(Urgent) N.Korea's Bold Move To Produce (6) Nukes Highlighted Today on S. Korean TV (Link to Video)

YTN TV, Seoul, Korea (w/video link) ^ | 31 January 2003 | YTN TV, Seoul, Korea (w/video link)

[AmericanInTokyo]

YTN-TV, one of the major South Korean TV networks (and all South Korean TV stations tonight, along with South Korean daily press on the web) have done urgent, top stories on the The New York Times report today that indicate United States intelligence espionage satellites have picked up the movement of many North Korean trucks at Yongbyon, North Korea (nuclear processing facility) pointing to the removal and transfer (to where? for what purpose?) of nearly 8,000 nuclear fuel rods for possible plutonium reprocessing in an effort to produce up to nearly SIX nuclear weapons. The other intent discussed is an attempt by North Korea to hide these materials. It is said this activity has suddenly escalated in the month of January.

This dangerous situation can be viewed, in the Korean language (but Freepers/Lurkers, you don't need Korean language 'hangul' fonts installed to easily find the streaming video links), at the following page here!

Further, in addition to finding the video stream links there, here is the video link if you would like, or otherwise go to the report and hit your desired stream, be it 56K or 200K (we used Windows Media format).

56K:

200K:

Caveat: These 2 links may or may not work, in which case, just go to the "here!" above and try to link from there. Good luck.

[McGruff]

A poster image of missiles attacking the
U.S. Capitol building hangs on a wall of
a shoe factory in Sinuiju, in North Korea,
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2002.

The Korean characters read ''If someone
starts an invasion war, we will crush the
U.S. bastards first.'' (AP Photo/str)

[Darksheare]

I agree. PyongYank is being just too darn 'attention grabbing' to be NOT doing something and NOT have had anything to do with 9/11.
The vitriolic rhetoric from PyongYank went through the roof shortly after Bush's post 9/11 speach. It was as if they felt he was speaking to them.

It seems that they feel unloved and REALLY want our attention.

[Lion's Cub]

The vitriolic rhetoric from PyongYank went through the roof shortly after Bush's post 9/11 speach. It was as if they felt he was speaking to them.

Actually, I think that is the point of their behavior. They've made a lot of money selling everything they could get their hands on to the various terrorist states and organizations--including Iraq and al-Q. That puts them on the list of governments to be dismantled. They know it. They are scrambling to defend themselves because they know that their time is short.

[dark_lord]

How about this scenario? The Chinese would really like to take Taiwan. But how? Well, with the US tied up in Iraq, the Chinese quietly tell "Great Leader" that now is the time to roll over the DMZ and take S. Korea. The Chinese tell him they will "fix it" with the security council of the UN to focus on negotiations.

But really, they plan to stab him in the back and will encourage the UN to use force to roll him out of S. Korea. So the UN (with the US again as the lead) commits to get N. Korea out of S. Korea. That commits the US totally (our 2 front war.)

Once we (the US) are totally committed in occupying Iraq and dislodging the N. Koreans from S. Korea - China makes its move and loads its PLA into everything that floats and invades Taiwan. We, of course, stamp our foot and legislate that they can no longer import toys and gym shoes. Which, from their perspective, will be a fair trade.

Comments?

[Stefan Stackhouse]

Maybe our approach should simply be this:

Tell NK: "OK, you guys want to be in the nuclear club, then welcome aboard! Now here's the deal -- since you have gone nuclear, we are now prepared to deter your ever using your nukes by also being prepared to utterly obliterate you if you DO use them. We have now retargeted a significant number of our nuclear missiles on North Korea -- enough to effectively "carpet bomb" your entire country from the Yalu to Panmunjom. These missiles are all on the ready, and can and will be launched on warning. And if you use your nukes -- or even make a credible threat that you do intend to use them -- we won't wait around to get a UN resolution first!"

"Oh, and by the way. . . If we do believe that a credible threat exists and go ahead and take you out, mistaken though we might be, it will come down after the fact to your word against ours -- and YOU won't be around to give your side of the story."

"For you see, even though the US has all of these powerful nuclear weapons, we have been deterred from using them against countries that didn't have them, because it just didn't look good. And of course, we have been deterred from using them against countries like Russia and China because these are big countries in the big leagues, and could retaliate. But pipsqueak countries like yours that are foolish enough to acquire some nukes, but are too limited in your capabilities to ever mount a real deterrant threat against us -- you have chosen the worst of all possible worlds. Sort of like challenging an expert marksman to a duel, and coming with a pea shooter."

[Darksheare]

Like I said, they REALLY want our full and undivided attention.
Maybe we should give it to them, after we've flattened Saddam.

[Check6]

That's right Eternal_Bear: as my lovely wife says about the mid-east, so goes it in Asia: "They're all in cahoots".

[Man of the Right]

Bush and Powell have decided to tolerate the North Korean nuclear arsenal regardless of its size. Bush's policy is no concessions. If the South Koreans want to grovel, fine. North Korea's has two choices: compete for Weight Watchers Slimmer of the Year, or attack, which is a synonym for to commit suicide. If they attack, the 2nd Infantry Division is toast, but we will obliterate North Korea.

