North Korea 'could' fire nuclear missile

The Australian ^ | 10OCT06 | The Australian

[familyop]

(Agencies) A NORTH Korean official has warned the communist nation could fire a nuclear-tipped missile unless the US acts to resolve its standoff with Pyongyang, a South Korean news agency has reported. "We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes," the unnamed official said, according to a Yonhap report from Beijing.

[Paleo Conservative]

That depend on how big the warhead is.

[goldstategop]

We need to make it clear any attempt to launch nuclear missles on us or upon our allies will result in a full nuclear retaliatory response upon North Korea. They cannot be allowed to get away with blackmailing us. Such threats are tantamount to a casus belli.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[kenth]

Exactly. At some point (now, unless anyone hadn't noticed the test yesterday), we have to stop treating NK as the noisy but harmless wheel and instead treat them exactly as they are presenting themselves, a nuclear threat.

We cannot continue to pull out the kid gloves and threaten rhetoric and harsh words. We need to let them know that this is a grown up game they're playing, and that the defense of the United States and her allies is not to be taken lightly.

[backtothestreets]

My sentiments are like yours. My initial reaction screams for a nuclear response to North Korean aggression. Then there's another thought that confounds me. A nuclear response to North Korea would expose our South Korean and Japanese allies to suffer greatly from radioactive fallout. Even with our cleanest nuclear weapons there is a significant chance of unleashing North Korean radioactive materials upon the civilians populations of our allies.

Something must be done, and done soon, but I believe it will not employ nuclear weapons on our part. I'm expecting North Korea to initiate the conflict with an artillery barrage into South Korea.

[Dallas59]

Not very smart saying that...Threating to use nukes....The Shining Sun may get burned.

[goldstategop]

If it was up to me, better Pyongyang was turned into radioactive rubble than see America destroyed by another Pearl Harbor.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[mkjessup]

There was once a regime in Pyongyang,
Making nuclear threats out the ying-yang.
Their bombs all duds,
But they kept pounding their puds,
Until the U.S. delivered the BIG bang.

[hershey]

Not to worry. We've already dialed the UN.

[backtothestreets]

Absolutely, but we're not at that point yet, and North Korean must be stopped long before they can threaten any of our states or territories. I'm just saying our nuclear option is likely out at this time because it could inflict a greater lose on the civilian population of our allies than North Korea itself. The population of North Korea is a mere 23 million, but the combined population of South Korea and Japan is around 185 million, and would stand to suffer many civilian causalities if we use nuclear weapons because of windblown radioactive material. It could definitely be a case of winning the battle, but losing the war if the civilian populations of our allies suffer the greater loss.

[Constantine XIII]

OH NO, they have A missile. :p

[zarf]

We need to make it clear any attempt to launch nuclear missles on us or upon our allies will result in a full nuclear retaliatory response upon North Korea.

That's easy posturing.

The hard part comes when we intercept ships at sea with elements to create bombs and missiles....should we fire on and sink the ships?

[cva66snipe]

The hard part comes when we intercept ships at sea with elements to create bombs and missiles....should we fire on and sink the ships?

Unless our leadership takes a much stronger position on N.K. than it did in 1968 we will be the joke of the world. We will see another nearly 40 years of having N.K. rubbing our noses in it for not keeping out word when making a threat to them.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Their threats are as phony as their U.S. currency.

[American in Singapore]

Not to worry. We've already dialed the UN.

Yep - the almighty and powerful UN is on the case (/extreme sarcasm)

At least I have to give Iran some credit - they just out-and-out tell the UN to take a hike, even going so far to say that their actions are illegal!

[cva66snipe]

Their threats are as phony as their U.S. currency.

Their history says otherwise. Let's hope if out leadership makes threats to N.K. they actually have the guts to back it up this time with action. Remember the PUEBLO! Remember the lack of guts LBJ showed day after day. Empty threats no action except to Court Martial a Navy Captain. This was after LBJ ordered a non combat NAVY ship into a known trap. Korea doesn't take the U.S. serious because Post Korean War the U.S. has never backed up it's word in dealing with North Korea.

[familyop]

"Something must be done, and done soon, but I believe it will not employ nuclear weapons on our part. I'm expecting North Korea to initiate the conflict with an artillery barrage into South Korea."

Whether or not something non-nuclear is done about it very hastily with weapons and tactics from the 1950s (common foundation of anti-defense arguments), the near future is going to be interesting. Anti-defense, pro-enemy activists will have to start protesting in their decreasing dignity against the millions of robots on the ground, in the air and in the oceans.

Robo-Soldier to Patrol South Korean Border
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1714462/posts

But in the meantime, our military forces have many other relatively new toys to burn-up very large numbers of enemy troops and equipment in the field very efficiently. ;-)

[Joe Boucher]

fire a nuke armed missle at what? Their range would hit what, the Allutions? And then their whole country would be melted.

[lula]

Go ahead and fire one, you little creep. You will be turned to silicon....I hear there is a shortage, we could sure use it!!!!!

[Mister Da]

"We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes," .

Our spokesman should have replied, "Unfortunate incidences happen with the US, too, only they usually involve multiple launches of MIRV tipped missiles. For your safety in these VERY DANGEROUS times, I suggest you live in a very deep cave".

These thugs are bluffing - big time, & we should call their bluff at every opportunity. Keep increasing the pressure on them until they implode economically & politically.