N. Korea Crisis - Updated as News come to hand

reply to post by crazydaisy


According to my source, the winds and the weather were great this morning, ready for launch... but apparently they didn't launch them... me thinks they received orders not to do so.

Allies fear North Korea may react to joint exercise

South Korea and the United States are on alert for a military provocation by North Korea, possibly a nuclear test or a ballistic missile launch, in response to a two-part joint military exercise that started Monday.

North Korean criticism of South Korea-U.S. drills is standard practice, and state-run media has blasted the exercises dubbed Key Resolve and Foal Eagle.

Key Resolve involves computer simulations and command and control exercises, while Foal Eagle involves live-fire drills and field exercises for thousands of troops. Key Resolve runs through March 10, to be followed by Foal Eagle, which will wind up April 30.

Any provocation by Pyongyang would be designed to instigate yet another crisis and push Washington into bilateral talks, in effect a reward for bad behavior.

They get it.

US: No Food Aid to NK Without Adequate Monitoring
That means no food aid... which will push NKorea even more towards a provocation.

Police beef up security posture against possible N.K. provocations
Gee...news reporting what my source told me 12+ hours ago... what a surprise... not.

US Lawmakers Seek End to 'Cycle of North Korean Provocations'

U.S. lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to find new ways to persuade North Korea to change its behavior and end what they say is a "cycle of provocation." Talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program have been stalled for more than two years and many analysts say that last year was the most dangerous on the Korean Peninsula since the Korean War.

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democrat John Kerry of Connecticut, says the risks of maintaining the status quo toward North Korea are grave.

"North Korea is simply going to build more nuclear weapons and missiles," said Kerry. "It may well export nuclear technology, even fissile material. And the next violation of the armistice could easily escalate into wider hostilities that threaten U.S. allies and interests."

Thing is, a lot of people are tired of NKorea's BS, no more concession. If it has to lead to war, so be it. (this is what a lot of people are thinking)

S. Korea to deploy attack helicopters on Yellow Sea islands

South Korea's military will soon deploy light attack helicopters on islands near the Yellow Sea border with North Korea as part of its efforts to bolster defense capability there, following the North's deadly artillery attack, an official said Wednesday.

The planned deployment of 500MD helicopters is aimed at countering a possible hovercraft infiltration by the North's special forces into one of the border islands, the official at the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

Good move.

Seems the leaflets are delayed a WEEK... They were planned for today...

# W7VOA N. Korea has vowed to fire on launch site if more balloons fly. Activist group saying "bring it on" by pre-announcing launch time. 2 minutes ago via TweetDeck

# Steve Herman W7VOA #ROK activists confirm to VOA planned launch of propaganda balloons to #DPRK at noon next Mon. or Tues. (depending on wind) from Imjingak. 3 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Guess they really received orders...

reply to post by Vitchilo


Leaflets delayed for a week - ok - will be interesting to see
how this plays out now.

Originally posted by crazydaisy
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

Leaflets delayed for a week - ok - will be interesting to see
how this plays out now.

Yep. NKorea will have one week to think things over... Kim will have one week to take his chill pills.

Doom is always only a week away...

Anyway, I'll ask my source if orders really came down from the top to delay the leaflets. I should be able to talk to it within a few hours.

reply to post by Vitchilo


Hey Vitch;

Your 12 hour prediction of gloom and doom is coming up...

Originally posted by Animatrix
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

Hey Vitch;

Your 12 hour prediction of gloom and doom is coming up...

My 12 hours prediction is already a fail. The leaflets were delayed by a week, probably because of orders from the top.

So... come back next week March 6 11PM EST. Depending on the wind...

# W7VOA Einhorn says U.S. has range of "nuclear delivery capabilities offshore" to provide effective deterrent against #DPRK. 40 minutes ago via TweetDeck

# Steve Herman W7VOA US State Dept. Special Advisor Einhorn: "We have no plan, no intention to deploy U.S. tactical or other nuclear weapons in South Korea." 42 minutes ago via TweetDeck

NK Continues to Release Threats amid S.Korea-US Joint Drills

North Korea has continued to release threatening statements against South Korea and the U.S. amid the two allies’ annual joint military drills.

In a statement Tuesday, the North’s Foreign Ministry called the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle drills “nuclear war games” and claimed the drills are aimed at invading the North.

The statement then said that it is becoming more of an inevitability that the North’s military will have to opt for a physical response based on self-defense.

Which is not a good sign. Usually, they make one threat and they shut up for a while.

S. Korea to use satellite to monitor possible volcano in N. Korea

South Korea said Wednesday that it will begin utilizing one of its meteorological satellites in orbit next month to monitor possible volcanic activities at North Korea's landmark mountain, whose eruption could wreak havoc on the region.

