Posted on 11/03/2006 2:24:37 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
US speeds up North Korea attack plan
November 3, 2006 - 6:59AM
The Pentagon has stepped up contingency planning for attacks on North Korea's nuclear program, reports say.
Citing defence officials who asked not to be identified, the reports said the planning included programs for striking a plutonium-reprocessing facility at Yongbyon with commando raids or precision-guided missiles.
The planning, which has been under way several months, means only that US military forces would be ready if President George W Bush were to order attacks, the newspaper said.
Defence officials said China's condemnation of North Korea's nuclear test and Beijing's support for United Nations sanctions were a key factor in the Bush administration's decision to speed up its planning, The Washington Times reported.
The administration regards the new level of Chinese support as a "green light" for more aggressive military planning, the report said.
A Pentagon official was quoted as saying that the Defence Department was considering "various military options" for removing North Korea's nuclear program.
The Bush administration recently affirmed its commitment to both South Korea and Japan that it would use nuclear weapons to deter North Korea, another senior defence official told the newspaper.
"We will resort to whatever force levels we need to have to defend the Republic of Korea. The nuclear deterrence is in place," the official said.
Ping!
Head fake...plans are nearing ready to blast Iran, actually.
Yawn.
Ah yes...the ol' "reports say" and "defence officials who asked not to be identified". More top notch reporting from our fiction writers in the MSM.
Fumble by John Kerry, and fumble return by Pubbies, followed by a head fake to N. Korea?:-)
It's sad, but if we do lose, the GOP has no one to blame but itself for not consolidating it's base by actually performing what we elected them for. The rats will be worse, however. They can't run America when they hate it the way that they do.
All I can do is vote, but if they win, I suspect that America will see enough in the two years of their behavior to the next election cycle that they won't benefit from it.
In the mean time I plan to vote straight R's and against all liberal judges. It's my civic duty and..."for the children".
Looks like you are right. Here's why:
Exclusive to DEBKAfile’s military sources: US aircraft carriers USS Eisenhower and USS Enterprise in the Red Sea off the Saudi Arabian coast
November 1, 2006, 8:29 AM (GMT+02:00)
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, and its accompanying carrier strike group, passed through the Suez Canal on Monday, Oct. 30, and arrived in the Red Sea on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the USS Eisenhower is at sea off the Saudi Arabian coast, together with another aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise. The presence of the two US aircraft carriers, and their accompanying strike groups, in a body of water as small as the Red Sea is an extraordinary development.
So far there have been no indications that the USS Eisenhower arrived to replace the USS Enterprise.
US Intelligence director John Negroponte also is in the region. He was in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and in Cairo on Tuesday, and is due to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
With the arrival of the USS Eisenhower in the region, there are now three US aircraft carriers in the Persion Gulf and surrounding waters, including the USS Iwo Jima. Accompanying the USS Eisenhower are the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio, the guided-missile destroyers USS Rampage and USS Mason and the nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS Newport.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that a fourth US aircraft carrier, the USS Boxer, will arrive on the scene by the beginning of next week, together with its carrier strike group. The USS Boxer is currently taking part in joint US-Indian naval maneuvers, dubbed Malabar ’06, which include the landing of marines on beaches.
http://debka.com/headline.php?hid=3452
Fricken awesum!
Let's hope that Kerry did enough damage to keep the balance to our favor.:-)
I think it's more indicative of the conservative mindset than any poll. I usually hang up on pollsters anyways. Gallup called me up once and the guy said "You don't want to get polled?!?" like he was really surprised before I hung up. I don't think the polls are representative of the turnout and potential blowout the conservatives will potentially shock the hell out of the rats with come Wednesday.
An obvious leak for political purposes and it seems to be working
Do you really think it would end there?
That would be the USS Ramage (DDG-61). It'd be nice if they proof-read their article.
Nope. That is why I asked. Obviously, if there is such a plan, I suspect it is bigger than surgical strike of NK nuke facilities.
However, media report keeps giving me the impression that it is the whole plan.
If the U.S. were to conduct a strike on N. Korea, I would assume that it will be sufficient to take out any threat to S. Korea.. ( i.e., terminate all military installations.. )
S. Korea will be upset enough about a military strike without the addition of S. Korean casualties.. ( which honestly, may be unavoidable.. )
I don't think the same can be said about "collateral" damage in N. Korea.. It will be high, or very high, and cannot be helped..
I guess the real question is, will we be able to keep those casualties low, by taking out anything able to retaliate??
That would require taking out all artillery, armor, and missile emplacements with the capability of reaching into S. Korea..
That's a mighty big task, even without the additional task of taking out the additional target of the nuclear facilities.. ( which, out of necessity, would become a secondary target.. )
As noted in another post here, Iran seems to be posturing rather heavily right now, and the U.S. is replying with it's own naval show of force..
So, a great deal of attention is on Iran, and, out of necessity, Iraq.. ( Likewise, recent Taliban activity in Afghanistan / Pakistan border areas.. Coincidence, or Coordination?? )
It would seem that N. Korea is "safe" for the moment, but one must remember we have a pretty self-sufficient Air Force..
A strictly air-based attack on N. Korea could take out the targets I mentioned, possibly without the need for any nuclear weapons being involved in the operation..
There would be plenty of stray radiation from the nuclear plants as it is, I doubt that even tactical nukes would be used except in the most extreme of circumstances..
I doubt whether the U.S. will get involved in any ground forces activities.. Other than defensive operations within S. Korea itself..
Any "occupation" of N. Korea, or "unification" strategies, will be left to the devices of S. Korea to implement..
The U.S. will probably provide humanitarian relief, and large monetary grants for the expenses of re-unification, re-education, small business loans, medicine, infrastructure, etc...
Much of this financial relief will be to mollify both S. Korea and China, who are concerned about the economic backlash from a N. Korean defeat or collapse of government / society..
Routine attention-getter. What would be scary (to NK) would be a sudden announcement of a 'long-planned, routine' training exercise in the Sea of Japan.
Can someone tell me something about "The Age" as a news source? I'm not familiar with it. What is its agenda, if any, and how is its record for accuracy?
Well, what I know is that Washington Times carried almost the same story.
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