Japan Sounds Alarm On "Unprecedented, Critical And Imminent” Threat From North Korea

AP News ^

[JP1201]

CLARK, Philippines (AP) — Japan's defense minister asserted Monday that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities have grown to an "unprecedented, critical and imminent" level, requiring "different responses" to the threat.

The minister, Itsunori Odonera, said that this rising threat compels his country to endorse the U.S. view that "all options" must be considered, which President Donald Trump says includes possible military action. Japan was alarmed by North Korea twice launching missiles over Japanese territory, in August and in September.

Odonera's comments, made through an interpreter, came at the outset of a so-called trilateral meeting in the Philippines with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korea's defense minister, Song Young-moo. Each made statements about North Korea before a group of reporters and news cameras, but none took questions.

[SaveFerris]

Iran might be getting close to that — they want to hit us as well as Israel.

BTW, I am agreeing with you. Iran is already mentioned in Bible Prophecy for the Last Days; we know how that one turns out.

NK is anyone’s guess. I certainly don’t think we’re gonna give them any more Obama cash / basketballs.

[Rapscallion]

China better control what goes on in its theater of operations. If NKOR attacks anybody it will be China’s fault because they failed to control their mad-dog ally.
China better not just let it happen.

[neverevergiveup]

“If they were as suicidal as you seem to think they were, they wouldn’t have remained behind the DMZ for as long as they have. Suicidal regimes don’t tend to hold power for 60 years.”

Suicidal may not, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerously irrational. Cuba has survived as a communist country for almost 60 years, and if you read the declassified documents from the USSR, Castro wrote to Moscow supporting the use of nuclear weapons against the US. Definitely not rational, and lucky for the world there were cooler and more rational heads in the USSR at that point.

[SaveFerris]

BTW, I’m NOT saying Iran can hit us right now — last I saw Europe was well-within reach. I think they’ll save the major punch for their eventual attack on Israel.

[jjsheridan5]

Remind me what other nation is starving it's citizens to develop nuclear weapons ... wake the F up.

Um, you may want to wake up, yourself. I am not talking about "other countries". I am talking about North Korea. They clearly have nuclear capability at this point. They are the ones I was referring to. We have allowed this to happen, and it is now a reality that we have "let a nation like his have the ability to disrupt our society in ways that could cost the lives of tens of millions of our citizens", in your words.

Sorry bud, but you're wrong on a number of counts.

What were the other counts upon which I was wrong?

[DoughtyOne]

I agree with regard to Iran. That’s another anti-U.S. nation that will use nukes if they get them.

[Fresh Wind]

With one EMP attack, the Western United States goes dark.

And within a hour, NK would cease to exist.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree with you.

[Robert357]

I would like to see the Japanese Parliament debate declaring war on North Korea. I would wager that no one in North or South Korea and especially not China wants Japanese Army boots on the ground in that part of the world. Too many horrible memories of what happened the last time Japan’s military invaded mainland Asia.

[DoughtyOne]

Everything you stated.

If you’re wrong, we lose tens of millions of people.

If I am wrong, we end North Korea’s nuclear capability before it is full strength.

Jimmy, is this you?

[DoughtyOne]

Sounds like a trade you’re willing to make.

I’m not.

We end his nuclear capability right now.

Jimmy, is that you?

[jjsheridan5]

Suicidal may not, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerously irrational.

I am not sure I agree with your definition of "irrational". Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union (and his failure to listen to his generals when it bogged down) -- that was "irrational". It was a plan which was borne out of paranoia, not reality, and had no realistic chance of success (therefore, "irrational"). What NK is doing is not irrational, at least if it is, I cannot see where. It is high stakes, to be sure. And dangerous, to be sure. But "irrational" implies a disconnect from reality that I just don't see here. He has played a high stakes game, showing the world that he has nuclear weaponry, and showing the world that he doesn't care about international norms and, in so doing, has increased, not decreased, his overall negotiating position (if not with us, necessarily, then at least with other countries in the region). How does that constitute "irrational"? It sounds more like a plan that either worked, or at least has a chance of working.

I am not trying to be argumentative. I just don't see why people see him as crazy (at least in terms of what he is doing in terms of nuclear weapons), suicidal, and irrational. And I also think it is a very dangerous thing to underestimate, or wrongly evaluate, a potential adversary.

[prophetic]

On another discussion thread few days ago when the mention of bracing for EMP attacks were mentioned, it was hinted that a number of undisclosed power companies are stockpiling parts & transformers in preparation for such contingencies.

I hope they were ordering by the multi Costco Sized warehouses full of parts since we may needs it. Plus its better to have it & dont need it, than to need it and cant ever get any forever! We are literally looking at a "End of the World" scenario if FatBoy gets his way and it would be the biggest irony of history: The Biggest Economy & Military of the World gets taken down by a 4th rate country that cant even provide food for its citizens much less electricity, via a EMP BOMB.

[DoughtyOne]

Starving his populace isn’t the act of a mentally ill individual? Really?

So what would constitute crazy to you? I’m curious?

[SaveFerris]

As I told DO in FReepmail; I still prep when I can.

I still rotate my stock so it’s reasonably-fresh. Used to have a lot of canned pasta when it was cheap (68 cents a can). I like the small cans because you use less; though I found some big cans of beans marked-down at WM. They let me have add’l cans at that price when restocked. I offered to return them immediately to 2 different managers who I informed of their probably price error. They told me not to worry about it. I pointed out another pricing error in the dog food aisle, too.

I probably will never stop prepping, regardless. It’s a habit now.

[SkyPilot]

I think that up to this time, we have assumed that the decision to go to war rests with us. We would be the ones to make that call.

And as history has demonstrated time and time again, that decision may not be ours to make, or in our favored time. It might be forced upon us.

If Japan or another nation takes action, or other circumstances arrived, we may find ourselves in a December 8th, 1941 situation.

The decision by President Trump to allow the US Air Force to recall 1,000 retired pilots was at the request of SECDEF Mattis. The Air Force has said they are not going to request the pilots be recalled just yet - but they have the authority now to legally do so.

This could very well affect me - as I am a retired Air Force pilot. I doubt I would be thrown back into the cockpit, as it would take many months to train me back to that operational level. But rated pilots fill many position, including working at Air Operations Centers and so many other jobs that require you to be an aviator. I can easily foresee the Air Force filling those positions by old men like me so that the young bucks can be sent back to fly the line.

Our strategic nuclear bombers are going back on alert - the first time since 1991.

Our military is making other moves to posture us for war.

Things could get "interesting."

[GoldenPup]

We should help Japan to become a nuclear nation. That would put some pink panties in a wad....er, yellow panties.

[SaveFerris]

Definitely wars and rumors of wars these days.

Lots of rumors of war; mostly centered around Iran and NK, IMHO. And of that, the latter. Though the President has also mentioned Iran, I believe, in the last few weeks. No? Yes?

[jjsheridan5]

Starving his populace isn’t the act of a mentally ill individual? Really?

Depraved, malevolent, evil. All of these things. Certainly, it is not normal behavior. But the problem is that people often confuse this type of psychopathic behavior with "irrational" and "suicidal". The problem is: what if he isn't? What if they actually know what they are doing, but we make poor decisions because we are assuming that they are just behaving irrational and crazy. I don't know what the best way to solve the issue is. I suspect nobody does. What I do know is that sticking our heads in the sand about their capabilities isn't a good first step. I also know that formulating a strategy in response (a strategy which is well thought out), should start by correctly evaluating why they are doing what they are doing, and not just getting all emotional decrying his "craziness". Personally, I don't think it is just craziness driving this, but rather something much more akin to what has driven them for decades.