ability to strike other nations and destroy their military infrastructure.

As I understand it, much of their military hardware is old, and certainly no match for anything in use by NATO, the US, Japan...
There was a graphic on the BBC comparing the NK and SK military might, and the South was almost equal but for troop number.

Then you also have to factor in the willingness of NK troops to actually fight. What experience do they have? None. All they have is falsified history and fantasy of victories that never existed.
Sure they've had training, but just look at the experience gained by every other military that would be involved in this endeavour.
They've had the hardware, the experience in battle, and they have something valuable to fight for. There is a lot to be said about freedom. Humans know when they have it and when they don't, these people know that they don't.

Once they see the fighters overhead, the bombs dropping, their "glorious leader" nowhere to be seen, and once they taste the humanitarian aid dropped from the sky, I'll bet 80% of them would drop their weapons within days.
The only reason they have border guards is to stop their nation from haemorrhaging its desperate people! They all want to get out of there!
The soldiers you see photos of throwing stones at tourists and making threatening gestures are jealous of the freedom and luxury they see others enjoying.

The only things preventing action are the artillery aimed at Seoul, and the attitudes of Russia and China. Once we have established an effective way to resolve those issues, Kimmy will be toast and his oppressed and desperate people will finally be able to live again.
And the rest of the world can then go back to dealing with the other important issues step by step, at a controlled and responsible pace, with strong diplomacy and some credibility beyond that afforded by the pathetic UN.

N. Korea fires new type of short-range missile off east coast: source

SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has launched a short-range missile from its Musudan-ri rocket launch site on the country's east coast, a South Korean government official said Friday.

"What the North has launched this time appears to be different from what it had launched (previously)," the official said. "It is a new type of a land-to-air missile," the official said.

Link

Thanks guys from keeping Thread updated - I am still at work - join you guys later... Thread works well - 5 minutes to spend time here - Overlook possible with your activity!

Keep up the good work, see ya later!

N Korea have just fired another missile into the japanese sea.

news.sky.com... 291174?lpos=World_News_Top_Stories_Header_1&lid=ARTICLE_15291174_North_Korea%3A_Pyongyang_Will_Take_Self-Defence_Measures_If_UN_Punishes_It_For_Nuclea r_Test

Now little kim is just asking for smack in the chops isnt he!
He knows hes p**sing the world off!
This guy just wants to provoke a war now and blame it on the West!

www.google.com...

I have been very skeptical about all this nonsense because we have seen it all before but now its getting well out of hand

news.sky.com... 291174?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15291174_North_Korea%3A_Pyongyang_Will_Take_Self-Defence_Measures_If_UN_Punishes_It_For_Nuclear_T est

The North Korean flag, atop the tallest flag pole in the world. This is just visible from the border.




The guards are in a state of constant readiness. They have one eye on the wall, and one eye on the North Korean soldier at the top of the steps of the big gray building.




Here you can see the North Korean, staring back at the South Korean soldiers.



A very, very tense place to be.




A sniper tower just over the border.







The non-existent train to the capital of North Korea. This is housed in a huge train station that is completely empty, save for guards.




Me in front of one of the guards. This was taken inside the U.N. building. The building straddles the border, and the guard is standing in front of the door to North Korea. I am standing on the North Korean side of the border.

Is there any way I can put these pictures directly into the thread?

Why is the US dabbling in Korea affair in the first place
Poor koreans on both sides as chess pieces for some idiots at the top

reply to post by andersonglk


Thank-You for the pictures.

It makes it seem more real somehow.

The last picture however looks like you have done something wrong. Wouldn't want to be in that room myself..



Stay safe.

With tensions high on the Korean peninsula, Chinese fishing boats left the region, possibly to avoid any maritime skirmishes between the two Koreas. But U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the situation was not a crisis and no additional U.S. troops would be sent to the region.

no additional troops....is it fading away?

Originally posted by hitmen
Why is the US dabbling in Korea affair in the first place

Poor koreans on both sides as chess pieces for some idiots at the top

They are chess pieces in a game of Kim's making.

If he wasn't so intent on gaining the ability to throw a nuclear weapon at America, Seoul, Japan, then there wouldn't be any problems.

I am always suspicious of American government involvement in any situation, but I don't let it taint my perception of what is right and for the common good.

In this case, if America launches an attack against NK, they are doing the entire world (including N.Koreans) a massive favour!

N. Korea warns of further 'self-defense measure' should U.N. punish its nuclear test

North Korea warned Friday it will take further "self-defense counter-measures" should the U.N. Security Council punish its second nuclear test, a stern message also directed at its allies, China and Russia.

The warning issued by the North's Foreign Ministry came as the five members of the Security Council and the countries most affected by the test -- South Korea and Japan -- were discussing ways to respond to Monday's atomic detonation.

More at source:

Originally posted by heineken

With tensions high on the Korean peninsula, Chinese fishing boats left the region, possibly to avoid any maritime skirmishes between the two Koreas. But U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the situation was not a crisis and no additional U.S. troops would be sent to the region.

no additional troops....is it fading away?

I wouldn't read too much into what these people say, watch what they do.

As soon as you have senior officials going to have meetings with potential allies and existing powerful states, you know they are making plans.

Look at history.
Prior to WW2 meetings were being held between state officials on all sides, agreements were made and broken, statements were made to deflect suspicion, lies were told to dispel a story, these are all parts of the bigger story.

Even if he is telling the truth, he is speaking as of yesterday, with events to that time and date, things change. Maybe they don't need to deploy more troops, perhaps that isn't needed for any plan they have.

Or maybe, they just don't intend to do anything?

Regardless, what is said means little, what is done means everything.