Nuclear war is Kim Jong-il's game plan

Asia Times ^ | 9/12/09 | Kim Myong Chol

[Kartographer]

A little-noted fact about the second nuclear test conducted on May 25 by the Kim Jong-il administration of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is that it was a highly successful fission trigger test for multi-megaton warheads.

These types of warheads can be detonated in outer space, far above the United States, evaporating its key targets. This is a significant indication of the supreme leader's game plan for

[Wyatt's Torch]

The third possible attack, a high-altitude detonation of hydrogen bombs that would create a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP), would disrupt the communications and electrical infrastructure of the US, the whole of Japan, and South Korea.

Many of the essential systems needed to survive war would be knocked out, as computers are instantly rendered malfunctioning or unusable. Military and communications systems such as radars, antennas, and missiles, government offices, would be put out of use, as would energy sources such as nuclear power stations and transport and communications systems including airports, airplanes, railways, cars and cell phones.

Ironically the ubiquity of high-tech computing gadgets in the US, Japan and South Korea has made them most vulnerable to EMP attacks.

This is my fear. This type of attack would be catastrophic. It would be far better if nuclear bombs were set of in New York and LA because fewer people would die, ultimately. Go read One Second After by William Forstchen. It will scare the hell out of you.

[FreepShop1]

Makes no sense.

[piytar]

Strange article. Seems to adopt the Nork’s langauge of a “rogue” nuclear America, wiping the US and Japan off the map, the Nork’s “economic recovery” in 2012, etc. In other words, it reads like a Nork propaganda piece. I can’t tell if those are quotes or what the article itself is saying.

Regardless, though, this is a scary bad situation that zero is utterly incapable of handling...

[al baby]

Will i still be able to log on to FR if not thats gonna suck

[FreepShop1]

This is my fear. This type of attack would be catastrophic. It would be far better if nuclear bombs were set of in New York and LA because fewer people would die, ultimately.

Absolutely true.

Everyone should Google "Faraday Cage". Go and get yourself a Sat phone and 500 or more minutes, a laptop, regular cell phone, scanner radio and put them insider the cage to protect them from the EMP.

Power would go out--permanently. So imagine what you would need to survive, and keep that somewhere. Gas (can't keep more than 6 mo at a time, so cycle it), guns, ammo, gold coins, etc.

[FreepShop1]

The funny thing of course is that the Amish would be just fine. It’s all us tech-dependent urban/suburban dwellers who will die by the millions if an EMP attack is launched. Get a farm with animals and crops, wood to burn and you’ll be just fine.

[353FMG]

>It will scare the hell out of you.<

.
Speak for yourself. Nothing scares me these days — I put my trust in Osama bin Obama.

Another drink, please.

[toast]

Kim Myong Chol is author of a number of books and papers in Korean, Japanese and English on North Korea, including Kim Jong-il's Strategy for Reunification. He has a PhD from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Academy of Social Sciences and is often called an "unofficial" spokesman of Kim Jong-il and North Korea.

This is North Korean propaganda.

[ctdonath2]

The third possible attack, a high-altitude detonation of hydrogen bombs

Methinks utterly implausible at this stage. NK is having enough trouble (witness the prior "test") building what is the first step for a nuclear power: a simple "slam two hemispheres of U238 together" nuke. There is a big technological step from such a dump-truck-delivery nuke to a compact & efficient ICBM-ready plutonium nuke, from which there is subsequently another big technological step to arranging a dozen of those around a hydrogen core and controlling all the detonations to a precise enough degree to achieve the hydrogren fusion blast.

Someday NK might, maybe, get that far. We'll see a whole lotta tests over a long period of time before they do.

[muawiyah]

The Amish have turned to stylized hitchiking ~ they’d be in as bad a shape as everybody else.

[autumnraine]

Aw shucks, according to China, Kim just wants a little attention!

[Tallguy]

That is my ‘read’ as well. I don’t think that NK’s weapon is deliverable by means of their current generation of ballistic missiles. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t put one on a ship & park it off Japan, however.

[dirtman]

This is North Korean propaganda.

[PGR88]

Note the biography of the author. Asia Times seems to have a lot of writers calling themselves journalists, who are probably paid Gov’t agents, delivering propoganda on behalf of regimes.

Kaveh Afrasiabi who writes on Iran issues for Asia Times I believe is the same.

[razorboy]

Of course if the blast was in such a place that it could hit South Korea and parts of the US (given the size of the Pacific Ocean you just plain can’t hit all of the US and anything on the other side of the Pacific) then it would also hit North Korea, and probably chunks of China and Russia. Now they’re not as high tech but they’d still suffer, and China and Russia would be POed. Admittedly Kim is nuts, but I don’t he’s nuts enough to start a war with him on the other side of the US, Russia AND China.

[Lurker]

An old microwave will work as an expedient Faraday cage so I’ve read.

[dirtman]

This is North Korean propaganda. I agree - it is quite a tall tale. Talking about NK having nuclear capability dating back to the 1980's and up to 300 warheads. And even saying that they have MIRV'd ICBM'S.

[FreepShop1]

An old microwave will work as an expedient Faraday cage so I’ve read. Correct.

[Arthur McGowan]

Fewer worthwhile people, anyway.