Good since Mt. Baekdu could erupt in the coming years... the volcano became active again after NKorea tested nukes... and they plan another test... a stronger one, probably in April, which could accelerate things.

Wouldn't it be ironic if NKorea nuclear test woke up the volcano, destroying NKorea? It would be hilarious... if it were not for all the people who will end up dead or homeless because of this... could also end the whole Korean mess without war... which would be great.

U.S., S. Korea seek U.N. Security Council statement on N. Korea's uranium program

The United States and South Korea are seeking a U.N. Security Council presidential statement denouncing North Korea's uranium enrichment program, a senior Washington envoy said Wednesday.

China is blocking the statement/resolution and will probably continue to do so.

North told to improve human rights
They won't do squat. Just like the Soviet Union did nothing until Stalin died. After he died, there were some real reforms...but even then..

China on Tuesday took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of March.
Well ain't that interesting. So whatever NKorea does during March won't matter, the UN won't do squat since China controls, to a certain extent, the direction of things at the security council.

Minister accuses N. Korea of repaying goodwill with nukes

North Korea has ignored South Korea's good intentions over the past two decades only to make more nuclear weapons and strengthen its military, Seoul's point man on Pyongyang said Wednesday.

Indeed.

SKoreans to send Mideast protest videos to NKorea
That should piss off Kim a lot.

Next year shall be VERY INTERESTING in Asia...

Changing of leaders in SKorea, Russia and China.

So talked to my source... seems THEY DID send those leaflets over NKorea... and NKorea did nothing in return.

Ain't that nice?

NKorea's bluff called on yet again!

Originally posted by Vitchilo

Originally posted by Animatrix
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

Hey Vitch;

Your 12 hour prediction of gloom and doom is coming up...

My 12 hours prediction is already a fail. The leaflets were delayed by a week, probably because of orders from the top.

So... come back next week March 6 11PM EST.

Depending on the wind...

edit on 1-3-2011 by Vitchilo because: (no reason given)

Ah well, hey my bad.. I didnt realize they postponed the leaflet drop. I was just giving you a hard time btw, no offense.
By the way, how do the S Koreans (US) get the leaflets into N Korea territory anyway? Seems it would be hard to do without violating their airspace.

They use balloons... and apparently, they DID launch the leaflets... and NKorea did nothing.

Another launch of leaflets is scheduled for next week... we'll see if NKorea does again nothing.

#DPRK radio news claim: Academy of Medical Sciences develops cancer vaccine which also keeps the disease from recurring. #Korea

Sure....

Japan reviews aid to new global No. 2 China

Japan's ODA -- including grant aid and technical cooperation -- for China was worth about 5.2 billion yen (63 million dollars) in fiscal 2009, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

In other news, Japan is giving aid to China... WTF?

U.S. likely to consider resuming halted food aid to N. Korea: source

``Likely to consider``... that's two MAYBE in a row... yeah it won't happen.

SKorea: NKorea bolstering control over society

A top South Korean official says that North Korea is strengthening control over the flow of outside information amid a push to transfer power from leader Kim Jong Il to his youngest son.

Very likely.

And China is really scared :
China warns int'l media not to cover protest calls

Japan scrambles F-15 as China jets near airspace

Japan’s Defense Ministry says it scrambled a fighter jet as two Chinese spy planes approached Japanese airspace near disputed East China Sea islands.

Defense ministry scraps plan to create 'Joint Forces Command'

The defense ministry decided to scrap a plan to create a top military command structure intended to enhance interoperability of its armed forces because of a constitutional challenge and resistance from the Navy and Air Force, officials said Thursday.

That will probably hurt operations in a full scale war...

Russia Fears China, Not Japan

More significantly, Messrs. Putin and Medvedev seem to be positioning Russia for the long term, and their ultimate goal may well be to deal with Chinese growth in the region. Both states know that Russia's sparsely populated Siberian Far East will become increasingly attractive to a militarily powerful China in search of vast amounts of raw materials and resources.

From timber to oil and gas, and even clean water, Siberia offers much that China will need in order to maintain not merely its economic growth, but some of the basic necessities of life in an industrialized nation. To give but one example, China's net imports of petroleum will more than quadruple by 2035, according to some estimates, to 14 million barrels per day; meanwhile, 65% of Russia's prospective petroleum reserves are located just north of China, in Siberia, along with 85% of the country's natural gas reserves.

Yet there are only about 25 million Russians in all of Siberia, an area of more than 9.6 million square kilometers stretching from the Urals to the Kamchatka Peninsula, giving a population density of less than three persons per square kilometer. Further east, the Far Eastern Federal District has a population of just seven million persons, or one person per square kilometer, while 100 million Chinese live in the provinces just across the border.

Indeed. Once the US falls, Russia and China will probably go at each other's throat. Not the day after, but the years after.

