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I always hated America's lack of balls in dealing with those kooky bastards in North Korea. Ya, we can all blame Clinton for helping them produce their latest nuclear science project http://www.cnsnews.com/Pentagon/Arch...20000417a.html
But the realy blame rests with 50 years of piss-poor foreign diplomacy.
I like the idea of canctions and a naval blockade, but we'll never get the UN Security Council to agree to it (ie. China and Russia).
I'm not sure a blockade will accomplish much... the people there already have nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by [AK]Bribo
It will accomplish monitoring what the NK are sending out of their country (ie. nuclear missiles).
Although I understand that aspect in terms of terrorism, it does nothing in regards to them using it themselves. They seem to be claiming they already can deliver via missile, and if true, they don't need much ability to hit American soldiers and South Korea.Quote:
Originally Posted by [AK]Bribo
The country is already strangled financially, the aid they receive for their people is used on the military anyways... so I don't think sanctions are really much of a threat or tool IMHO.
I say we just park about 500 of our warheads in South Korea with a few more nuclear subs within close range. Set up some missile defense systems (which may or may not work worth a damn at this point) in South Korea and Japan. If that doesn't work, maybe a few hits to the reactors we helped them build (Thanks Slick Willy) will get the point across.
I don't know. It's probably a whole lot of sabre rattling... but when it comes to that whack job in North Korea - I'm not sure how careful you can be.
Hey guys:
Thought I'd mention that I'm not posting this as a conservative or liberal. The prospect of a North Korean nuclear program affects all of us, regardless of political persuasion.
Having said that:
Where the hell is the seismic data showing that N. Korea actually performed the test sucessfully? The seismologists of the world have over a century of data, literally reams of information, and there is no doubt regarding the data from an underground nuclear detonation.
Nowhere have I read of any seismologists confirming N. Korea's claims. A person might ask themselves, WTF?
The latest stories today say that new data from a seismic event just north of Japan could have been a second test... except that after further review, it was just another natural tremor...
So I ask this:
If North Korea actually had a sucessful N test, shouldn't if have been obvious to every seismology lab on earth? The news reports say that they "claim" to have tested sucessfully, but why haven't we heard confirmation from the scientific community?
Lastly, when a mining company does a large shot to displace ore, they notify the seismology labs of the world of the shot so that it can't be mistaken for something else.
AFAIK, I haven't heard anything that actually proves anything, and believe me, this isn't a partisan thing. I'm just not sure they really had a meaningful and sucessful test.
These are just some thoughts rattling through my head. If anyone knows more information, let me know. (I'm just a guy scratching his chin and thinking, "hmm...") If there is actual proof, then it is what it is and I'm happy for the new information.
Thought I'd try to return to AK with something to bring to the table. I certainly won't be talking politics anytime soon, but am looking forward to blowing stuff up with you guys again.
:-)
Hopefully Kim Jong Il isn't looking forward to the same... :)Quote:
Originally Posted by [AK]Sonic Boom
Proof or no proof, this is another case of damned if you do, damned if you don't for the administration.
If I've learned anything the last 4 years, it's that nothing is going to satisfy those who are of a mind to be unsatisfied. If we come down hard, implement sanctions, etc, we're mean, overassertive war-mongerers. If we don't do anything, we're not confronting the issue in a satisfactory way.
It amused me to no end to see photos of South Koreans protesting Kim Jong Il, when only a short while ago they were protesting the US for this that or the other thing.
Kim Jong Il will do what he wants regardless of US action, the threats we make or the appeasements we grant. We've tried it both ways. Clinton played the Chamberlain approach - diplomacy, the granting of technology, appeasment, etc, and that made no difference at all - NK continued it's nuclear plans. Bush has played hardball - isolationism, no direct talks, sanctions, etc. with no breakthroughs either.
Until the her Asian neighbors (China, Japan, SK, etc) really put some pressure on NK, Kim Jong Il will continue to do as he pleases.
http://www.tomgpalmer.com/images/Kim...ity%20shot.jpg
North Korea, in its first formal statement since Monday's claimed atomic bomb test, hailed the blast as a success and said attempts by the outside world to penalize North Korea with sanctions would be considered an act of war.
Further pressure will be countered with physical retaliation, the North's Foreign Ministry warned in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
"If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increases pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war and will take a series of physical corresponding measures," the statement, said without specifying what those measures could be.
Fark headline:
North Korea declares that pressure from the U.S. would be an act of war. Looking out the window, that's an act of war. Staring at my shoes, that's an act of war. Committing an act of war? Oh you better believe that's an act of war
This is typical rhetoric from him. In his case, physical retaliation would result in his total annihilation.Quote:
Originally Posted by [AK]Bribo
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...th-korea_x.htmQuote:
Originally Posted by [AK]Sonic Boom
Not seismic, but rather an air sample.
However I realize that this data was gathered by the government of Chimpy McBushitlerburton, and as such must be taken with the requisite 3 grains of salt.
Because obviously we want war war war with North Korea for the oil and to distract from the elections. Yeah.
I agree with Nuts statement on this one.
I heard last night that the siesmic data's signature more closely resembled that of a nuclear explosion then conventional explosives. It was stated that a nuclear explosion registers a much shorter seismic reading similar to what was recorded.
It was also said that the explosion equaled that of 500megaton conventional or a 1kiloton Nuke based on the fact that 1/2 of a nukes energy is released the form of radiation.
Either way nuclear proliferation is inevitable. In this case its purely politics plain and simple. This guy has nothing to lose everything to gain with this posture. Yeah that makes him dangerous to but i have to believe if he attacked anyone with such a weapon his country would get pwned and even Russia and China would be onboard.
One thing we could not do is respond with nukes because of the possiblity of the fallout hitting our nearby friends and foes.
Personally im more worried about Iran aquiring these weapons then this nutcase. I really believe Mah Amd would try and wipe Israel off the map with out even a concern for the fallout from it.