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Posted on 04/09/2013 9:16:31 AM PDT by servo1969
The top U.S. military commander in the Pacific on Tuesday defended the decision to delay a key missile test, saying the U.S. has already demonstrated its capabilities to North Korea and suggesting there's no need to further inflame tensions with an "unpredictable" leader.
Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, stressed that the U.S. has a "credible ability" to intercept any missile launch from North Korea -- as the regime reportedly prepares for a launch as early as Wednesday.
But Locklear voiced concern that North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un is "more unpredictable" than his late father Kim Jong Il. "His father and his grandfather always figured into their provocation cycle an off-ramp of how to get out of it," he said. "And it's not clear to me he has thought through how to get out of it."
Locklear was questioned earlier Tuesday on the delay of an intercontinental ballistic missile test by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., at a Capitol Hill hearing. Levin said he was "puzzled" by the move to put off the long-scheduled test. The decision to do so was confirmed over the weekend by military officials.
Locklear, though, stressed that the U.S. has already amply demonstrated its military capabilities to its allies in the region and suggested another test could make things worse.
"I do agree with the decision," Locklear said at Tuesday's hearing on Capitol Hill. "We have demonstrated to the people of the region. We've demonstrated hopefully to the leadership of North Korea. We've demonstrated to our own people back here our ability and our willingness to defend our nation, and to defend our forward-deployed forces."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
We just changed our schedule because we don't want to upset Kim Jong Un.
That's called 'blinking' in my book.
North Korea isn't the only nation ruled by man-children.
The limp-wristed pussy in the White House wouldn’t want any of his international socialist pals to think he’s gone all jingoistic.
Yup! Ronald’s SDI was sure a stupid idea huh? Dumb asses.
Expect the 479 S Korean managers to be “expelled” tomorrow. The 4 Chinese managers will stay on with maintenance crews for the annual spring cleanup.
The 53,000 NK workers and their 100,000 family members will be quite busy doing spring planting.
The SK workers posed a major security risk for the NK Second Army Corps.
Sat photos show that all four army corps reserves mobilized for combat exercises over the past few months have turned in their weapons to their local Ministry of People’s Safety on 1, April and went back to work gathering fertilizer for spring planting.
Worker and Peasant Red Guards have to grow their own food. Sat photos show they did not carry weapons and backpacks in the fields or in the streets after 1, April as they are required when mobilized about 1, February. Now they are all carrying shovels and hoes.
When mobilized, the Guards relocate to caves and tunnels in the mountains, and now they have gone back to garrison.
Remember, the DPRK are absolute experts at incitement and propaganda. The S Koreans often deliver translations of NK statements that are not accurate.
NK statements always have a backdoor way out that lets them walk backward from hardline statements. That rarely comes through the SK translations.
Posters about self defense have been replaced with posters about the economy.
The question is which will encourage the bully further. Acquiescing to him or ignoring him?
We have given him a big moral victory by first going on alert and then backing down. All that is left is for Kerry to go bow down to him and offer a tribute of money and food.
Another way to look at it is... Test targets are expensive. If the NKs will be providing one or two in the near future for us, we can save ourselves some coin. Also an unscripted operational test would silence a bunch of naysayers. So yeah, let’s hold that test shot - for now. Ok NK, try it...
Here is the 250,000 dollar question. (it is really 64,000 but had to add tax)
What happens if Kim launches a nuke and we shoot it out of the sky? Do we then get a free shot at the Norks?
With hussein at the helm, NK could look forward to a sternly worded note. Maybe.
Funny thing is U.S. just stated they will not shoot down a North Korean missile unless it will land on U.S. territory. How will they know when to shoot?
KMS32 passing over Northeast U.S minutes.
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