China says yuan could become a reserve currency: report
Will hurt the US dollar.

Japan slams Russian military build-up on Kuril islands

Japan on Wednesday branded Russia's plans to deploy anti-ship cruise missiles on disputed islands off Tokyo's northern frontier "very deplorable".

U.S. Not Seeking Regime Change in N.Korea
But it would be good right?

China urges resumption of North Korea talks

Clinton expresses concerns about rising tensions due to N. Korea's nuke weapons

Breaking :

W7VOA Unification Ministry confirms to VOA that 4 of 31 N. Koreans who drifted South in a fishing boat Feb. 5 want to defect. 20 minutes ago via TweetDeck

W7VOA #DPRK had demanded all 31 be returned. 27 to be repatriated tomorrow. Incident could further raise tensions on Korean peninsula. 4 minutes ago via TweetDeck

NKorea won't like this... just you watch they gonna say the South kidnapped them. Hopefully this doesn't lead to a skirmish.

Anyway, good for those 4 to stay in freedom... I just can't understand the other 27... maybe they fear/miss their families... wouldn't surprise me if they do not come back, their families will end up dead...

Even more trouble coming our way :
S. Korea to hold annual, large-scale drills on Yellow Sea islands

^South Korea's military plans to conduct annual land, sea and air exercises on islands near the Yellow Sea border with North Korea to enhance the South's defense capability there, following the North's bombardment of one of the islands, officials said Thursday.

The defense ministry said the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) will hold the annual drills involving the Army, Navy and Air Force on the islands for one or two rounds a year, describing the planned exercises as "defensive in nature."

This is gonna be fun.

Defense chief rules out possibility of redeploying U.S. tactical nukes

South Korea's defense chief on Thursday ruled out the possibility that U.S. tactical nuclear weapons could be redeployed in the South amid renewed concerns over North Korea's repeated provocations and nuclear aspirations.

Asked by a lawmaker about calls from some conservative politicians over the need to redeploy U.S. tactical nuclear weapons, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said the South "has made no consultation (with the U.S.) so far and no plan to consult in the future."

I think I'll turn this topic in some kind of Russia far east-Japan-China-India far east-Taiwan-Korea-Myanmar thread.... if that's OK with you all.

Japan :

#Japan Foreign Minister says he instructed cut in aid to #China.

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South Korea :

Dozens of #ROK gov't web sites hit by DDoS attack Friday morning. #Korea

Military Cuts Down on Exercises Due to Soaring Oil Prices

Soaring oil prices have also dealt a direct blow to drills of the Army's mechanized units. It decided to mobilize only two-thirds of equipment for all field mobile drills.

Cheap And Proven Is Hard To Beat

Meanwhile South Korea and Indonesia have recently agreed to jointly develop a new fighter, the KFX. This would be an aircraft with capabilities somewhat beyond the top-line American F-16 (the Block 60, developed for the UAE, as the F-16E).

KFX development is expected to take ten years and cost $2 billion.

The KFX is expected to look more like the Eurofighter Typhoon, than the T-50 or F-16. The KFX is also expected to cost $50 million each, have advanced electronics (including an AESA radar).

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China :
Power Junkies Promise To Share

China's defense spending is believed to be over $100 billion a year, and it has more than doubled in the last decade. This has triggered an arms race with its neighbors. Russia just announced a new military upgrade program that would increase defense spending by a third, and devote over half a trillion dollars in the next decade to buying new equipment. Japan, already possessing the most modern armed forces in the region, is increasing spending to expand it. A decade ago, China and Japan spent about the same on defense, but now China spends more than twice as much. Even India is alarmed. Spending only 30-40 percent as much as China does, the Indian generals and admirals are demanding more money to cope with China. India and China are actually devoting a lot of their additional spending to just bringing their troops up to date. Both nations have lots of gear that was new in the 1960s and 1970s. They don't expect to be as up-to-date as the U.S., which spends over $500 million a year, but there's plenty of newer, much better, and often quite inexpensive stuff to be had.

China's defense budget to grow 12.7% in 2011: spokesman

China said Friday it plans to raise its defense budget by 12.7 percent to 601 billion yuan (91.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2011, compared with an increase of 7.5 percent last year.

Yeah 91.5 billion $ uh? That doesn't include research and development, which they spend about 100 billion US$ a year, nor foreign equipment purchases, like buying Russian weapons. So, wouldn't surprise me if it's around 175-200 billion US$. Still not as much as the US, put if you factor in the PPP, it's getting pretty close. And the next Chinese leader, taking power next year is much more militaristic than Jintao... so wouldn't surprise me if the military budget rises even more next year.

Remember that China's GDP using PPP is 10 trillion, compared to the US 14.6 trillion PPP.

