Japan, N Korea at the brink of war

[AWMac]

I've got a lil over 11 years in SKorea.  NKorea is like a lil stray mutt that yipes and yipes until ya kick the livin watermelon outta it.

 They'll bark about anything but never bite.

I say "Bring it on!!!"

[BlueJ1]

NK is one very angry hobbit.

[DoctorYO]

Eet is all fault of eevil Boosh!

well if you want to get technical yes it is his fault.....  at least partially

It all started with the axis of evil (the most tactless thing ever... by all means hate NK but to telegraph your hate is without tact...) speech clearly sabre rattling them..   As a response to USA's preumptive follow thru in Iraq (as per axis of evil speech), NK had justification to weaponize whatever fission material they had (most likely were doing it anyway.. )but now they had literal proof of clear and present danger to their regime......  hence bolstering International support (note chinas role and change of posture.)(not much but it helped..)

It wouldn't surprise me if NK did actually do something considering our weakend global presence due to the quagmire that we call Iraq.... (failing retention etc.. unstable mess etc...)

You think Iraq is bad try going against a hardened NK 1 million man army sporting no less than 10000 artillery peices and possible nuclear capability and the missle technology to deliver such a weapon to Japan or any target in the ROK......

Lets talk about terrain that is fortified with bunker and trench systems from seoul to the dmz and beyond..  This isnt flat iraq which enpowers our airpower / tanks..  This is rough terrain..  and infantry will rule that battlefield...(making it a bloody war..)

IMO we got no business fighting on the Korean peninsula...  Unless you want the bloodiest conflict since WW1, be my guest...

On top of that.. IF NK decides to get ignorant and tosses a taipo-dong with some chem weapons or nukes at japan what will be japans response to that..  

I dont want to know but guarenteed it wouldn't be good for the region no matter what the Japanese do.. (peace or war..)

Either way a attack would destabilze japan's economy hence most likely directly affect ours by the huge loans we get from the asian banking system....

hence imo we should lay off and smooth this out... diplo style.....  Using China if they would help us as a go between...






DoctorYo

[Ripsnort]

DoctorYo, remember who said "Evil Empire" back in the 80's? And what wall came down?

[DoctorYO]

Well considering if your suggesting that the people from DPRK would revolt and take down DMZ.. i got to laugh..  These are not western minds and culture..  they are information droughted starving people who's existence is dependent on the current regime.....  Not to mention their merry trip to the DMZ most likely would land them in a mine field and turn them into catfood.....  but I give you credit  for wishful thinking...  They said the same thing when i was over there when his dad died and they thought the son was incompetent and the regime would crumble and that was over 10 years ago..  So IMO keep dreaming..  history shows Dear leader as quite competent and succesful when you figure they have possble nukes, missle tech, bio weapons, and the gaw to hang the above in our faces...

you must understand the deep hatred the koreans (both south and north) have for japanese because of the occupation of the peninsula during WW2...  This hatred runs deep....  I could easily see Dear leader lob a conventional weapon or unconventional weapon at japan for kicks alone..

Im just saying that IMO we should be very careful on who we pick our fights with until we have time to rebuild our low morale/thin military back to late 80's / early 90's standards..  To pursue battle in our current state of readiness is reckless and could easily push our armed forces over the edge...


DoctorYo

[wombatt]

I agree w/ Dr YO a war with NK would be a tough one indeed.
And to be honest we just dont hve the man power for a large two front war.

[Ping]

Someone close the door... I feel a DRAFT

[Gh0stFT]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
DoctorYo, remember who said "Evil Empire" back in the 80's? And what wall came down?

I dont know what our former Chancelor Helmut Kohl have to do
with the NK problem today?

[Toad]

Fool Us Once…The North Koreans get ready to shake us down again.

