Rumsfeld calls situation in North Korea very dangerous

Associated Press ^

[RCW2001]

Capitol Hill-AP -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is calling the situation in North Korea very dangerous -- particularly since the North says it has reactivated its nuclear facilities.The State Department says if the announcement is true, it would be a "very serious development."

Rumsfeld insists the situation still can be resolved peacefully. He says the U-S should continue what's being done now in working with the South Korean government.

He says any movement of U-S forces to the Korean peninsula isn't being done in a threatening way.

Instead, Rumsfeld says it's to demonstrate to the world that the U-S is capable of fighting in more than one region.

He warns no nation should view the U-S focus on Iraq as an "opportune time" to launch another attack.

[RightWhale]

What is their motivation

ABM. ABM nullifies their most advanced weapon. They won't be able to use their military in any threatening way against anybody, and so they lose their only ace card. They will have to join the civilized world. Too bad.

[jackbill]

I don't quite get North Korea's "in your face" attitude.

If you had 30,000 to 40,000 artillery pieces about 30 miles from the capitol of South Korea, where 12 million people live, you could also have an "in your face attitude".

And if Saddam Hussein had 30,000 to 40,000 artillery pieces about 30 miles from a population center of 12 million people, we would be handling him differently.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Be interesting to see. If really on the road to conquest when we hit Iraq it would be time for the Nk's to head south. We could do nothing to stop it(short of hurling the bomb) NK would be able to loot and then control SK's economy for the benefit of their people. We will see.

[Dusty Rose]

It's K I J's insanity. That's the real scarey part, nuclear weapons in his arsenal.

[kanawa]

Unfortunately, that would require Jean Chretien to actually grow a spine first.

He's tough when it comes to wee protestors

[GOPJ]

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is on the money.

[BushMeister]

Check out these awesome cartoons about those whacky N. Koreans!:

MyNewFightingTechniqueIsUnstoppable

[ApesForEvolution]

It's needs to be made perfectly clear that any 'second' war fronts that open up during our cleaning up the M.E. will be handled with a swift and devastating nuclear response.

[ApesForEvolution]

Yup, yap, yop, yep. MacArthur was 100% right on.

[ApesForEvolution]

The response to NK has to either be nuclear or such a massive bombardment just north of Seoul that the instant retaliation from NK artillery wouldn't destroy it. NATO really is in no position to deal on this nor would they.

[ApesForEvolution]

I agree. If ever there were a better time to arm and pile up caches of ammo, I can't imagine it.

[Puddleglum]

I don't quite get North Korea's "in your face" attitude.

I think Kim Il Jong is drumming up a bogeyman to rally his own people = dissent in his ranks. Maybe dissent in the populace, small but growing. Either than or he is insane.

[Puddleglum]

PS - I would not mind sending Jimmy Carter there just to pour a little useless mollasses on the situation; not because he is a brilliant statesman (he is definitely not), but the attention of a useful dupe might flatter the tyrant and kill some time. We could give him a special medal made out of an aluminum pie pan to bestow or something - tyrants like medals.

[shezza]

...the attention of a useful dupe might flatter the tyrant and kill some time.

Excellent...excellent...