Fun fact of the day - the richest 70 members of China's National People's Congress are worth a combined $75-billion

SKorean coast guard confronts Chinese fishing boat

South Korea’s coast guard says a Chinese fisherman and a South Korean coast guard officer are being treated at a hospital after a confrontation off South Korea’s west coast over illegal fishing.

The coast guard said Friday that it detained a Chinese fishing boat Thursday afternoon within South Korea’s exclusive economic zone in the Yellow Sea.

Officials say the Chinese crew wielded axes and hammers when the coast guard tried to inspect the boat, injuring one South Korean officer. The South Koreans opened fire, injuring a Chinese crewman in the thigh.

S. Korea to let activists send Libya news to North

South Korea's government said Thursday it would not stop activists launching leaflets with news of Arab protests into North Korea, despite Pyongyang's threats to open fire in retaliation.

A defector group has said it will float leaflets and video footage across the heavily fortified border next week, possibly on Monday or Tuesday if the wind is in the right direction.

Park Sang-Hak, leader of Seoul-based Fighters for Free North Korea, said the group would launch 200,000 leaflets plus DVDs and USB flash drives.

That will piss off Kim.
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NKorea :
NK Economic Delegation to Visit US in April

The Voice of America (VOA) says that a North Korean economic delegation will visit the U.S. next month at the invitation of a U.S. civilian organization.

Quoting several sources, the broadcaster said that the North Korean delegation will be comprised of some ten economic and business figures.

They want food. Little Kim needs food for the power transition in 2012.

NK Urges Seoul to Repatriate 31 N. Koreans

North Korea’s Red Cross Society has requested that South Korea repatriate all 31 North Koreans who crossed the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea last month in a wooden fishing boat.

In a statement carried by the North’s Korean Central News Agency Thursday, the Red Cross organization said that the South should immediately and unconditionally have the North Koreans returned to their homeland, claiming that the North Koreans are being held in the South against their will.

The statement also claimed that the South pressed the North Koreans to defect to the South through deception and threats. The North said that such a move is a serious provocation.

More surprises likely in North's transition, defector warns

Recent signs indicate that further turbulence is expected when North Korean leader Kim Jong Il hands the reins of power to his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, a high-ranking North Korean defector said Thursday.

Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Kim Kwang Jin, a former banker in North Korea who defected with his family in 2003, said the hermit regime's recent attacks, including the fatal sinking of a South Korean naval ship and the shelling of a South Korean island, show the North's "cycle of provocation is getting shorter and more aggressive, offensive and dangerous."

Kim said that, with a dead-end economy and a history of famine, the North is having difficulty justifying a succession and using the provocations to divert the public's attention from internal discontent to outside "enemies."

Blood In The Streets Up North

In the north, each province has been ordered to select a hundred of its most honest and efficient security personnel to form a special unit (mislabeled by some as a "riot squad") to investigate corruption and anti-government activity. Corruption is becoming more common month by month, as growing shortages persuade normally well-off government officials (including those in the military and security forces) to seek other sources of income.

North Korea amped up the protests for the latest round of military training exercises in the south. The reason for the more dire threats (nukes, and the usual "sea of fire") had to do with the North Korean belief that this set of exercises includes training for operations in North Korea, both outright war, and peacekeeping (moving in after a collapse of the communist government up there.) That sort of thing, the ruling Kim family apparently takes personally. The Kims were not amused.

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Russia :
Russia and France in deadlock over Mistral cost: report

Russia and France have hit deadlock in talks over a deal for Moscow to buy Mistral helicopter carriers, with the two sides unable to agree on a price, a report said Thursday, citing Russian sources.

Russia insists it will pay no more than $980 million (706 million euros) for two Mistral-class ships, while France insists on a contract worth at least $1.15 billion, the Kommersant business daily reported.

That's a bummer for Russia since they wanted to deploy the ships at the Kuril islands.

Blame Those Foreigners

Russia is spending about $700 billion during the next decade, to buy new military equipment. A disproportionate amount of the new stuff is being sent to the far east, to protect territories (most of the Russian Far East) that is claimed by China. Japan is also making noise about its claims on the South Kuril islands, but that is nothing compared to the amount of real estate China insists was stolen from them over the last few centuries. China has been quiet about these claims since the Cold War ended, but has not withdrawn them. China is also spending more on its military, although more of that new stuff is directed at the United States and India, not Russia.

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Myanmar :
China Is Your Special Friend

The new democracy in Myanmar is very much the same old military dictatorship. The recent elections were rigged and the parliament is full of supporters of the generals. Thus the military has gotten 23 percent of the government budget for the next year.

Later this month, Russia is expected to begin delivering 20 MiG-29 fighters that were ordered two years ago. Indian firms will provide maintenance and technical support. India has long used MiG-29s and has built an infrastructure to support this aircraft.

