Removal of Rods @ Nuke Plant Touches Off Increase of US Forces Near Korean Peninsula (Developing)

SBS TV (Korea), KBS TV (Korea) and a bunch of other sources in Korea and Japan ^ | 4 February 2003 (Asia Time) | AmericanInTokyo

[anniegetyourgun]

And I'm wishin' he had been overtaken by that killer rabbit.

[varina davis]

Actually, I think you'll find NK and Iraq are very closely tied together and this is not a surprise to Bush. Bush knew it when he first named the Axis of Evil..and everybody laughed, remember? Because of course we had a Bill Clinton Treaty with NK, so sweet little NK certainly wouldn't do anything devious...uh, right?

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the things that is keeping us from having to appear more alarmed is that this whole scenario was expected, and NK is already under the gun and has been for some time. Whether they know it or not...

I think you are so absolutely correct.

[NetValue]

"The smart money is on the latter scenario. My bet is that the build up scares Kim Jong il back into his rabbit hole."

Sorry, but it won't do that. You have to factor in the paranoid insanity of NKOR to understand them. Their hatred is without inhibitions. They could attack at any time, placating concessions notwithstanding.

[John Valentine]

Dear Realpatriot:

First, a tip of the hat to AmericaninTokyo. Your posts are first rate. You see stuff over there in Japan that I don't see on South Korean TV. The perspective is just a little different and very welcome.

To realpatriot: Leaving NK alone is basically the policy we have followed for fifty years, ever since the end of the First Korean War. This seemed to be a very suitable policy, given their national political philosophy of juche, or self relaince. They wanted to be left alone, good for them.

But they have never really wanted to leave others alone.

August 15, 1974: A North Korean agent based in Japan attempts to assinate South Korean president Park Chung Hee as he read a speech at the National Theatre. The assassin bungles the attempt, but succeeds in killing South Korea's First Lady.

October 9, 1983: North Korean agents explode a powerful bomb at a reception in Rangoon, Burma, intending to assasinate South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan. North Korean Army Major Zin Mo mistakenly sets the bomb off prematurely and instead of the President he only succeeds in killing four South Korea cabinet members, two senior presidential advisors and the South Korean Ambassador to Burma. Other lesser lights are also killed in the explosion.

November 29, 1987: In an attempt to harm South Korea's Olympic efforts, Kim Jong Il, the present Deart Leader of North Korea, orders the bombing of a South Korean Airliner. Two North Korea operatives are given this assiignment. They carry it out very well and on November 29, KAL 858 is blown out of the sky on a flight from Dubai to Seoul. All 115 on board are killed.

September 18, 1996: North Korea is caught infiltrating a large number of special forces into South Korea when a taxi driver sees them crouching by a roadside in a remote part of rural South Korea. Eleven are killed by their own North Korean commander to avoid their capture. Several more try to escape. Eleven are tracked down and killled in firefights with South Korean authorities. At least one is caught. Some are never found. North Korea has at least 48 of these infiltrating submarines and there is no reason to believe that they have halted their use.

All of this must be taken along with a history of continual probing and infiltration of North Korean teams deep into South Korea. In 1976 a North Korean team was cought just north of Seoul, wearing South Korean military uniforms. Earlier, another team of North Korean infiltrators were caught sketching American airbase facilities near Kwangju, 400 kilometers south of the DMZ.

Then there is the issue of North Korean nuclear weapons. Do you suppose they are developing these to use within their own territory?

I'm sorry, but North Korea cannot be just left alone.

[freebilly]

I'm not up on my "North Korean Politics," but what would happen if we left NK alone? I mean, seriously, why or why not would that be a good/bad idea?

A rogue state with a crazy egomaniacal leader with nukes.... It's only a matter of time before plutonium from NK finds its way to al-quaeda.

[11B3]

I don't know how it would be taken if we were to tell the world we were getting out of the way of our own nuclear strike. Seriously, I would think.

The back-channel discussions between us, the Russians, and Chinese would certainly be interesting. One would think that they would know W by now - he means what he says - and if the NK's were stupid enough to call his bluff, they'd get exactly what they were promised. Also, the Chinese would be locked out of Taiwan when the first US ground forces landed there. Right now, they don't dare to try us. We should use that position to our advantage while we still can.

[Steel Wolf]

Kim Il Sung had a three point vision for the future of North Korea, which is still in effect today.

-Eventual reunification

-DPRK regime survival and leadership of a unified Korea.

-The application of military force to achieve reunification.

Regardless of the situation, these are the guiding principeles of the North Korean leadership. Right now, they are worried about regime survival, which is threatened due to their catastrophically failed economy, and their deteriorating conventional military capability.

The nuclear option is there to ensure that the regime survives, and that efforts are made to keep them afloat by the other countries, rather than suffer their retaliation. If Kim has nothing to lose, and his regime begins to collapes, either due to the action or inaction of other nations, he will retaliate with nuclear weapons as a final retribution before he is deposed.