[Man of the Right]

They are tone deaf to actual Administration policy, which is toleration of the nuclear stockpile, but no concessions and no transfer. Transfer is the casus belli, not building nuclear weapons.

[Man of the Right]

No, they're like the Germans and French playing the only card they have: blackmail. Won't work.

[Man of the Right]

Pulling the troops out would save the individuals serving in the 2nd infantry division but it would further destabilize the peninsula. Over the long run, the troops will go. China will do nothing, ever. North Korea is no threat to them. Their only issue with North Korea is the starving wetbacks entering China.

[Man of the Right]

The media are in the entertainment business. They never report on the developments that prove to be most important. They lack the energy and knowledge.

[LibWhacker]

Thanks to that traitorous pair of turds, Bill and Hillary Clinton, the North Koreans have become accustomed to blackmailing America into bail out the regime anytime it feels it's going broke. They will not give that safety net up without a fight. Very dangerous.

I believe there can be no doubt China will try to take advantage of the situation and seize Taiwan if the Korean Pennisula flares up while we are fighting Iraq. Therefore, IMO, Dubya should deal with Iraq, N. Korea, Syria, Iran, France -- and anyone else who is feeling squirrelly -- almost exclusively with nukes, and save our conventional forces for subduing China.

[Man of the Right]

Read speculation years ago that the Japanese have unassembled nuclear weapons components. I would, if I were them. If so, here's how they get the plutonium.

[Man of the Right]

Quite possible, but unlikely. The Chinese can attack Taiwan, if they want to commit economic suicide. Their prosperity is based on running a strongly favorable trade balance with the U.S. If they're at war with the U.S., they're going to be going to bed hungry again. Nevertheless, I grant they may do this. The Communists are in power in Peking. "Communist" is a synonym for "ignoramus" and "idiot."

For the U.S., a Taiwan invasion would be the most serious international development since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. would change as fundamentally as it did after 9-11. The West Pac would be unrecognizable. Japan and Australia would militarize. Japan would be a major nuclear power. South Korea and Australia would go nuclear as well. Russia and India would be formal U.S. treaty allies. The Philippines, Okinawa, Guam and elsewhere would bristle with U.S. bases. The military budget would go through the roof. There would be an arms race with China, and China would lose as badly as the Soviets did. The Chinese would learn the same lesson Rich Gannon did in the Superbowl: you're not top dog when the big dog is in town.

[Man of the Right]

North Korea has been targeted since 1951. They don't have to tell the North Koreans this. The North Koreans know. That's a major reason they went nuclear.

[spectre]

Could be...

sw

[VetoBill]

Yeah, the the PRC 'fleet' carrying their troops would make very good targets for US subs.

I doubt they could hide a build up, very certain they do not have enough ASW training or equipment to cover a such a target rich environment, making the crossing a very long one indeed.

[dark_lord]

Yeah, the the PRC 'fleet' carrying their troops would make very good targets for US subs.

The problem with that concept is, that our torpedos are really designed for ships, not boats. And the number that the subs carry is actually pretty limited. Its not like WWII subs with a bunch of torpedos. Our fast attacks only carry a couple dozen torpedos and subrocs combined.

But the PRC could load up on fishing trawlers, tugs, and other coastal vessals. In other words, 100 guys on a fishing boat times 3000 fishing boats is only 300,000 troops. But then they turn around and head back to load up the 2nd wave. And the 3rd wave. What are we going to sink the fishing boats with? Notice how our destroyers and cruisers now tend to carry 1 gun each? And chasing them would be a bitch. Not to mention the fact that the Chinese navy, such as it is, would be able to target our ships if our ships were targeting their swarm of coastal fishing boats and trawlers.

Going after them with helos wouldn't be smart, either - they would surely have crew served and shoulder fired anti-aircraft infantry missles.

So while it sounds crazy -- logistically, there isn't much that could stop it. True, to get armor over they would need to transport that in ships, not boats. That we could stop. Of course, once they captured some airfields they could start transfering light armor in cargo aircraft - just like we do. And with our forces committed to Iraq and Korea both (in this scenario) -- we aren't going to be able to do much to stop them. The Taiwanese would be pretty much on their own.

[LenS]

There are several ways to stop them.

1. Simply run them over with ships -- freighters could be used to augment naval forces. Those that aren't rammmed could be swamped.

2. Simply line up field artillery on the beaches and set the shells for airbursts.

3. Dump oil or gasoline in front of them. Once they move into the slick, fire off a flare.

4. Napalm from the air would also be an option.

5. FAE's incinerate large areas. Drop them over large concentrations of boats.

6. Good, old-fashioned strafing from the machine guns on fighter jets.

7. Loan the Taiwanese a few of those modified for ground war SOG transports -- they could fly slowly over the boats and shred them with both artillery and gatlins.

8. If there are troops attempting to float to Taiwan (assuming that currents even allow such a possibility), all of the above would work. But one could simply dump chum into the water and let the sharks deal with them.