WORLD: Korea Showdown - Latest News and Updates.

The arms race wouldn't be because of NK, it would be Japan, then China, then Japan, then China... So NK would set it off, but it would end up being between Japan and China, not NK and Japan.

There's no way that Japan will or can join the arms race you've mentioned. Their constitution won't allow it.

reply to post by Vitchilo


That's actually not true, NK is already a threat to various nations with conventional weapons. Not least of which is Japan.

The analysis is correct in that Japan may now decide to develop its defensive capabilities, which would encourage China to do the same in response. The only thing preventing Japan from developing weapons now is the deal they have for protection by America.

While NK can attack several nations, it's conventional weaponry and the retaliation would be final. But if they were to gain assistance from any other nation they could theoretically have the ability to miniaturise a nuclear weapon for a warhead within a year or two.
The statement that the US cannot allow NK to develop nuclear weapons is not quite an admission that military action is needed. If China can persuade NK to return to talks, there is a diplomatic option there.

IMO, NK has already decided that it is not interested in the talks. I don't think they want aid any more, they want the south and all the riches that would come with it.
They've long had the ambition to rejoin north and south under the DPRK, and they know the south won't go willingly.
But seizing the south by force will allow them to maintain their failed ideology, even proclaiming it a success, while gaining control of far more wealth, infrastructure, land and population, all this is far more beneficial to NK than anything they could ever gain in aid through talks.

Originally posted by -Rugged Shark-

The arms race wouldn't be because of NK, it would be Japan, then China, then Japan, then China... So NK would set it off, but it would end up being between Japan and China, not NK and Japan.

There's no way that Japan will or can join the arms race you've mentioned. Their constitution won't allow it.

Ah, but we all know that constitutions can be changed or "interpreted" don't we?

If Japan is under a threat of a nuclear strike by NK and America are not there to defend them, they will most certainly change their minds on nuclear arms for their own defence
The people will demand it.

reply to post by detachedindividual


I doubt that even the idea of changing their constitution for that purpose would make it. If I remember correctly their was a large debate regarding the medical troops Japan supplied to Iraq. In the end their troops were only allowed to help civillians.

As for a change of interpetation of the constitution to allow an offensive attack, I don't think that "Rozen" Aso is willing to commit political suicide over that. If he did that his popularity would drop like a brick and he isn't too popular already.

Preparations to move an ICBM from the Saneum Weapons Research Center near Pyongyang by train have been captured by U.S. spy satellites," Saturday's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper quoted a source in Washington knowledgeable about the issue as saying.

I hate that acronym I.C.B.M. that spells trouble.
All they need to do is phuck up a long range missile launch and inadvertently bomb some country, then we'll be in some kind of war, I don't know if it would be WWIII, but I bet it would be some kind of war...

I think North Korea would be the aggressor most likely, they seem to want war. They have nothing else to live for it seems...

Basically what you've got is a Country that lives and sleeps war, kind of reminds you of Iraq, where mainly Saddam would routinely have War Parades, and exercises... He would on a regular basis dress up in military uniform.

reply to post by detachedindividual


MO, NK has already decided that it is not interested in the talks. I don't think they want aid any more, they want the south and all the riches that would come with it.
They've long had the ambition to rejoin north and south under the DPRK, and they know the south won't go willingly.
But seizing the south by force will allow them to maintain their failed ideology, even proclaiming it a success, while gaining control of far more wealth, infrastructure, land and population, all this is far more beneficial to NK than anything they could ever gain in aid through talks.

I think your right.
I think Kim Jong is unreasonable... He's irrational, with a poor country, and Nuclear tech is a profitable commodity.

He's already tried to build a Nuclear Facility in cahoots with Syria, that Israel promptly targeted and eliminated, and Syria promptly bulldozed away...



[edit on 5/30/2009 by Brainiac]

Originally posted by Bachfin
This whole thing is just insane to me, i can't understand why america even went to korea in the first place then occupying that country for 50 years?
Korea belongs to Koreans.... if i was KJ i'd be pissed too, Korea does not belong to America and they have no buisness being there give Korea back to the Koreans and gtfo imo America cant even feed/house all the own people and they still spend billions of dollars on countries that do not concern them i just dont understand it.

Pretty much the same reason why we landed in vietnam. South asked the US for help since the south wanted to go democrated and free instead of communism.

My mind keeps going back to that statement that Joe Biden made last year: "Within 6 months, someone is going to test the mettle of this guy [Obama], who will have to make some very difficult decisions that will not be popular but we need you [Obama supporters] to trust us..."

Could this mean we will strike N. Korea?

I'm enjoying reading all these posts - gets my mind to weighing the likelihood of different scenarios. Thanks everyone!

"It usually takes about two months to set up a launch pad, but the process could be done in as little as two weeks, which means the North could launch a long-range missile as early as in mid-June," the source said."

