Posted on 12/19/2010 4:31:39 PM PST by gandalftb
North Korea has deployed multiple rocket launchers along the shore north of Yeonpyeong, Baeknyeong and Gangwha islands in response to a planned South Korean artillery drill on Yeonpyeong, government sources here say. The North earlier threatened an "unpredicted self-defense counterattack" to the drills.
A South Korean government source said, "After making the threat in a message sent Friday, North Korea raised the alert level at artillery divisions on the west coast and deployed the multiple rocket launchers."
The North also reportedly made coastal artillery ready to fire and put some fighter jets on the west coast on standby.
(Excerpt) Read more at english.chosun.com ...
The ROK says they'll start the live fire drill in about an hour until the afternoon.
Yep. Here we go.
Don’t worry, our ex gov bill richardson is on the job. No doubt doling out millions of dollars just like bill clinton did.
About 20 reporters are on the island and all but 100 of the 1,300 residents have been evacuated.
Richardson is urging the NK to allow the drill, he knows it's almost certainly going to happen.
Sen. McCain is in Seoul now.
Bottom line, the SK government has signed off on the drill, it's going to happen. NK says they will fire on the island if SK has the drill.
All parties are fully mobilized and ready. At this point I don't see how war can be avoided if NK doesn't blink or find an extremely creative way to save face.
Damn, good thing we’ve got cross dressers in the military now. I bet the NORKS are really scared.
The only way it gets out of hand is if SK goes too far. I am sure there are acceptable loss numbers on both sides before a real war breaks out.
Residents of other S Korean islands now being told to enter bunkers too. Looks serious.
SK may still call off the drill if it looks like NK is preparing to attack.
So, what are we hoping for here? Do we want this to be a non-event, or do we want to see the South Koreans hand the Norks a well-deserved punch in the nose?
bad administration for this to come to a head.
and Ronery boy knows it.
They couldn't because of the precedent that SK would have created for themselves. If SK did another live fire at some later date it would then show them as aggressors on NK rather than defenders of their own territory.
Essentially, SK would give up their sovereignty over the sea lanes and islands.
There is a legal precedent that NK is waiting to lay on the UN: Both NK and SK formally agreed many years ago to honor a 12 mile maritime limit as their territorial right. Yeongphang island is 7 miles from NK.
The UN has never signed off on the islands as belonging to SK. Gen. Mark Clark at the time ordered SK to continue to occupy the islands.
If SK gives up their right to military control over their own supposed waters, NK will ask the UN to give the islands back. Legally, NK is in a good position here. There is a method to their madness.
Never fear. Commander Obama is on the job and up to the 3:00 am call (just has to clear a few cobwebs and shake off the homo ankle clingers).
If SK calls off the drill, won’t that embolden the North even more?
This is a terrifying situation. Prayers all around.
Richardson was warned yesterday by NK that the airspace over NK would likely be closed and advised him to leave.
Thats the problem. If SK feels they cannot hold drills on their own islands anymore then its a huge victory for the north and starts a dangerous precedent.
Yes, SK de facto cedes sovereignty of the sea lanes and islands to NK, if SK calls off the drill because of NK pressure.
With any luck they’ll keep him!!
Quoting military source, SK media now reports many of those deployed rocket launchers are actually decoys, and real ones will show up somewhere else.
Nope, too late for that, it will be all out war. Reunification is the #1 priority by SK. After 50 dead this year, SK knows it cannot happen peacefully. So their attitude is to fight now while you have the moral high ground.
They need about 35 minutes to drive out, set up, and fire.
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