Posted on 09/07/2017 7:05:17 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
North Korea May Fire Another ICBM This Weekend, South Warns
by STELLA KIM and ALEXANDER SMITH
SEOUL, South Korea — Less than one week after North Korea appeared to carry out its sixth nuclear test, South Korea warned Thursday that its neighbor may fire an intercontinental ballistic missile this weekend.
South Korea's prime minister, Lee Nak-yon, suggested that Kim Jong Un, the North's leader, could order a launch on Saturday, the 64th anniversary of the totalitarian regime's founding.
"There is speculation that there could be an additional provocation of firing an ICBM at a normal angle on [Sept.] 9," Lee said
If this proves true, Lee's reference to the "normal angle" could dictate what happens next.
During North Korea's first successful ICBM test in May, it fired the rocket at a "lofted" angle, which meant it traveled to an immense altitude but descended a relatively short distance away.
When it tested its second ICBM last month, however, it launched the missile in a way much more consistent with an actual attack, lower and farther so it flew over Japan.
This type of "normal" trajectory could take a missile close to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. There was no suggestion that Guam was the target for Saturday's speculated launch, but North Korea has threatened to test-fire missiles toward the island before, and such a move would be seen as a serious escalation.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Obviously we don’t know what discussions/negotiations are occurring behind the scenes, but I would hope that it is being made clear to the Chinese that this is entirely unacceptable to us, and that if North Korea continues down this path we will have no choice but to ensure nuclear armament of Japan and South Korea. Do it privately, to allow fat Kim to save face, but make it clear to him and China that there is no scenario in which he survives in power while he continues down this path.
I’m sure China is beyond tired of Fat Boy. Probably more than the rest of the world.
This has ceased to be politics for anyone. At this point it’s like a bunch of adults playing Monopoly with a three-year-old constantly trying to overturn the board.
In other words, Fat Boy won’t be missed. By anybody.
Why Guam. Why not 300 nautical southwest of LA. “Show America what he really can do!”
I don’t know about that.
There are a WHOLE LOT of people who bought 100% into the “export every American job to China, and re-import the products” mess we are in.
A lot. In both governments. Sure China is all for that, but both parties IN AMERICA have also been 100% in “sell out American industry to China” mode for the last 25 years.
Now we are seeing, that has real risks.
Yet, we are still, sitting here, buying ever more of the stuff we buy and use every day...
FROM CHINA.
I am not at all sure, that China is opposed to this.
It takes America’s concentration, off the ridiculously large trade deficit which America currently has vs China.
What does Vegas have on fat boy tipping Guam when Irma hits Disneyland? Seriously, the guy knows the US doesn’t have time for his foolishness right now so now’s the perfect time to pull out all the stops.
On the Ninth of the Nine
From the Skye will come the Great King of Terror
Oops.
Sorry, I meant to respond to the post beneath yours.
Excuse me.
yes, n korea is probably going to do something crazy during hurricane landfall.
You know Trump wasn’t in N Dakota yesterday just for a tax speech... think of all the silos.
Very phropehtic times.
Welcome to FR.
Now, calm down.
NK and Iran show why we need to keep a two wars defense policy in place.
If your “LA” is L.A. CA, it would fall in the Pacific.
If your “LA” is Louisana, it would be in South Texas.
>It’s a very uniform nation with uniform leaders
well, the inflatable uniform caps are quite impressive.
Guam doesn’t make sense as a target unless Kim thinks he can defeat South Korea on the ground — which ain’t happening.
LA, as in La La Land, where 300 SW would be in international waters.
Actually, SK is a rather easy target for NK. A few years ago, the brief was 4-6 days, even without using Slime.
US defense and reinforcement plan, without Nuc, is non-operational. US forces there are simply a tripwire.
Kim’s problem is not taking SK. It’s what to do with it once he did, so he never will. He wants nucs and delivery system so world will give him more bribes not to fire them, as US did for decades.
yrs ago the chins did a Lot of bragging about weather mod....they havent been bragging now for about 6-7 yrs?.....
I think Kim might get into Seoul, but that’s about it. The momentum peters out after that. He has no fuel reserves and an army he probably canot resupply.
One analysis I read 15-years ago suggested he might try to seize a chunk of SK territory in the mountainous area to the East of Seoul and hold it as a bargaining chip. Might be possible, but what would he trade it for?
Well, maybe.
But it would probably only be "world" in the sense that the entire nuclear "world" would be firing back at Kimchee-breath.
A few notes:
Kim has a huge army. They sit alert in bunkers 24/365. If someone pushes The Big Red Button in Pyongyang, front line units are out of their bunkers and in the wire in 90 seconds. All their offensive elements, Armor, Arty, Engineers, SF, are already stationed forward.
They are an Asian Shock Army. No mess units, medical, repair, etc. Soldiers carry all their own food for 5-6 days. Holding territory is not their thing. Attack or die.
The only way we could stop them is nuc, and every prior POTUS would not do that.... but Trump might.
Kim’s big problem is what you pointed out. What does he do with it if he takes SK. All industry, supply, transport, imports and banking would instantly collapse and then Kim has another 51 million people to feed, with no assets to do so.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.