As generous as the deal was, Pyongyang went to work to dishonor it as soon as the ink was dry. In fact, within 24 months of its signing in October of 1994, U.S. intelligence judged that North Korea had already built two nuclear weapons. This meant that contrary to the deal's terms, which required North Korea to "consistently take steps to implement" its 1992 pledge not to possess nuclear weapons, the intelligence community believed that Pyongyang was secretly hoarding them. Clinton administration officials knew this. They decided, however, to dispute the intelligence finding and instead had Madeleine Albright announce that the deal had "eliminated" the Korean nuclear threat.

EEeevillll BOOSH!

[soda72]

Originally posted by Toad
Fool Us Once…The North Koreans get ready to shake us down again.

EEeevillll BOOSH!

yep,  can't wait until we make a deal with Iran only later to find out they did it anyway .....

[StarOfAfrica2]

Problems between NK and Japan have very little to do with Bush's "Axis of Evil" statements about NK.  NK and Japan have hated each other for a very long time.  You could lay most of the blame for the start of it on Japan's doorstep for they way they treated the Koreans during WWII.  But the Japan of today is not the Japan of my grandfather's day.  They have been completely pacifist since WWII, except for some stirrings in the latest generation.  Some are suggesting modifying the Japanese constitution to allow them to defend themselves outside their homeland, something that horrifies the older Japanese still in control.  But then they are also quite worried about the threat posed by NK, and the hatred they have for the Japanese people in general.  Fear can be a big motivator.  A standing army and the ability to properly defend themselves, even outside their borders is a big first step for Japan also if they want a seat on the UN Security Council.  Which they do.  What I find most ironic about the situation, is the quote made so famous in the movie "Tora, Tora, Tora!" about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where the Japanese admiral says "I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant."  That is exactly what NK may accomplish if they push Japan into militarizing again.  Dont think China wouldnt have words to say about that too.

[Rolex]

First and importantly, using text for the link that says:

"2/3 of Japanese Citizenry wants war with N Korea"

is inaccurate and inflammatory nonsense. It is straight from the Baghdad Bob School of Accurate Information.

The abduction issue is an emotionally charged issue here in Japan, but the statement by the the DPRK about a 'physical response' was made after the polls. Japan has halted about 150 tons of food aid until the DPRK offers up credible answers about the fate of all the abductees.

Japan is constitutionally prohibited from having a standing military, but they have the 4th largest military budget in the world to maintain a "self-defense" force.

The DPRK has always used the fear that they are 'crazy enough to do anything' as their main negotiating strategy. They certainly have plenty of maniacal military leaders and soldiers who know nothing outside what they have been led to believe. But, all governments manipulate thought and belief in different ways. The DPRK is just the least subtle in technique.

Is a war imminent? Not now, unless someone stirs the pot in the hope of starting one.

[Gunslinger]

I saw a really good documentary on NK.  They interviewed a couple people and even a few soldiers and I was shocked at the load of crap that these people actually beleive.  Basically it was a bunch of west-hate speech and the reasons that the NKs are starving is because of the west and it was the US that invaded NK not the other way around.

It's amazing what you can do to a culture when you isolate them enough.

[LePaul]

Originally posted by wombatt
I agree w/ Dr YO a war with NK would be a tough one indeed.
And to be honest we just dont hve the man power for a large two front war.

Don't we have some shiney nuclear toys that could help reduce the effort?     I'm all for an Alexander Haig approach of nuking em til they glow and shoot em in the dark

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by Rolex
First and importantly, using text for the link that says:

"2/3 of Japanese Citizenry wants war with N Korea"

is inaccurate and inflammatory nonsense. It is straight from the Baghdad Bob School of Accurate Information.

Inflammatory nonsense? How can you possibly say that?

Opinion polls show about two-thirds of the Japanese public supporting economic sanctions.

North Korea has warned Japan that any sanctions against the communist state would be regarded as a declaration of war.

Therefore, 2/3 of Japanese support a policy that NK regards as a declaration of war.

A lot more foundation than Bagdhad Bob ever had.  Since when is a little spin inflammatory nonsense?  I suppose you think that there is a link to the Scott Peterson verdict as well?