Time to light up North Korea...

[muckmaw]

Originally posted by Dowding
China has distanced itself from NK in recent years. Even they realise the NK leadership is bonkers.

Like Muckmaw says - a precedent has been set. And NK seemingly want to exploit that.

I just don't understand their thinking, though.

They saw what we did to Iraq while it denied having WMDs.

What are we going to do toy a country that not only admits it has nuclear material, but threatens to sell it?

Do they really think they will get a check to go away? We're in a corner here. The US almost HAS to go in militarily now, lest the entire Iraqi liberation look like nothing more than an oil grab.

The reason for Iraqs invasion was the threat of POSSIBLE WMDs. At least, that's how it was packaged and advertised. Now NK says it HAS WMDs....we're cornered.

[Dowding]

NK know that a war with the US would cost the US armed forces some serious casualties. There was nervousness with just the few dozen in Iraq, how would public opinion react to thousands?

I'm no expert on the NK military machine, but I strongly suspect it is dozens of times more powerful than Iraq's.

NK are playing on that. Despots are usually not completely insane - they have to be fairly shrewd to maintain power.

[Syzygyone]

I seem to remember some talking head saying that NK doesn't really have fuel produced yet, but would likely bluff and threaten that they did, and then attempt to hold the US hostage to open our wallet up.  I can't bring myself to believe this just yet, but if it is true, the surest and quickest way is to bomb the plant, ala OSIRAK!

[funkedup]

What NK wants is a resumption of the blackmail that the Clintonites were paying them.

[Dowding]

Yeah, bomb North Korea. And a thousand artillery guns would open up on Seul. And maybe, just maybe, they already have a nuke armed weapon?

Cruise missile diplomacy only works with weak nations who can't really do anything to fight back. The above scenario would be a disaster for the US.

I hope that the diplomatic route will work.

[Syzygyone]

Originally posted by funkedup
What NK wants is a resumption of the blackmail that the Clintonites were paying them.

Oooooh, very very well put!

[Dowding]

lol If you can blame the previous administration for a difficult situation, you will do. NK went maverick decades ago.

[Syzygyone]

Originally posted by Dowding
Yeah, bomb North Korea. And a thousand artillery guns would open up on Seul. And maybe, just maybe, they already have a nuke armed weapon?

Cruise missile diplomacy only works with weak nations who can't really do anything to fight back. The above scenario would be a disaster for the US.

I hope that the diplomatic route will work.

I hope diplomacy works, but Dowding, I am very surprised at your stance that NK would be a terrible enemy that could really do harm to us.  Their army is starving and upaid.  Their economy is in the crapper.   Their military harware is even older than Iraq's.  GO check it out on globalscurity.org.

While I do not want another war, if they do pose a threat, and Im not sure they do in reality, then do not want to underestimate any enemy, but I also do not want to over estimate them.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Dowding
I'm no expert on the NK military machine, but I strongly suspect it is dozens of times more powerful than Iraq's.

Prior to the Gulf war in 1991, Iraq's Armed forces were considered the 4th most powerful in the world.  NK was way down on the list.

[Dowding]

Then why has so much deferrence been paid to NK's capabilities for the last 50 years?

[Dowding]

4th largest, not 4th most powerful.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Dowding
4th largest, not 4th most powerful.

Power ranking was 4th too if I'm not mistaken...been 13 years though...

[funkedup]

Originally posted by Dowding
lol If you can blame the previous administration for a difficult situation, you will do. NK went maverick decades ago.

What I said is a fact m8.  DPRK blackmailed the Clintonistas, then let down their end of the deal.  When Chimpy and his crew came into power, they noticed this and cut off the oil.

[funkedup]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Power ranking was 4th too if I'm not mistaken...been 13 years though...

They are the 5th largest military.  They are fanatical communists, indoctrinated since childhood by one of the most extreme Stalinist systems the world has known.  They are well equipped.  They have been dug into rugged terrain for 50 years.  They have large forces within easy striking distance of Seoul.  If there is war in Korea, we are talking 1M dead minimum.

[Dowding]

True Funked. But a tactic that has worked all the same.  The old drug pusher/pimp idea - get them hooked and they'll do anything for you. We'll see if NK are prepared to 'go on the game' metaphorically speaking.