[Steel Wolf]

North Korea may proliferate ballistic missiles, but they will likely hoard every ounce of fissile material until they have at least a hundred or more weapons of their own. Kim's ultimate goal is likely to possess several hundred nuclear weapons, to make his enemies cower at the thought of refusing his 'requests' for aid.

Buried deep in hollowed out mountains and bunkers, his silos will be cleverly and deceptively constructed. We could possibly need to use the lions share of our nuclear arsenel to defeat North Korea, if their nuclear weapons production continues unchecked.

[Will_Zurmacht]

President Bush sure does have a helluva load on his plate. I noticed the "Bush is getting grey hair" pics the other day. Well, criminy, do ya think? I for one would have long since gone bald, had 3 bypasses and developed a nervous twitch and spasm by now.

While he may not be perfect to some folks here, imagine these words on your tv tonight: "responding to developments in North Korea, President Gore said.." If that don't make ya appreciate things today I don't know what will......

[jqpublic]

"Good God. Will George Bush ever get a break? What next?"

. . . .

Almost my exact thought when I first heard of the Columbia tragedy.

Same here.

Next? How about that zany bunch in India and Pakistan?

Now, you're SCARING me... Are you IN my HOUSE?!?

J.Q.

[Tamzee]

Exactly.

Tammy

[realpatriot71]

Well, you've convinced me. What, in your opinion then, would be the proper course of action at this point?

[Cindy]

LINKS OF INTEREST:

CNN.com: "NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR WORK 'HAS BEGUN'" (012403)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "CHINA SHIPS NORTH KOREA INGREDIENT FOR NUCLEAR ARMS" by Bill Gertz (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "North Korean procurement agents succeeded in buying 20 tons of tributyl phosphate, known as TBP, a key chemical used to extract material for nuclear bombs from spent nuclear fuel, said officials familiar with intelligence reports of the transfer.") (121702)

WorldNetDaily.com: "NORTH KOREA: A FUMBLED FRAMEWORK" -Commentary by Hugh Hewitt (011503)

***NEWS4COLORADO.com: "NORTH KOREA CALLS FOR 'HOLY WAR' AGAINST U.S." (January 11, 2003) - Note: url expired.

***WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "IRAQ URGES ARABS TO FOLLOW NORTH KOREA" (010203)

NewsMax.com: "NORTH KOREA NUKES CLINTON LEGACY" by Charles R. Smith (010803)

FrontPageMagazine.com (WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL): "PYONGYANG'S NUCLEAR BLACKMAIL" (010203)

USA TODAY.com (AP): "EX-SERGEANT FACES DEATH PENALTY IN SPYING CASE" (011203)

NewsMax.com: "CLINTON AND CHINESE MISSILES" by Charles R. Smith (January 14, 2003)

***BOOK: "UNRESTRICTED WARFARE: CHINA'S MASTER PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA" by Col. Qiao Liang, Col. Wang Xiangsui, and Al Santoli

An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding an AP article via HERALDTRIBUNE.com: "CUPERTINO MAN ARRESTED FOR SELLING MISSILE TECHNOLOGY TO CHINA" (ARTICLE NOTE: The suspect is identified as Qing Chang Jiang aka Frank Jiang.) (January 11, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "U.S. FIRMS HELPED CHINA WITH NUKES? State Accuses Hughes, Boeing of Providing Missile Technology" by Jon Dougherty (010203)

GertzFile.com

SoftWar.net

FREE CONGRESS.org - Notable News Now: "NEGLIGENCE: BILL CLINTON'S REAL LEGACY ON NATIONAL DEFENSE" -Commentary by Paul M. Weyrich (120502)

NewsMax.com: "Clinton Audio Exclusive: Pre-September 11 Bin Laden Strike Wouldn't Have Worked" (August 7, 2002)

stepping back in time....RPC.SENATE.GOV: "Clinton-Approved Iranian Arms Transfers Help Turn Bosnia Into Militant Islamic Base" (011697)

[Ford Fairlane]

If I remember my history correctly, those NK and Chinee kicked our ass out of NK.

Only because Truman was an idiot & wouldn't let MacArthur nuke their asses!!

[John Valentine]

My preferred course of action would be the use of sudden, brutal, and overwhelming application of military force sufficient to end any possibility of military blackmail by North Korea, present or future, to any country in the region or outside it.

[John Valentine]

Grammar re-post:

My preferred course of action would be the sudden, brutal, and overwhelming application of military force sufficient to end any possibility of military blackmail by North Korea, present or future, to any country in the region or outside it.

[concerned about politics]

Thanks for the input. It was very informative.

[USMC_tangocharlie]

love your post...btw, your tag line is one of my VERY favorite quotes!!!

TC

[unspun]

And I'm wishin' he had been overtaken by that killer rabbit.

No, no, no. King Arthur and Lancelot survived the rabbit, though they were later apprehended by the police.