China has replaced Thailand as the largest foreign investor in Myanmar. The Myanmar generals see China as their economic savior, and China is eager to have an ally so close to India. Increased maritime trade with Myanmar is but the beginning of a process that will lead to Chinese warships eventually operating out of Myanmar ports. This is a nightmare for India, which is trying to make nice with the Myanmar generals, in an attempt to halt the growth of Chinese influence, and presence, in the area.

Weird how India is helping Myanmar's military when fact is that Myanmar, if you read the history between them and China, are strong allies...
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Pakistan :
Pakistan, China set-off joint venture to build missile boats
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Philippines :
China gunboats harass RP vessel

MANILA, Philippines - Two Chinese Navy gunboats reportedly harassed a vessel owned by the Department of Energy (DOE) that was conducting maritime research off the disputed Spratly Islands last Wednesday.

Armed Forces Western Command (Westcom) commander Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban confirmed that the Air Force deployed bombers and an Islander reconnaissance aircraft while the Navy dispatched three vessels to intercept the two Chinese vessels.

“But they did not catch the Chinese vessels that already left when the planes arrived. The DOE ship just resumed their research in the area,” Sabban said in a telephone interview.

More Chinese harassing.


UPDATE : N. Korea refusing partial return of its nationals by S. Korea: officials

North Korea is refusing to receive its 27 nationals who strayed into South Korea last month on a fishing boat, apparently in anger over Seoul's refusal to repatriate four others who are wishing to stay, officials said Friday.

The refusal signals a new thorn in the already tense relations between the two countries that remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce.

NKorea pissed once again...

Lee says defense reform urgent to counter N. Korean threats

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called Friday for a speedy military reform and enhanced interoperability of armed forces, saying North Korea is increasing threats to regional peace with "asymmetrical" forces on top of nuclear and missile developments.

Indeed. No unified forces and you end up in anarchy if war breaks out.

From my source... NKorea is now on FULL MILITARY ALERT due to the ``North Koreans who were kidnapped and pressured to stay in the South``...

In response, of course South Korea is in full military alert.

Probably nothing will happen, but escalation after escalation...

The communist state late Thursday accused the South of "despicable unethical acts" and said the group on the boat had been held hostage in a bid to fuel cross-border confrontation.

The North said their craft had drifted in fog and all those on board had demanded they be sent home. But Seoul had pressured them to remain in the South "by appeasement, deception and threat", it said.

"This cannot be interpreted otherwise than a grave provocation to the DPRK (North Korea)," said a statement attributed to the North's Red Cross.

China Against Attaching Precondition for NK Talks

reply to post by Vitchilo


Damn...seems serious this Time. And i get the Feeling China is planning something too...

South Korea :
South Korea escapes major cyberattack
Good! But it wasn't a ``major`` attack either... only 11k zombie computers were used... back in 2009, 115k computers were used...

W7VOA: Cyberattack reported for 2nd straight day against key S. Korean gov't & financial web sites.”

And it continues.
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North Korea :
N.Korea's heir apparent invited to Beijing: Seoul

"We can't say exactly when, but Kim Jong-Un will certainly visit Beijing as he has received an official invitation," the NIS told the parliamentary committee.

"But it remains unclear whether Kim Jong-Un will visit China alone or simply accompany the leader," it was quoted as saying.

"It has also been confirmed that tanks were deployed in some parts of Pyongyang," the NIS said.

"We understand the deployment of tanks was made for fear of concerns over the fallout from the pro-democracy struggles in the Middle East," it said.

N.Korea renews demand that South return citizens

NORTH Korea on Saturday made a fresh demand for the repatriation of all 31 citizens whose boat drifted into South Korean waters, warning inter-Korean relations would be otherwise seriously affected.

'If the South Korean authorities do not comply with the DPRK's (North Korea's) just demand, it will seriously affect the North-South relations and the South side will be held wholly accountable for it,' it said.

I say give NKorea the finger. If those people, especially the 4 who want to stay, have to go back to NKorea, they'll be assassinated for sure.

N.Korea Reiterates Call for S-N Korean Dialogue

A state-run North Korean newspaper has urged South Korea to accept the North’s demands for inter-Korean dialogue.

Funny how it was the North Koreans who walked out of the talks...

US: Improving S-N Korean Relations a Way to Prove NK Seriousness
North Korea wants to talk directly with the US...

N. Korea's trade with China jumps 2.3-fold in Jan.: report
China helping once again NKorea.

China says preconditions should not be set for N. Korean nuclear talks
Yeah...

Crystal Meth Use 'Rampant' in N.Korea
Certain parts of America and North Korea have at least that in common..


And from my source, the North yesterday accused the South Of cutting off communications with the North... South are denying of course... weird stuff from the North.

