Posted on 04/11/2017 5:31:23 AM PDT by blam
With the USS Carl Vinson carrier group steaming toward the Korean peninsula for what some speculate may be to launch a "decapitation" strike on the Kim Jong-Un regime, on Tuesday North Korean state media threatened the US with a nuclear attack at any sign of a U.S. pre-emptive strike, and warned it is ready for "war" as Washington tightened the screws on the nuclear-armed state.
USS Carl Vinson carrier group
North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said the country was prepared to respond to any aggression by the United States. "Our revolutionary strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear sight focused on the U.S. invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the Pacific operation theatre but also in the U.S. mainland," it said.
The North's foreign ministry, in a statement carried by its KCNA news agency, said the U.S. navy strike group's approach showed America's "reckless moves for invading had reached a serious phase".
"We never beg for peace but we will take the toughest counteraction against the provocateurs in order to defend ourselves by powerful force of arms and keep to the road chosen by ourselves," an unidentified ministry spokesman said.
Tensions escalated sharply over the past week on the Korean peninsula with talk of imminent military action by the United States gaining traction following its strikes last week against Syria and amid concerns the reclusive North may soon conduct a sixth nuclear test.
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(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
“and you believe we don’t track shipping?”
I know for a fact that we don’t track shipping in the way you seem to be saying. Every day ships arrive, and we have no idea what they’re carrying.
Do you think that when the Navy sees a cargo ship on the high seas they pull her over and inspect her cargo?
Unless they were seen loading a nuke on a cargo ship, that ship could sail unmolested to the vicinity of any of our ports. Once they were in the vicinity, they could increase speed and be inside the harbor before any of our people could react.
There would be no need to tie up and unload the nuke.
“You think an unknown ship would be allowed to get close to our shores. They are all identified long before getting close to our shores.”
I don’t think you understand how big the ocean is.
The proposition that “all” ships are identified before they get close to our shores I find unlikely.
While the ocean is huge, the whole thing does not have to be watched. We have satellits which are monitoring NK so any ships entering and leaving NK ports would be well monitored.
“even the Indians were able to slaughter one of our armies not all that long before”
Even the Indians?
Even the Indians.
I guess because it doesn’t fit in with the left’s “red man good—white man bad” narrative, you don’t hear much any more about the vast superiority of the Indian warrior to the white warrior.
Back then, whites were frigging *terrified* of Indians, with good reason.
Even a hundred years later, before the Civil War, a half dozen Comanche could attack a column of US Army cavalry and lay waste to them.
A stone age band of warriors should not be able to defeat a disciplined capably led modern army.
As to the Apaches they had to concede no matter the wins here and there.
They were excellent guerrilla warriors but not up to an army with a terrific leader such as Mad Anthony Wayne who destroyed their power in that part of the nation once and for all.
Of course, whites feared them, they lived isolated and their families were easily killed.
“We have satellites which are monitoring NK so any ships entering and leaving NK ports would be well monitored.”
I have no knowledge of what our satellites are monitoring, but I’m pretty sure that information would be classified.
I am skeptical of the proposition that we monitor all NORK shipping from port of departure until arrival at their destination.
It doesn’t seem unlikely that surveillance has been temporarily increased at this point in time, but that would be a response to increased tension.
It isn’t as if there were many ships entering and especially leaving NK port.
We have, after all, been at war with the North for 66 years.
“A stone age band of warriors should not be able to defeat a disciplined capably led modern army.”
Well, they did, repeatedly.
The Apache, too, although I mentioned the Comanche.
Read up on it. It’s fascinating.
“We have, after all, been at war with the North for 66 years.”
Only on paper, for the most part.
Meanwhile China and South Korea are meeting and appear to be developing a useful joint decision.
There are drones and blimps watching port vicinities from above. Once a ship or snub gets in close, we can see pretty deep if the water is fairly still.
“There are drones and blimps watching port vicinities from above.”
All the time? Whose drones and blimps are they? Who monitors in heavy weather?
These are questions I don’t know. I’ve seen the blimps which seem to be contracted out but they are not omnipresent. The drones are harder to see.
Of course, but my point was, any of those countries (and others but those are the power players in the region) are potential targets for fallout and none of them want anything to do with that.
I share your concerns, but also see benefits.
Tough balance to be sure.
I doubt the American publics will to get into a shooting war with North Korea that could potentially lead to a lot of dead in South Korea including US Service personnel.
It would likely be short but could be pretty ugly.
You just proved you know nothing for a fact.
If you don’t think we track every ship in an out of NK you’re nuts.
We don’t need to inspect the cargo, just ensure they don’t dock here.
“If you don’t think we track every ship in an out of NK you’re nuts.”
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Where did you get the information that we can put a pin in the map for the location of every NORK ship every hour of every day?
“We don’t need to inspect the cargo, just ensure they don’t dock here.”
They wouldn’t need to dock, just steam under the Golden Gate at 20 knots and push the button. The way you talk makes me wonder if you’ve ever been on a ship, whether Navy or merchant marine.
Ever hear of the international law principle of “freedom of the seas?” We have no standing to interfere with the NORK’s freedom to navigate where they will, outside of our territorial waters.
It is hardly difficult for an inconspicuous civilian ship to get within 12 miles of our coast. It is very unlikely that anyone would be watching. If that ship then made a high-speed run for New York harbor, nobody would be watching, and even if there were Navy assets in the area, they’d never get permission to fire before the ship was close enough to detonate its weapon.
I really don’t get why you think this would be so difficult.
To prevent this, we would have to have assets in place, locked and loaded, ready to sink any vessel that refused to answer up on Channel 13.
Do you really think the State Department is going to allow the Navy to put Harpoons in a civilian vessel just because it’s not answering up? Especially if that ship is squawking IFF for, say, a Japanese ship? Especially if it has “Whoopteedoo Maru” painted on the side?
And what if it does answer up? How many Americans can tell the difference between a Korean accent and a Japanese accent? “Oh, yes, this is the Whoopteedoo Maru, headed for the Oakland Army Pier with a load of klystrons.”
From the time a ship began to look suspicious until the time it was close enough to inflict grievous harm would be a matter of minutes.
You’re not cleared for my sources, but we’ve been doing it for over 20 years.
I’m retired now.
If you’re tracking NK ships you don’t wait for them to land on your doorstep.
Go back to your dime novels.
Better yet, read this:
Deep Black: Space Espionage and National Security
November 1, 1988
William E. Burrows
only $1.55 on Amazon
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