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U.S warns N Korea it will defend itself, allies

41 Comments
By MATTHEW LEE and JOSH LEDERMAN

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41 Comments
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Looks like the time is approaching for North Korea to either put up or shut up.

16 ( +17 / -1 )

Personally, I feel sorry for the general "people" of NK that they suffer greatly and that this pudgy kid, the government and the military might be stupid enough pull the trigger and thus put his people in greater danger, so now is the time for him to think VERY deeply about his next move, because it would be his last. I don't want to see another war breakout, but this guy is smoking something seriously whacked!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

It's starting to seem that the age of simply trash talk from North Korea might be coming to an end. There's a chance this time that something might actually happen. I just hope that innocent lives don't get caught up in the mix.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

And what position will China take?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Have to agree with Bass4Funk on the foolishness of L'il Kim, the sock-puppet of Papa-Kim's military junta. But also have to take issue with the chest-puffing of "Swiftboat" Kerry, also a mannequin of the state.

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

According to SwiftVets: " Though we come from different backgrounds and hold varying political opinions, we agree on one thing: John Kerry misrepresented his record and ours in Vietnam and therefore exhibits serious flaws in character and lacks the potential to lead."

That's from those who were there with Kerry during his very brief "tour" .

Yet, now he is SOS for the Obama administration. That seriously reduces his credibility.

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

China will do what they did in the last Korean war fighting, they will side with N.Korea and handover aid and ground troops. The US knows this and they also know theyd get their ass handed to them by China.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

@Surf

Would that be those same SwiftVets who disbanded four years ago, after media probes into the veracity of their claims began to get a bit intense? The same SwiftVets, one of whose founding members quit in disgust at the lies they were telling, and set up a support group for Kerry?

Thought so....

6 ( +9 / -3 )

like a spoiled brat making a scene to get attention. But the world needs to realize to ignore his words while watch his actions. I don't believe North Korea would take any action that would jeopardize it's existence, but it might self-imploded and might possibly want to take others down with them, either ROK or Japan since it's their closest enemies.

The best thing is to ignore them and wait for them Kim Jong Un to start BEGGING for aid...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Kim, I'm not giving you Mickey Mouse back. Now go back to your room!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

You have to think Dear Leader Junior is doing this for his domestic audience. But why at this time? Does he feel his rule is threatened?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I'll have some of whatever shannon is smoking lol china is pretty tough but i think too many people like to exaggerate because they are china fanboys/girls

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I believe China would have to contend with a lot of public outcry about going in to defend North Korea. Public animosity has been growing against the North recently and the new heads of state are trying to deal with that. The North may have to stand on it's own feet if it decides to launch a first strike.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

China wouldn't mind having the North Korea threat go away. The US military presence in South Korea and maybe even Japan would probably be scaled down.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Shannon has it right, but with the roles reversed. In spite of their modernization efforts, China is still undertrained, and equipped with outdated gear.

After lots of real world practice (regrettably), the U.S. army is very proficient at taking perfectly good militaries and grinding them to mush. China knows this and won't risk the domestic backlash that a humiliating loss would entail (as long as no troops show up on their border).

5 ( +8 / -3 )

@luca, yes, that's the story the media went with, but now how it actually ended up it the resolution. But nice try at deflection.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Pray for the citizens of North Korea! They do not deserve such government and a horrible leader!!

1 ( +5 / -4 )

“The bottom line very simply is that what Kim Jong-Un has been choosing to do is provocative, it is dangerous, reckless, and the United States will not accept the DPRK as a nuclear state,” Kerry said, referring to North Korea’s young new leader and the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Donald Rumsfeld, the US secretary of defence, was on the board of technology giant ABB when it won a deal to supply North Korea with two nuclear power plants. The Swiss-based ABB on Friday told swissinfo that Rumsfeld was involved with the company in early 2000, when it netted a $200 million (SFr270million) contract with Pyongyang. The ABB contract was to deliver equipment and services for two nuclear power stations at Kumho, on North Korea's east coast. Rumsfeld - who is one of the Bush administration's most strident "hardliners" on North Korea - was a member of ABB's board between 1990 and February 2001, when he left to take up his current post. Wolfram Eberhardt, a spokesman for ABB, told swissinfo that Rumsfeld "was at nearly all the board meetings" during his decade-long involvement with the company.

Kerry needs to learn that he cannot have it both ways. =You allow NK nuclear reactors (they don't have the tech to build them) then you save they cannot be a "Nuclear State." Logically people should question this.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

If war were to break out, I highy doubt the U.S would resort to using it's nuclear arsenal to take out North Korea. Can you imagine the radiation fallout possibly heading to China, South Korea or even Japan? The U.S would have to wipe out the regime of the North without having to use nuclear weapons.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

NY Times is now reporting that the North is not allowing workers from the South into the Joint EZ in Kaesong. If this turns out to be the case over an extended period (It has happened for about a week in the past), then this crisis has gone to a new level. The North is finally taking action that is not pure bluff.

To be clear, I am most certainly not advocating giving them ANYTHING in return for behaving like adults in a civilized society. My own response to those who advocate negotiation (not necessarily compromise) is that normally I would agree with you, but the North has a long history of pocketing concessions without negotiating in good faith. To them negotiation is a one-off, zero-sum game.

My point is (sorry for the digression) that we may see soon that this is not mere bluster (The North would loose several hundred million dollars in hard currency from a shutdown) and it may be to think about what other irrational measures the North might take.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I hope the North "looses" some of those dollars near me!!!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The US knows this and they also know theyd get their ass handed to them by China.

