Free Republic

Kim Jong-il Scarce, Conjectures Plentiful by Chosun Ilbo Daily Reporter Kim In-gu (ginko@chosun.com) The North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has not appeared in public for 43 days, observers said, triggering speculation that he putting his country in a war posture. Mr. Kim was absent from the Supreme People's Assembly meeting on Wednesday; his last public appearance was Feb. 12 at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang. Experts on North Korea say Kim's withdrawal is deliberate and that North Korea has gone into a semibelligerent state since the outbreak of the Iraqi war. Sixty-one other top-level North Korean officials were absent from...

<p>WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has put 24 long-range bombers on alert for possible deployment within range of North Korea to deter "opportunism" while Washington is focused on Iraq, and to give President Bush military options if diplomacy fails to halt North Korea's effort to produce nuclear weapons, officials said Monday.</p>

[Images from S. Korean TV last night] News agencies throughout Asia are reporting this morning (afternoon/pm Monday US Time) of the incremental building of US Pacific Command military forces in and around the Korean Peninsula.SBS-TV from Seoul, South Korea confirms the Pentagon move to fortress up more US forces around the area including one US aircraft carrier, increased mobilization of F-15s and B-1/B-52 bombers (with support from US Forces Japan and increasing force in Guam of long range bombers), cancellation of transfer orders from Korea, increasing by nearly 3000 US Airforce personnel. (Moderator note: Open Source Info). Top story...

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...

<p>SEOUL, South Korea  — Just hours after the last two U.N.-certified nuclear inspectors left the country, North Korea raised the stakes in its standoff with the United States Tuesday, stating that war was likely but that invading American troops would be wiped out "to the last man."</p>