And wanted to know the ``counter attack`` of North Korea? Me thinks this is the two cyber attacks on SKorea in two days... and it ain't doing much... NKorea epic fail, yet again.
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China :
China will pursue 'powerful' military: Wen

Premier Wen Jiabao vowed on Saturday that China would continue building a "powerful" military, one day after Beijing announced a return to double-digit percentage hikes in defence spending.

The announced budget is widely believed to be far lower than actual spending.

Why China Still Uses Carrier Pigeons

Carrier pigeons have been retired by most armies. The last European country to do so was Switzerland, in the 1970s (at the same time it got rid of its bicycle units). China, however, has continued to maintain thousands of homing pigeons for military communications duty. A pigeon can carry up to 75 g (2.5 ounces) for several hundred kilometers (at speeds of about 80 kilometers an hour). The Chinese use them to carry coded messages to offshore island bases, and plan to use them in future conflicts where so much electronic jamming is used that carrier pigeons are the only reliable means of communicating.

+1

North Korea, China and Iran are developing weapons to neutralize the global military dominance the U.S. has enjoyed since the end of the Cold War, the chief U.S. defense official said Friday.
Yeah putting China, North Korea and Iran in the same bag won't make China too happy.
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Russia :
Russia denies snub in Mistral deal
They might get their mistrals after all.
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India :
Indian defense budget gets 'hefty' rise

India raised its defense budget by more than 11 percent in the face of China's growing military might.

The increase to $36.5 billion for 2011-12, from $32.74 billion this year, includes a 12 percent boost in capital spending for equipment and services.

"More than 40 percent of the Indian defense budget for 2011 will be spent on capital expenditure, while the rest will go toward maintaining its armed forces," he said.

Among the big-ticket purchases likely to be finalized next year is that of the $11 billion deal for 126 multi-role combat aircraft as well as 197 light helicopters and 145 ultra-light howitzers for the army.

Breaking : N. Korea threatens to use 'every means' to repatriate its 31 nationals

A feud between the two Koreas, already locked in sharp military tensions, over the repatriation of a group of North Koreans whose boat drifted into the South intensified Saturday, as Pyongyang openly threatened to use "every possible means" to resolve the issue.

What about... North Korea shuts the hell up?

China :
A very very very interesting article, which is banned in China, about the next Chinese leaders.

NK threatens, NK threatens - why don't they just make a recording
and play it all day to the South.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf is what NK have been practicing ever since because they want to have surprise attack in their advantage. I think it's what NK is doing, but I may be wrong. Who knows, but time will tell.

NKorea :
Is N.Korea Planning Fresh Attacks?

North Korea's official news agency reiterated demands on Saturday that all 31 North Koreans whose boat drifted into South Korean waters must be returned. "We will not stand by and watch but mobilize all of our resources to deal with it," KCNA said.

North Korea did not say what it meant by "all of our resources," but on Friday it jammed GPS signals in northwestern Seoul in an apparent attempt to disrupt the South's annual military drills with U.S. forces and is believed to have launched a massive hacker attack on government websites the same day. North Korea experts say Pyongyang made similar verbal threats shortly before the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan in March last year.

I would say that hacking South Koreans websites is already a provocation of some sorts. At least it didn't kill anybody... but a more serious provocation bordering on war so the US will talk to NKorea directly is very likely IMO.

More Tanks in the Streets of Pyongyang

The North Korean regime has deployed more tanks in Pyongyang, apparently for fear that the "Jasmine Revolutions" in the Middle East could spread to the Stalinist country.

A government source said on Sunday that the National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee on Friday that more tanks were deployed in downtown Pyongyang. They were reinforcements of tanks already parked in several underground locations in the North Korean capital.

Before they were ``hiding`` the tanks... now they are deploying them in the streets...
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SKorea :
Koreas should stop brawling over defection issue

However the South Korean authorities should not have hastily announced upon the North Koreans’ arrival here that the border crossing by sea was simply an accident and all of the 31 aboard the small wooden ship wanted to return to the North. They should also explain why there are rumors they showed the North Korean clam catchers films displaying the South’s economic success and even took them on a field trip.

Interesting, after all, they are showing them the NKorean lies...

N.Korea 'jammed S.Korea GPS devices'
Could be useful if NKorea does another provocation and jams the South artillery positions GPS so they can't attack the NKorean artillery sites effectively.

Zombie computers in DDoS attack begin to destroy own hard drives
Well this ain't nice.

Standoff between Koreas deepens over stray N. Koreans

South Korea remains firm in its position not to repatriate four North Koreans who have decided to defect after their fishing boat carrying 27 others drifted here last month, an official said Monday.

