North Korea - WAR on the US?

[Birdy]

Eeek. All this talk of Iran has led me away from what the f is going on with the North Koreans. I'm slightly afraid.

North Koreans threatens United States

North Korea has threatened to wipe the United States off the map as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles in the coming days.

Off China's coast, a U.S. destroyer was tailing a North Korean ship suspected of transporting illicit weapons to Myanmar in what could be the first test of UN sanctions passed to punish the nation for an underground nuclear test last month.

The Kang Nam left the North Korean port of Nampo a week ago with the USS John S. McCain close behind. The ship, accused of transporting banned goods in the past, is believed to be bound for Myanmar, according to South Korean and U.S. officials.

The new UN Security Council resolution requires member states to seek permission to inspect suspicious cargo. North Korea has said it would consider interception a declaration of war and today accused the U.S. of seeking to provoke another Korean War.

“If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will ... wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all,†the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The warning came on the eve of the 59th anniversary of the start of the three-year Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in state of war. The U.S. has 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect against an outbreak of hostilities.

Tensions have been high since North Korea launched a long-range rocket in April and then conducted its second underground atomic test on May 25. Reacting to UN condemnation of that test, North Korea walked away from nuclear disarmament talks and warned it would fire a long-range missile.

North Korea has banned ships from the waters off its east coast starting Thursday through July 10 for military exercises, Japan's Coast Guard said.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported today that the North may fire a Scud missile with a range of up to 500 kilometres or a short-range ground-to-ship missile with a range of 160 kilometres during the no-sail period.

A senior South Korean government official said the no-sail ban is believed connected to North Korean plans to fire short- or mid-range missiles. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

U.S. defence and counter-proliferation officials in Washington said they also expected the North to launch short- to medium-range missiles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.

South Korea will expedite the introduction of high-tech unmanned aerial surveillance systems and “bunker-buster†bombs in response to North Korea's provocations, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified ruling party members.

Meanwhile, a flurry of diplomatic efforts were under way to try getting North Korea to return to disarmament talks. Russia's top nuclear envoy, Alexei Borodavkin, said after meeting with his South Korean counterpart that Moscow is open to other formats for discussion since Pyongyang has pulled out of formal six-nation negotiations.

In Beijing, top U.S. and Chinese defence officials also discussed North Korea. U.S. defence undersecretary Michele Flournoy was heading next to Tokyo and Seoul for talks.

South Korea has proposed high-level “consultations†to discuss North Korea with the U.S., Russia, China and Japan.

[SaggyBalls]

I remember hearing on television that the us was going to (going to...not have...going to) intercept a possible transfer of WMD parts (i can't remember the verbiage)

It was announced on national/international television?

Another fake war. If it was real we wouldn't hear about it until it actually became 'news'.

Birdy, North Korea can't hit you with any of their missiles. You have nothing to be afraid about.

Maybe it's a lack of understanding about what fear is healthy and what fear is being used against us as a tool, but nobody has any real reason to be afraid about this.

If North Korea is stating their terms of autonomy and they're being infringed upon - crazy kim jong il abstractly provoking action or not - it's still the USA that's meddling.

If they really want to affect N. Korea, they can surround myanmar/whatever country is receiving the shipment.

Don't be a fool, don't be a tool.

[Birdy]

It's not like i'm dying to get out of here to my bomb shelter, YT. Threatening nuclear warfare and testing missile capabilities is kinda scary though. I'm afraid for mankind, really. Tool or not. I'm of the 'smile and say hello to your neighbour' variety.

All the chips are lined up - military alliances, economic competitiveness, imperial interest, arms races... and now, should you be right, and this be a tool to create fear, well, add fear of war on to that list. The exact same list are the kinds of things that started WWI.

Edited June 24, 2009 by Guest

[Kanada Kev]

Many think that things are all lined up for another "world" war. Mabye?

Asian Front dealing with Korea.

Middle Eastern Front with Iran/Iraq/etc.

We all know that nothing stimulates an economy like war It sure helped the world get out of the Great Depression

[SaggyBalls]

I'd hate to live near chemical alley if we ever saw warfare on the ground here in North America.