That's rather amusing, considering the last time China tangled with the 1st Marine Division, (That was 10 Chinese Divisions against the 1st Marine Division at Chosin) After Smith and Puller finished finished attacking another direction, The Chinese had two full Divisions, that ceased to be.... Roughly 20,000 to 30,000 less Chinese people that ceased exist... 120,000 Chinese army troops vs. 15,000 Marines.... (Yea, I'd say they learned their lesson...)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

So far, Pyongyang is following its usual playbook. Closing the Kaesong plant to the South is one of Kim's few remaining cards. But now the North has a "valuable" move for gaining a concession -- reopening of the plant (which only benefits itself, I know)..

It's got to be weird being Kim Jong Un; In North Korea he's bigger than life, but everywhere else he's the world's biggest laughing stock.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Each day passing by, it has now become easy to worry that this KIM Der Leader`s increasingly bellicose statements may really force this 29-year-old immature near-crazy leader to save face and indeed bring the 60-year-old truce in the peninsula back into an actual shooting war.

In a sense, the North Koreans have nothing much to lose. Their people are starving and the world community has isolated them with debilitating economic sanctions. Inflicting a first strike blow on a super power may just give their warped minds an endorphin rush… the political equivalent of an orgasm after a rape.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The little boy needs a toy to play with ,Oh ! a Big toy. Neuclear Weapons and War games Set., it may help his ambitions.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

We shouldn all realize a new UN sanction is working against North Korea.

I feel very sorry for the people of NK, but we need to leave them alone this time, sooner or later, they will be starting to beg for food.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Farmboy And what position will China take? Yes, and what position will Russia take?

Anyway NOT pro american ....

Neither wants to see a nuclear war near its borders, and I'm sure neither wants to see U.S., Japanese, or South Korean ships near its waters.

Now Russians see US Navy Army and USAF near its borders in Europe like in Far East So situation can't be worse....

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

globalwatcher We shouldn all realize a new UN sanction is working against North Korea.

Including Russia&China (permanent members of the Security Council) ?

It will be easy....

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Obama's agenda is not defending the South: This would not have entailed so much fuss and mayhem. The real agenda is changing the regime in the North. Kim Jong-Un understands that Barack Obama is preparing for him the same fate that he prepared for Moammar Gadhafi and for Bashar Al-Assad, so he reacts accordingly.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Well at present he has a L plate ( Learner ) when he moves to his P Plate ( Provisional licence ) He may change. But if, He lasts long enough to get a Full licence . World Watch out. could be no3

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Graham DeShazo Shannon has it right, but with the roles reversed. In spite of their modernization efforts, China is still undertrained, and equipped with outdated gear

Who knows ? .

After lots of real world practice (regrettably), the U.S. army is very proficient at taking perfectly good militaries and grinding them to mush.

China - this is somthing a little bit different then Iraq Somalia or Libya ...

China knows this and won't risk the domestic backlash that a humiliating loss would entail (as long as no troops show up on their border)

Sorry - US troops were beaten by Vietnamese - and modern China is much more stronger than Vietnam in 60th ....

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

John Kerry: "the U.S. will not accept the DPRK as a nuclear state"

Hasn't the DPRK had nuclear weapons since 2007? Kerry had better get with the program.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Honestly, I can't see any way that the people of North Korea benefit from life under the Kim family regime and the mad military stooges. They have endured it, in misery, for far too long. I would not be sorry to see them push the US too far.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Just keep sending hardware to the region. At some point China isn't going to like destroyers and stealth fighters so close to their border and they'll be prompted to put pressure on North Korea.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Exactly, there are more soldiers in the Chinese Army than there are people in living in the USA.

Most Americans either dont know this or are in denial that China could squash the USA at any time. F***ing with N.Korea is not something the US gov. wants any part of.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Looks like the endgame is near for the DPRK. China is the country playing the dangerous game by doing NOTHING.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Tamarama, you said it honestly and plain. But Obama has not said it plain yet, and is continuing to fool the world. Obama owes the truth about his agenda especially to John Kerry: It is not decent to employ a senior person (who bears a responsibility) in your team and deceive him, as W did to Colin Powell.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Sorry, why are China and the US going to war?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A dog that barks very loud won't bite than a dog who is quite and just observed and attack. This is just a plain wargames business. Threat and scare. Perpetrated by a hidden force with a hidden business agenda. IMHO no stupid country will start a nuclear war cuz they know it's the end and doomsday for everyone.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Shannon:

Exactly, there are more soldiers in the Chinese Army than there are people in living in the USA.

False. For a solid comparison, visit http://www.globalfirepower.com/

specifically, http://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-comparison-detail.asp?form=form&country1=China&country2=United-States-of-America&Submit=Compare+Countries

In general, the PRC has deep reserves, however, reserve forces are rarely Catergory A, more often being Catergory C. A general war would be fought entirely with Cat A and B formations. China also lacks the ability to project non-nuclear military power anywhere outside their immediate neighborhood. This means that the US Navy can strangle their importation of oil and assorted other goods.

globalsecurity.org has more indepth information, but requires a subscription.

That's all neither here nor there, however. Any war involving North Korea making the opening attack will be followed by a general chinese offensive... against North Korea. The PRC has widespread popular support because it is very good and making the Chinese people more prosperous with each new year. A war with the US would destroy both sides in the immediate short term, and damage to Japan or South Korea in a renewed Korean War would also hurt China. Stability and prosperity are key to their goals.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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