Posted on 06/03/2009 10:41:14 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Fears mount that North Korea is preparing to attack the South
Richard Lloyd Parry on the Northern Limit Line, Yellow Sea
It was obvious that something was up when the Chinese scarpered. One day there were scores of their fishing boats hoovering up the valuable crabs from the richest of the fishing grounds in the Yellow Sea.
Overnight all but a handful were gone.
Anywhere else the locals would have been glad to have the crabs to themselves but this is no ordinary fishing ground. A few yards from here is the maritime boundary between South and North Korea. The Chinese fish here because the North Koreans allow them, a coastguard official said. If theyve gone its because theyve had some kind of warning.
An imminent missile launch into the sea? An armed incursion of North Korean ships? A full-scale invasion of Yeonpyeong, the small South Korean island hard up against the maritime boundary? Too much blood has already been shed in these waters for anyone to risk taking any chances, and for the past week South Korea has been dispatching reinforcements.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
China will try to defacto puppet regime in Pyongyang, and pressure other countries to accept the deal. This would make S. Koreans really unhappy. However, erstwhile pinkos, who railed against U.S. Imperialism on Korean Peninsula and so big on nationalism and Korea's victimhood under American 'boot,' would embrace it as a 'reasonable and practical solution.' They would never have been reasonable to Americans but things would be different with China. Selling out nationalism and victimhood for pro-Chicom stance. Anti-Americanism at all costs, which could erode their support among general population.
China, after installing a puppet regime, would go about buying off N. Korean population with more food and better economy. They will try to gain access to key strategic locations(ports along E. Sea (Sea of Japan).)
Security hawk will prevail in Japan now that China advances into Korean Peninsula. They will seriously rearm and could go nuclear, which would worry China. Concern for S. Korea and Japan going nuclear would be a great mitigating factor for China's design for N. Korea.
If N. Korea would fall under China, even through a puppet regime, S. Korea and Japan would less rely on U.S. Japan could try to take S. Korea under its wing, which would be resisted by S. Koreans. This will give more motivation for S. Korea to go nuclear than Japan.
Russia would try to join the fray, dangling its natural gas and oil supply from Siberia and Sakhalin as a carrot. They have wanted a trans-Siberian shipping route from Japan, S. Korea to Europe. They want to increase their influence on Korean Peninsula this way.
All this hinges on the assumption that N. Korea can be taken over with no serious troubles. However, succession struggles degenerate into open confrontation, military confrontations between factions, or even further different faction chose different outside backer. That is, one faction gets China's support, another get S. Korea and U.S.. Then things get messy. Even if somebody takes over government, but government cannot function and chaos continues on the ground(no effective government control,) drastically different situation could emerge. It will get messy for all parties involved.
Has BO called on South Korea to give up something yet?
ouch, but thanks.
I’ll have to go over that a few times.
I hope that NK will either be pressured (without payments) to back off, or
If they attack, will be squashed quickly due to a lack of enthusiasm by its troops. (troops unfed, don’t hold allegiance for long)
Odd, neither of us mentioned the UN.
again, ty
China does not want NK. It's a liability. Why would China want another 25 million underfed and unhappy folk? They're trying their best to keep growing and lower those figures for their own countrymen. China's only interest in NK would be SK... or if, in the aftermath of some joint military venture into Korea, the victors have a lot of assets and aid to help make NK viable and worth annexing.
My jaw dropped when I saw the title. Perhaps Kim’s mind has completely gone over the cliff.
Any faction, supported by any country (outside of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran) will hear the same message: "unite your country, get rid of nukes, get richer." In other words, isolationist factions will have no foreign support, whereas progressive factions will get lots. Currently NK's biggest problem is that it has no factions, no debate, no doubt - the dictator makes all decisions no matter what.
From what I have read the NK army is @ 1.3 million strong and a well armed and trained force.
From what I have seen the ROK army is a force you don’t want to f**k with.
1. Muslim nations
2. African tyrants
3. Latin American dictators
4. European socialists
5. Asian nations
6. Other democracies
7. The U.S.
Asia is not high on his list.
There may be many more Mr Shins in the days to come.
In Iraq large segments of the military just went home when the war began. How do you assess the desire to fight in the NK military?
They spend more time not to die of starvation than military training. Many are not physically fit for routine military tasks.
Looks like it
yitbos
Can’t a guy eat his waffle?
Don’t knock tofu - it’s good for you .
i’m not knockin’ fresh tofu- Zimmern had to eat “rusty(months old) tofu”.
This was the attitude of most South Korean adults when I was in Korea back in late '60s and early '70s.
i’m more of a bebimbop kinda’ girl... sighing for Korean b-b-que,too.....so yummy!
When I arrived in Seoul it was 28 degrees below zero and the wind was about 40 miles per hour.
The day I left it was 15 degrees below zero and while there in the summer it felt like 100 with no wind or just about like Columbia S.C.
Folks there were a kind as can be and the country side (outside the cities) was beautiful.
Also, spring in full bloom in Vt.?
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