+1

U.S. air force deploys upgraded attack aircraft in S. Korea

The U.S. military in South Korea said Monday it has deployed 12 upgraded A-10 ground attack aircraft capable of carrying precision-guided bombs in the South as part of a scheduled deployment.

Oooo 12 A-10s! Against probably thousands of NKorean tanks...(if they had the fuel)

N. Korea tells S. Korea to produce defectors

Lee Hae-Young, secretary general of the Seoul-based Association of North Korean Defectors, said families of defectors customarily face reprisals -- possibly a spell in a prison camp or forced relocation to a rural area.

The North described the defection claim as false and said the South's "outrageous inhuman action" was sparking anger and concern about the impact on cross-border relations.

Chinese FM Repeats Call for Resumption of Nuke Talks
And with no preconditions...

W7VOA Imjin-gak balloon launch organizers say winds not favorable today. Now planning to send balloons towards DMZ on 9th or 10th. #Korea about 12 hours ago via TweetDeck

UPDATE : The residents of the town asked the military to stop the balloons or move the launching site from somewhere else because people fear they will be bombed by NKorea. Discussions are ongoing between army and the organizers. Launch still planned for this week.
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China :
Chinese hackers stole S. Korean documents on spy drones: lawmaker

Chinese hackers allegedly broke into a computer network run by South Korea's defense ministry last year and stole secret documents on a plan to buy spy drones from the United States, an opposition lawmaker here said Monday.

So they didn't steal ``drones`` information... more like a government plan of buying drones from the US... so no big deal really.

Chinese, Pakistani air forces kick off joint drill
I'm sure India is gonna like that one.

Poll boost for Taiwan's anti-China opposition

Taiwan's main anti-China opposition beat the ruling party in weekend parliamentary by-elections its leader said were a crucial indicator for the 2012 presidential polls.

Oh boy. This is bad, since if an anti-China leader takes power in 2012, China will have a new leader, Xi Pinjing, which is way more agressive, from his own statements and writing and will not ``be bullied around by the US``...

Not to mention, by the time this crisis develops, the US will be either dead economically or too concentrated on domestic affairs to do anything about it.

The J-20 Clarified

Two months after the impressive new Chinese fighter, the J-20, made its first flight, it's been possible to scrutinize the photos, videos and other evidence, and form a better idea of where the Chinese are with their new "stealth fighter." While the J-20 looks like the American F-22 when viewed head on, it's overall shape, weight and engine power is closer to the American F-15C.

markmackinnon Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan included for first time in China's five-year economic plan. about 2 hours ago via Mobile Web

Hopefully not a sign of thing to come... like annexation...
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India :
India successfully tests interceptor missile
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Myanmar :
Is Burma’s new regime planning a racial war?

According some political analysts, there will be full-scale military offensives in the ethnic controlled areas after President Thein Sein’s government takes office in mid-March.

South Korea :
'Seoul Has No Reason to Oppose Inter-Korean Summit'

A senior official in Seoul says that the government has no reason to oppose an inter-Korean summit if it is needed for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and that South Korea is open to holding dialogue with the North.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that he also understands that the government is not pushing for such talks at the moment.

Last time, it was the North who walked out...

S.Korea to get more weapons amid N.Korean threat

South Korea says it will deploy more fighter jets, helicopters, artillery and advanced spy aircraft to better prepare for potential attacks by North Korea.

Seoul: N.Korea GPS Disruptions Violate Int'l Law

South Korea says North Korea’s recent act of disrupting the reception of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals in the South is a violation of the charter of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Accordingly, the official said that Seoul may demand that Pyongyang halt such acts and take steps to prevent a recurrence and could also submit claims for compensation for any damage incurred.

The official said that based on the legal review, Seoul could raise the issue at the U.N., adding that the government is deliberating on the specific actions it plans to take.

S. Korea makes third demand for repatriation of 27 N. Koreans

South Korea formally pressed North Korea on Tuesday for a third time to take the 27 North Koreans whom Pyongyang is refusing to accept unless Seoul also repatriates four others who had also drifted here on a fishing boat last month, an official said.

Still no word from the North.

Defense chief unveils plans to reform military, enhance interoperability

Seoul will purchase high-altitude spy drones and stealth fighter jets and deploy them earlier than an initial deployment year of 2015 to strengthen deterrence against North Korea, Kim said.

As part of the efforts, the military will acquire advanced artillery-detecting radar systems and precision-guided weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to neutralize the North's artillery pieces hidden in mountain caves, the ministry said.

"With the proposed plans, it will take one or two days for our military to destroy North Korea's long-range artillery pieces, from the current one week," a military official said on the condition of anonymity.

ONE WEEK to destroy NKorea long range artillery? WHAT? That is INSANE. One week... if any war breaks out, you can say goodbye to all of Seoul then.

