[shezza]

I don't quite get North Korea's "in your face" attitude. They're not even trying to be stealthy in their actions. 100% pure blackmail, or just insanity on the part of Kim Il Jong? Maybe they're jealous of all the UN attention being lavished on Iraq. I dunno.

[jerseygirl]

Same puzzlement here. What is their motivation and why are they being so blatant? They seem to be going out of their collective way to advertise their actions- (as opposed to Saddam who maintains his innocence)...

[what's up]

Perhaps they realize their major market for arms, Iraq, is soon to be obliterated.

Since they will be running out of funds soon, they think they need to hurry along.

[ruready4eternity]

This is my take on the North Korea situation. The States may not go it alone on this But with the help of NATO could possibly mount a strike within weeks or even hours. NATO troops are all stationed in Northern Europe and and the Baltics . This could happen very quickly. To strike NK it has to be done lightning fast which by the AMericans technology could be done and NK's ability to retaliate would be a no go. But this is black mail and Propaganda on Nk's part to become a "BIG PLAYER" on the wolrd stage which they are not, but would want others to think so. GOD Bless.

[nicmarlo]

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

Maybe they know what we'll find out about their aiding Iraq and terrorists (give what Saddam's bodyguard said over the weekend after he escaped, about N. Korea helping Saddam).....and they think if we know they have nucs, we won't go after them, too.

[Red Dog #1]

It's simple, the moment North Korea acts reasonably they become just another two bit country of no concern to anyone. That's why they stage pointless DMZ incidents, try to build nukes, ect. It's a dangerous game that's worked for them for many years, but God help us all when their luck runs out. It'll probally be ugly for all involved.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

I don't quite get North Korea's "in your face" attitude. They're not even trying to be stealthy in their actions. 100% pure blackmail, or just insanity on the part of Kim Il Jong? Maybe they're jealous of all the UN attention being lavished on Iraq. I dunno.

Same puzzlement here. What is their motivation and why are they being so blatant? They seem to be going out of their collective way to advertise their actions- (as opposed to Saddam who maintains his innocence)...

Have you ever been confronted by someone so brash that they get away with anything by doing it in plain veiw of everyone ?

For instance a shoplifter walks into a store skulking around watching other people feeling things out going to the soda case and without a worry in the world twists the cap off a soda and starts drinking it then he creeps over in plain site to the candys and picks him up a candy bar opens it and starts eating it then strolling through the store while the cashier is busy starts filling his pockets with his ill gotten booty after hes stuffed himself with his feast and folly he strikes up a conversation with someone anyone it dont matter who as long as their heading for the door or close to it as their talking and walking the cashier who is busy dont notice the man because he blends in just a couple of guys talking and headed for the door when the two men leave the store the perp says have a nice day and scoots down the road no one the wiser belly full and some goodys for later .

I think thats what their pulling over there a bait and switch we watch them move stuff around while in the background the real crime is being pulled off what the crime is i dont know other than the obvious of what we see or what we think we see!

[TEXOKIE]

"I don't quite get North Korea's "in your face" attitude. They're not even trying to be stealthy in their actions. 100% pure blackmail, or just insanity on the part of Kim Il Jong? Maybe they're jealous of all the UN attention being lavished on Iraq. I dunno. "

I just happened to run across a thread that AmericanInTokyo has started which deals with this very subject. There are some internal NK communist party papers which have leaked indicating that KimJungIl is losing his grip on the people. This loss of control could very well be the reason for his go-for-broke stance. He may believe he has nothing to lose.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/836745/posts

I apologize for not posting this thread url in link form...the little piece of paper I used to tell me how to do it disappeared into our pet black hole that lives in our kitchen!

[LonghornFreeper]

North Korea knows they are next, so they figure what the heck, why not start the fight now when we are at least partially occupied. Several Freepers have made the comment that North Korea is next, and should "wait their turn" for us to attack. The problem is that the North has the same idea, and may well decide to strike now, rather than "wait their turn."

[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.

[Dusty Rose]

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

[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.