SKorean Ship Torpedoed?!

[Ross]

Retaliation that would really really piss them off would be to start
dropping propaganda leaflets . Rebellion by their own is the thing
they fear most .

[Exodia]

Things are about to get interesting:

Torpedo propeller with North Korean serial number found near wreckage:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/...051900740.html

North Korea has called a surprise session of parliment:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100518...20100518050633

South Korea to formally blame the North for sinking in report to issue Thursday:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

[Exodia]

US cancels evacuation drill that the normally hold in South Korea, based on concerns of inflaming the situation:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?s...&article=70059

Japan has declared that the 6-Way talks about denuclearization would not continue if the North was involved with the sinking:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/...fp030000c.html

[dyrt]

China has just won the Korea war. South Korea will soon be cozying up to China because it is now obvious that the US will not protect it.

There will be no more battles over the Koreans.

[Potemkin]

"So, it is South Korea's fault for inflaming the situation by talking about finding one of our torpedo propellers."



http://news.xinhuanet.com/english201...c_13304357.htm

DPRK accuses South Korea of worsening relations over warship sinking
English.news.cn 2010-05-19 22:56:27 FeedbackPrintRSS

PYONGYANG, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea on Wednesday released a statement accusing South Korea of taking advantage of the sinking of its Cheonan warship in March to push north-south relations to a catastrophe.

[Brihard]

Brinksmanship

[Auburn Boy]

NK is expert at playing the brinksmanship game. Do they really "win" anything by it?

[Sysiphus]

Do they really "win" anything by it?

They do if by "win" you mean allowing them to dupe their masses for a few more months. This, the nuke tests and everything else that happens there is very much focused on internal politics and not foreign policy.

[Mama Alanna]

NK threatens war if any "retaliation or punishment" ensues from "fabricated" ship sinking. That includes increased sanctions or action by anyone.

[Auburn Boy]

The "Nuclear Clock" hands just inched ever closer to Midnight..,

[dyrt]

Originally Posted by Auburn Boy

NK is expert at playing the brinksmanship game. Do they really "win" anything by it?

When a nation like North Korea can torpedo another nation's ship and kill 41 sailors without violent retaliation then they have established their position of dominance. They have proven dramatically that South Korea nor anyone else has the guts to take them on. They will up their extortion demands on South Korea.

South Korea will now seek the protection of China. In a few months, South Koreans will be talking to China about some big industrial deals. Every time the negotiations get sticky, North Korea will kill some South Koreans. Think like a mobster and you will understand.

Obama is conceding the area to the Chinese just like he is conceding Eastern Europe back to Russia. Taiwan will be next. The goal is to reduce the US global footprint and create parity among the competing empires.

[Ross]

From Pots post ..

PYONGYANG, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The Committee for the Peaceful
Reunification of Korea on Wednesday released a statement accusing South
Korea of taking advantage of the sinking of its Cheonan warship in March to
push north-south relations to a catastrophe.

That is waaaay beyond hilarious .

How dare those SK criminals even mention it ,
to do so is just plain rude , inconsiderate and disruptive .

[Ross]

Obama is conceding the area to the Chinese

This is a decision for SK , not the USA or Obama.
SK are big boys now and the USA is not their mummy .

They have proven dramatically that South Korea nor anyone else has the guts to take them on.
They will up their extortion demands on South Korea.

SK has behaved in a sensible and mature manner .

They have conducted a thorough investigation to establish cause .

They have now provided proof of guilt and published the results .

Is there any reason to assume their next moves will not be
both appropriate and courageous ?

[andy]

It is all the same old BS.

With all of the saber rattlin, economic instability, and other sh+t going on, we might be heading for another World War (III) - just in time for 2012!

[Ought Six]

Clinton Condemns N. Korean Sinking of South's Ship; Promises International Response


Margaret Besheer
Voice of America News
21 May 2010

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the evidence that a North Korean torpedo sank a South Korean navy ship is "overwhelming and condemning." Clinton made the comments during a brief stop in Tokyo Friday, where she met with her Japanese counterpart and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

Secretary Clinton expressed the United States' strong condemnation of the March 26 sinking of the South Korean warship. The torpedo, launched from a North Korean submarine, sunk the Cheonan and killed 46 sailors.

