US Forces on Alert for Possible Movement Near Korea

Reuters via Yahoo! ^ | Monday, February 3, 2003 | Reuters

[Momaw Nadon]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some U.S. bombers, fighter jets and warships have been alerted for possible deployment to the western Pacific to deter any aggression by North Korea in case of a war in Iraq, U.S. defense officials said on Monday.

The officials told Reuters that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had not issued any final orders to move B-52 bombers, F-16 fighter jets or naval units closer to the tense Korean peninsula, now gripped in a nuclear crisis.

The additional forces have been requested by Adm. Thomas Fargo, based in Hawaii as head of U.S. forces in the Pacific and Asia rim.

"If such forces are moved, it would be done as a precautionary deterrent presence against any North Korean aggression in the event of a war in Iraq," said one of the officials, who asked not to be identified.

Officials stressed the possible deployment did not include any ground forces to join the 37,000 American troops stationed in South Korea.

Officials said that additional F-16 fighter jets could be moved from the United States to bases in Japan and that heavy B-52 or B-1B bombers could be moved to within emergency striking distance of North Korea -- perhaps to Guam.

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, currently in Hawaii, might also be deployed toward the troubled Korean peninsula if the carrier USS Kitty Hawk is ordered to leave the western Pacific and head for the gulf in the event President Bush (news - web sites) decides to launch an invasion of Iraq, officials said.

The defense officials spoke as North Korea said on Monday its troops were at the ready in case of any U.S. "military and political moves" against it as tensions rose over the nuclear crisis on the peninsula.

The U.N. watchdog that oversaw a freeze in the communist state's nuclear program until it was thrown out in December also said it would hold an emergency session on Feb. 12 and was likely to ask the U.N. Security Council to take up the issue.

[Cindy]

"Removal of Rods @ Nuke Plant Touches Off Increase of US Forces Near Korean Peninsula (Developing)" (February 3, 2003)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/835216/posts

[newvista]

Wife was listening to NPR this morning (ugh!!!). Anyway, they had a report that the 2 American-owned schools in Kuwait (don't recall names) were closing down on Feb 16th through end of March (I believe those were the dates); was for "security reasons".
Pretty good indication of our timetable, I think.

[jerseygirl]

same thought here.....

[jerseygirl]

is NK's leader certfiably paranoid and delusional or is his bluster for home consumption...

[Cindy]

***An Informative Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a NEWS.SBS.CO.KR News Article. TOPIC:"REMOVAL OF RODS @ NUKE PLANT TOUCHES OFF INCREASE OF US FORCES NEAR KOREAN PENINSULA (Developing)Removal of Rods @ Nuke Plant Touches Off Increase of US Forces Near Korean Peninsula (Developing)" (February 3, 2003)

NewsMax.com: HOT TOPICS: "NORTH KOREA"

YAHOO! News - Articles - Topic: "NORTH KOREA"

NORTH KOREA DAILY News Online

GLOBAL SECURITY.org: YONGBYON [NYONGBYON]

IAEA.org - INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: Press Releases

[Dog Gone]

He's definitely paranoid, and the bluster is for home consumption. I'm not sure how delusional he is, though.

He's in a box. His country is dying and the question is whether it goes out with a whimper or a bang.

Unfortunately, it looks like bang is far more probable.

[txradioguy]

Well when his daddy got the DPRK into this kid of mess in the 50's he attacked the South. Here's hoping that history doesn't repeat itself.

[caa26]

Does anyone know when the next new moon is? I think its coming up in the next few days. That would be as good as a guess as any for a war start date.

[livius]

War in Iraq within a week.....

I don't think we'll do anything until the Muzzies have finished running around the black rock. This is their annual pilgrimage season, and millions of them are in Mecca right now. I think the Run Around the Rock goes on for a few weeks longer, and it would probably be considered "insensitive" to launch a war during it.

[unspun]

Appears it may be time to suspend the Ford executive order against... well... you know.

[Dog Gone]

Well, we DID launch the assault in Afghanistan during Ramadan, so sensitivity training must have been skipped by this Administration.

Having said that, I don't think we'll be in position to attack before the first week of March, anyway.

[Momaw Nadon]

Attack on Iraq Betting Pool

[Dog Gone]

I agree, although NK is so paranoid that it would be difficult to penetrate it successfully. Any assassination will probably take place with a missile, if it comes to that.

[jerseygirl]

ok, he's paranoid and we start moving more forces into the area...this could serve to confirm his paranoia.....However, if we don't move any more forces-would he think we are weak and it is an opportune time to attack? Especially with most of our focus on Iraq...

[cmsgop]

They have what,.......7 million?

[DoughtyOne]

Precisely. And that's why this headline was so inflamitory.

[AgentEcho]

2003 New Moons:

February 1
March 3
April 1
May 1
May 31
June 29
July 29
August 27
September 26
October 25
November 23
December 23

I listed them all as there's no way of knowing when this stuff will finally hit the fan.

Æ

[Dog Gone]

They have what,.......7 million?

The figure I've seen is 1 million troops. I think only 12 million people live in that crappy country.

[Dog Gone]

Yep, that's how I see it. Not a pretty picture.

[unspun]

As posted in AmericanTokyo's thread...

...this is a job for the UN, and S. Korea, Russia, Japan, and even China.

I think the wisest thing for the USA to do is talk to the UN and just sit back in our recliners and rock.