U.S.-ROK Military Exercises

The Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises in 2011 are designed to train for a number of scenarios whereby instability could be triggered in the DPRK and subsequently would require a combined military response. The scenarios include the demise of the Kim family and a coup d’état or civil war, a large-scale natural disaster, social unrest and rebellion, large-scale defections and out migration, WMD falling into the hands of rebel groups or commanders, or the taking of ROK hostages in the North (Kaesŏng Industrial Complex).

ROK Defence Minister Kim Kwan-jin recently told the National Assembly that based on past patterns and behavior, he expects the DPRK to carry out some kind of provocation this spring. If the KPA conducts a provocation similar to the attacks against the Ch’ŏnan or Yŏnp’yŏng Island, they almost certainly will come under counter-fire. Such a counter-attack could escalate and trigger the implementation of OPLAN 5027 or OPLAN 5029 in worst case scenarios.

W7VOA Organizers of balloon leaflet campaign into #DPRK from Imjingak now say launch delayed until, at least, 11th or 12th due to wind direction.

W7VOA #ROK NEMA: Nationwide air raid drill on March 15 at 2 pm. It'll include for first time in Seoul armored military vehicles. #Korea

W7VOA #ROK Unification Ministry: Sent message today again to #DPRK willing to hold Red Cross DMZ talks on the 31 who drifted into the South.

W7VOA No known response yet from Pyongyang. Meeting was to be held tomorrow at DMZ at 1000. #Korea

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North Korea :
N. Korea launches electronic attacks on S. Korea

"Intermittent (GPS) disruptions are still continuing, although signals are weak," the commission said in a statement, adding that it was working with government agencies and security authorities to counter the jamming.

The North's military operates dozens of bases equipped for an electronic war to disrupt South Korean military communications, the South's Yonhap news agency said.

The communist country has imported GPS jamming devices from Russia, while South Korea uses French equipment to disrupt or monitor the North's military communications systems, it said.

The South's then-defence chief said last October that the North was capable of interfering with GPS reception over a distance of up to 100 kilometres (60 miles).

He said this was seen as a fresh security threat, since it could potentially disrupt guided weapons such as missiles.

North Korea Analysts See Promotion for Kim Jong Un

Intelligence analysts are pointing to a routine report by North Korea's official news agency as evidence that apparent future leader Kim Jong Un has been elevated to the second or third position in the nation's governing hierarchy.

The analysts in Seoul and other capitals base their findings on a list of officials who accompanied leader Kim Jong Il at a concert on Monday in honor of International Women's Day. In the article by the Korean Central New Agency, Kim Jong Un's name appears at the top of the list, ahead of Premier Choe Yong Rim for the first time.

He's going up fast...

'Cyber Attacks Believed to be Done by N.Korea'

Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Choi Si-joong says last week's massive cyber attack, known as the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, is believed to be from North Korea.

Since it came from 18 countries... it might be too complex of an attack for NKorea... maybe China was behind it.

North Korea begs for food from Zimbabwe

There are reports that North Korea's food supplies are so dire that Pyongyang is pleading for supplies from some of the world's poorest nations.

UNICEF says funds for N. Korea insufficient last year

The U.N. children's fund, UNICEF, said this week it received as of October last year only a fifth of the funding it had needed in 2010 to feed children and women in North Korea.

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China :
Japan protest over 'dangerous' China helicopter fly-by

Japan has lodged a formal protest after a Chinese helicopter flew close to its destroyer in the East China Sea.

The Japanese ship was on patrol near a disputed gas field that both countries want to exploit.

Japan's Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa called the aerial manoeuvre by the Chinese helicopter "extremely dangerous".

Officials say it flew within 70m (230ft) of the Japanese destroyer, Samidare, at an altitude of less than 40m.

Quite dangerous.

TomLasseter BBC asks if Chinese Foreign Minister has access to its website, which shows footage of police harassing journos. Spox says submit evidence.

Chinese Air Force High Command Visits Sri Lanka
For training of the Sri Lanka air force... India won't like this.
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Taiwan :
Taiwan to cut 9,200 troops as China ties warm

But China's build-up is widely seen by analysts as geared in large part at reclaiming Taiwan. Taiwanese experts say China has more than 1,600 missiles aimed at the self-ruled island.

Despite the easing of tensions with Taiwan's giant neighbour, Ma says the island needs to maintain sufficient self-defence while pressing for dialogue with Beijing.

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Japan :
Second battle of Okinawa looms as China's naval ambition grows

Then there are the rapes, muggings and burglaries committed by US servicemen - 5,634 criminal offences between 1972 and 2009. Among them are 25 murders, 385 burglaries, 25 arsons, 127 rapes, 306 assaults and 2,827 thefts. The worst was the rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl in 1995.

Funny how I never heard anything about this on US MSM... and Americans wonder why people on Okinawa want the US base the hell out of there...