Clinton said she and her Japanese counterpart, Katsuya Okada, discussed the situation, which has raised tensions on the Korean peninsula. "We agree that North Korea must stop its provocative behavior, halt its policy of threats of belligerence towards its neighbors, and take irreversible steps to fulfill its denuclearization commitments and comply with international law," she said.

Clinton said she plans in-depth consultations in the coming days with regional allies China and South Korea to determine the international response to the North Korean attack. But when asked by a reporter what options the international community has in responding to North Korea, she said it was too premature to make any announcements.

"I think it is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences. We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community. So we will determine our best options moving forward and send a clear, unmistakable message to North Korea regarding the international community's and its neighbors' concerns about its behavior," she said

On Thursday, South Korea released the results of an international investigation which found that a torpedo fired from the North Korean submarine sunk the ship.

North Korea has rejected the findings as a "fabrication" and has vowed to respond to any potential retaliation with "all out war."

In addition to the South Korean issue, Clinton and Okada discussed the future of a U.S. military base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

When he took power last year, Prime Minister Hatoyama promised to move the base off the island but has since gone back on that pledge, garnering much public outrage manifested in his falling approval ratings.

Locals say the Futenma Air Base, which houses about 25,000 U.S. troops, is, among other things, too close to residential areas and causes excessive noise.

During a joint news conference with Secretary Clinton, Foreign Minister Okada said the government is continuing negotiations with the United States on resolving the issue, and he hopes to do so by the end of the month. He is heard here through a translator speaking about the importance of the base in light of the recent tensions between North and South Korea.

"In the current security environment, the presence of U.S. forces is indispensable for the security and stability of Japan, but not only just that - but the region's stability," he said.

Secretary Clinton said the United States wants to see an "operationally viable and politically sustainable" solution.
Clinton's next stop is China, where she will visit the Shanghai Expo and then go on to Beijing for high-level economic and political talks.

[Sysiphus]

The "international response" will involve brown thumbs.

[Brihard]

What the hell kind of response can be made that won't make the situation worse, though? Ten million South Koreans live within range of North Korean artillery. North Korea appears to have nuclear weapons, and even if they aren't yet conventionally deliverable (we don't know), there are no doubt ways they could be employed. North Korea's also run by a mad man who quite likely would see his country burn before he relinquished power.

What can we do? At this point I'm all for taking Kim Jong Il out (if we can) or taking other actions to destabilize the regime and forment internal revolution, but can we accomplish this without NK attacking across the DMZ? I do feel certain that a conventional war in Korea is not something to be risked lightly.

[andy]

Nuclear Carpet Bombing Campagn

Either do it now, or do it later after a shitload of hand-ringing. He aint going away.

[Grassy Gnoll]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...ea-aggression/

Still just posturing, but its hard to tell where this is going to go.

While I agree with most of the posters that military action in North Korea is most definitely going to be a mess, NK has crossed a line. This isn't simply defying the will of the international community developing nukes or some other form of geopolitical posturing. This was an attack that killed 42 SK sailors. Everyone is avoiding saying it, but that is an act of war. Plain and simple.

Are 42 lives justification for engaging in a war that could cost hundreds, if not thousands more lives? I honestly have no idea. But doing nothing will invite more deaths as if NK gets away with this, they will do it again.

[DReynolds]

Originally Posted by Grassy Gnoll

But doing nothing will invite more deaths as if NK gets away with this, they will do it again.

Exactly. The consequence of letting a country torpedo one of your ships because they feel like it would not be some lasting peace.

[dyrt]

The South Koreans can bluster all they want. They will not take any military action unless the Chinese approve.

When the South Koreans and US go to the Chinese for talks about this incident, the Chinese will tell them what they want for letting the SK politicians save face. The Chinese will allow harsh words, some meaningless sanctions or maybe even the sinking of an old mysterious NK ship that can be accused of spying. The SK and US politicians get to pretend they did something. Meanwhile the Chinese will get concessions that will further secure their power in the region. They will tighten the noose and only faint whimpers will be heard.

The Chinese are acting bolder than normal . . . probably because they have have noticed a purposefully weakening of the US will, economic power and a bogged down military. They also calculate that they have a small window of opportunity since US politics can turn quickly.

All the US enemies will double down as they sense US weakness.