Here's an update for you all. It has been revealed that a squadron of F-22's are to deploy to Okinawa, Japan on Saturday (Tomorrow). Here's the quote and source.

North Korea can be reached by U.S. Air Force F-16 jets from bases in northern Japan in about 30 minutes, and a squadron of new-generation F-22 fighters should deploy to the southern Japan island of Okinawa on Saturday. North Korea has been shrilly critical of the F-22 deployment, announced well before this week's nuclear test, because the fighters—which are difficult to detect on radar and capable of cruising at supersonic speed—are seen by the North as a threat to its air defenses.

Originally posted by gallifreyan medic
reply to post by octotom

 

Thank you for your quick response.
Is it really that an oppresive regime as we are lead to believe?
N.K is meant to be big in using propoganda.But have we not learned yet that we are subjected to excactly the same thing?

North Korea No. 1 most censored Countries
cpj.org...

Multiple international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, accuse North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation.
en.wikipedia.org...

North Korea population is starving, but KIM spend millions on military assets
current.com...
www.seattlepi.com...
In the 1990s 2 million North Koreans died of starvation.

North Korea no energy for the population.
en.wikipedia.org...:Korean_peninsula_at_night.jpg
Instead of using nuclear technology to bring "light" to the people, KIM decide to build bombs.

Kim Jong II, egomanic and dangerous
www.nationalpost.com...


[edit on 30-5-2009 by emergencyresponseteam]

Jim Jong II Pictures
Doctored
www.time.com...

I thought this might be of benefit to those looking for signs that any sort of operational war planning or contingency activation might be underway on either side of this potential conflict.

The phased OPLAN for a conflict on the Korean peninsula, at least as publicly acknowledged, envisions large movements of DPRK forces to the DMZ, followed by an initial heavy artillery (and probably short range missile) bombardment of Seoul. The initial response by the South and U.S. forces if the advent of such an attack were to appear imminent would be air strikes against DPRK artillery and large force concentrations intended to follow up that bombardment with a push across the DMZ.

Then it would be up to the combined South and U.S. forces to hold the line until massive U.S. reinforcements arrived (air strikes would likely support this, of course) and initiated both a push across the DMZ into the North as well as an amphibious landing further North. The goal of the U.S./South Korean counteroffensive would be to destroy the regime and reorganize DPRK territory under South Korean governance.

That's a very summarized, paraphrased reading of the OPLAN as published at globalsecurity.org which you can read all three phases of here:

Phase One at GlobalSecurity.Org
Phase Two at GlobalSecurity.Org
Phase Three at GlobalSecurity.Org

reply to post by AceWombat04


Awesome finding, thanks. You just earned a star ;D

Israel has said repeatedly that if it attacks Iran, it would need the support of America.

Now, if America engages in a war with North Korea.. this would be enough time for Iran to continue their work because who would back up Israel with America in Iraq, Afghanistan and Korea?

reply to post by scarface1111


If the SHTF in North Korea in the coming months conflicts will arise in all the hot spots, Israel will go for Iran as the US and SK would be dealing with NK. Syria would aid Iran against Israel. I imagine fighting might start again in Georgia as well simply because no one would be able to stop the Russia fighting this time as it would be happening in multiple places.

reply to post by detachedindividual

But I think you have failed to actually see the country for how it is. Your comparisons are inadequate to explain the situation there for those people.

I see a country on its own path of development and should be left to do so.We in the west are so full of ourselves in trying to DICTATE that our way is how all should be.
Its not about worse there and not here,the point is a dictatorship is a
dictatorship.We have no right to impose our ideas to any country.It has the right to develop and to progress for the better and even to regress.

One thing about N.K is it is not hidden.
Ours is done in a different way,done in a way as to not let the sheep see it.Many are starting too see now though.

Westernization took time to become what it has and look at where we are.
Having a few people think they have the right to control how we should be.
They dont think twice about our deaths if we do not fit with there ideas.

Originally posted by emergencyresponseteam

Originally posted by Adrifter
I cannot think of a better time to take care of the North Koreans..


We gonna play the diplomacy for a few more years to allow them to yield bigger weapons.. Heard enough of them in my opinion. they want war, the next provocation deserves a harsh response. Win lose or draw, I don't think we should be punked by North korea..

Not before china is on our side, otherwise its getting really dirty.

Well said!

reply to post by emergencyresponseteam


Whats more frightening then?
The one you see or the one you dont?

N.K you see what you get so to speak.
Here in the west the mind set is in thinking of things like that do not happen here.Or it is denied that it does and would ever occur.
But occur it does and often.




[edit on 30/5/09 by gallifreyan medic]

The US and UN have NO right to tell any other country what to do unless that country attacks them. Whether it be Iran or North Korea its none of the West's damn business.