North Korea

[Hellion]

:devil

Now North Korea has really pissed off a few too many nations,they just did an underground test

So lets see what the Bush Administration is going to do about this one.

[phee]

They launched test missiles months ago... are you refering to their underground nuke testing yesterday?

[Hellion]

They launched test missiles months ago... are you refering to their underground nuke testing yesterday?

Yeah thats what it was,hey thanx long day today.

[maeve]

Personally I think that China is going to take care of North Korea. It’s my, oh call it a feeling or whatever, that Bush has made some kind of deal so that China will handle North Korea, which will leave Bush free to “deal” with Iran. I don’t know if you saw anything on the Iran drama in the last couple of weeks but I read an article sent out through Democrats.com that stated Bush has two fleets (I think that’s the term) of ships prepared to go to the Persian Gulf. One fleet has probably already been deployed as it was scheduled to go in the beginning of October sometime. This fleet’s purpose is to begin mining the gulf. The second fleet is on call and is expected to be prepared to leave whenever Bush gives the ok.

I guess because of the effort and attention that Bush is showing to Iran, I’m inclined to believe that he’ll let someone else deal with North Korea. It would make a rather striking alliance for WWIII. Would anyone care to make a friendly wager?

[phee]

pointed...

I wonder what will happen

[kellygrrrrrl]

They be talking right now...guess we'll just have to see how the cards fall....or the radioactive fallout....

[Homicidalheathen]

I am going to go hide under a rock in one of those northern europian countries or something.....everyone loves Sweden, right? Finland or Iceland or Norway look good too...kinda out there on the ocean.....maybe I could get a big boat....

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I bet the whole fleets thing is bull. Nations don't normally boradcast their stratagy to the world like that. Also, mining the gulf would be just as bad for us as for them. And just so you know... we have fleets there already and fleets in reserve. They rotate in and out all the time.

It isn't just Bush who has let China take the lead with NK. Clinton, Bush Sr, Reagan and even Carter let China take the lead with them. Let isn't the right word though.. China has pretty much demanded it. They are the controling power of the area.

I would hope if it comes to a military response we let China do the dirty work. Nk has the largest trained standing army in the world. They also have 40,000 15+ inch guns aimed at South Korea. Any military response with NK is going to cause tens of thousands of civilian deaths in the first hours alone.

What would be striking would be to see Japan and China fighting together. China has never really forgiven Japan for what they did during WWII. Japan is kinda seen as slaughtering imperialists.

[phee]

NK is finally getting the attention they wanted.....

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Why can't Japan get involved? They have been in a cold war with NK for a long time.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

China dn NK arn't Asian?

[Msterbeau]

I like how the Bush admistration basically blamed the Clinton Administration for failing to stop this. Bush has been in office for five years and didn't do any better, did he? At least our government acknowledges that anything that's going to happen there has to be led by China. As Mark said.... they are the controlling power of the region and they hold the most influence over North Korea in both economic and militaristic terms. I also heard that Japan is considering changes to it's largely pacifist constitution to allow it greater autonomy and freedom to defend itself and it's interests.

[phee]

I like how the Bush admistration basically blamed the Clinton Administration for failing to stop this. Bush has been in office for five years and didn't do any better, did he? At least our government acknowledges that anything that's going to happen there has to be led by China. As Mark said.... they are the controlling power of the region and they hold the most influence over North Korea in both economic and militaristic terms. I also heard that Japan is considering changes to it's largely pacifist constitution to allow it greater autonomy and freedom to defend itself and it's interests.

Yes this is true... Japan just had an election, and they talked about boosting their military

[Der Nister]

It'll do the U.S. good to just stay away from this one. We're already stretched to our limit and China has the best posistion to handle them.

I hope the Bush administration keeps its mouth shut this time.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

We can't stay away. Yesterday, NK threatened to launch a Nuclear missle at us if we don't do exactly what they want.

[phee]

We can't stay away. Yesterday, NK threatened to launch a Nuclear missle at us if we don't do exactly what they want.

Yeah.... NK's whole thing the last few years has been to frighten respect out of the world... and they don't have the usual checks and balances...

[BrassFusion]

We can't stay away. Yesterday, NK threatened to launch a Nuclear missle at us if we don't do exactly what they want.

So there's no word in Korean for Mutually Assured Destruction? Someone should tell them before they make a huge mistake.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

They are assurd by the UNs 50+ years of doing nothing that they can get away with it.

[phee]

They are assurd by the UNs 50+ years of doing nothing that they can get away with it.

Yup... I think that "Team America" said it best...

"If you don't do as we say, we will write a letter explaining how angry we are"

[torn asunder]

Yup... I think that "Team America" said it best...

"If you don't do as we say, we will write a letter explaining how angry we are"

*sigh*

[Msterbeau]

Damn. What is their problem??

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061011/ap_on_...eas_nuclear_201

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I think... the leaders of NK are all insane.

[Msterbeau]

I think... the leaders of NK are all insane.

No argument there. Sheesh...

[pharoh]

Does anyone know why NK has such a hard on about this? Are they apart of the UN? I haven't had enough time to investigate to be honest, but I might have to do some research when I get home

[maeve]

I bet the whole fleets thing is bull. Nations don't normally boradcast their stratagy to the world like that. Also, mining the gulf would be just as bad for us as for them. And just so you know... we have fleets there already and fleets in reserve. They rotate in and out all the time.

Here's the link to the article it's from The Nation magazine who claims to have heard of it through Time Magazine.

"War Signals" By Dave Lindorff, The Nation

As reports circulate of a sharp debate within the White House over possible US military action against Iran and its nuclear enrichment facilities, The Nation has learned that the Bush Administration and the Pentagon have issued orders for a major "strike group" of ships, including the nuclear aircraft carrier Eisenhower as well as a cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine escort and supply ship, to head for the Persian Gulf, just off Iran's western coast. This information follows a report in the current issue of Time magazine, both online and in print, that a group of ships capable of mining harbors has received orders to be ready to sail for the Persian Gulf by October 1.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061009/lindorff

As for China and NK as we may not have as much influence with NK as China does, keep in mind that we have huge economic links with China. Our industries and China's developing industrial economy would both suffer substantail losses if things go awry. If NK is allowed to keep their nuclear arms than they will set the foundation not only for Iran to follow suit, but to begin nuclear proliferation through out the area. Countries such as India and Pakistan, China, Japan and SK will all have reasons to escalate their nuclear programs. Iran is watching NK very closely, they know that China and Russia are less likely to impose sanctions or take any other measures against Iran (due to the oil that China and Russia receive from Iran) than they will be against NK, and if NK gets away with it then Iran is going to feel more than justified to push their program, and personally I don't think the Bush administration will let that slide. I'm quite sure the US is doing a lot of behind the sceens talking to China right now and really applying the pressure to have them take some type of action. Either way Bush is just sitting back waiting for the oportune moment.