Yeah but this administration is doing it all wrong. For example, we probably should be stepping up funding for cooperative threat reduction programs with the former USSR nations to lock down and secure loose nuclear material. We should probably not be building stupid stuff like bunker busters with nuclear tips that have never proven to work and could very well break the taboo on the use of nuclear weapons. I think most of us forget that a bunch and I mean a lot of countries had nuclear weapons research programs during the 70s and 80s. Countries like Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Romania, South Korea, etc.. all had programs and research institutions devoted to nuclear weapons and all of them stopped thanks to US negotiations and incentives to ratify the non-proliferation treaty. Also, the guaranteed protection created by the US nuclear umbrella also deterred dozens of nations from pursuing nuclear weapons. US negotiating credibility on nuclear weapons is non-existant today thanks to worthless offensive gestures threatening to use nuclear weapons in a first-strike or threatening to develop bunker busters that will be used in war or deploying worthless tactical nuclear weapons (which are designed to be used in battlefields) Changing these policies wouldn't end proliferation but it would give the non-proliferation regime a much needed shot in the arm and ultimately put the burden on proliferating states to defend their actions rather than scapegoating the US on its own nuclear weapons policies.
North Korea is now threatening war if sanctions are imposed against it. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061011...MiCscEA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea stoked regional tensions Wednesday, threatening more nuclear tests and saying additional sanctions imposed on it would be considered an act of war, as nervous neighbors raced to bolster defenses and punish Pyongyang. South Korea said it was making sure its troops were prepared for atomic warfare, and Japan imposed new economic sanctions to hit the economic lifeline of the communist nation's 1 million-member military, the world's fifth-largest. 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. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States would not attack North Korea, rejecting a suggestion that Pyongyang may feel it needs nuclear weapons to stave off an Iraq-style U.S. invasion. Rice told CNN that President Bush has told the North Koreans that "there is no intention to invade or attack them. So they have that guarantee. ... I don't know what more they want." But she also said that the decision by Pyongyang to go ahead with its nuclear program means it likely will see "international condemnation and international sanctions unlike anything that they have faced before." North Korea's No. 2 leader Kim Yong Nam threatened in an interview with a Japanese news agency that there would also be more nuclear tests if Washington continued what he called its "hostile attitude." Kim, second to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, told Kyodo News agency that further nuclear testing would hinge on U.S. policy toward his communist government. "The issue of future nuclear tests is linked to U.S. policy toward our country," Kim Yong Nam was quoted as saying when asked whether Pyongyang will conduct more tests. Along the razor-wired no-man's-land separating the divided Koreas, communist troops were more boldly trying to provoke their southern counterparts: spitting across the demarcation line, making throat-slashing hand gestures, flashing their middle finger and trying to talk to the troops, said U.S. Army Maj. Jose DeVarona of Fayetteville, N.C., adding that the overall situation was calm. On the streets of North Korea's capital, it seemed like business as usual. Video by AP Television News showed people milling about Kim II Sung square in Pyongyang and rehearsing a performance for the 80th anniversary of the "Down with Imperialism Union." South Korean Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said that Seoul could enlarge its conventional arsenal to deal with a potentially nuclear-armed North Korea. Scientists and other governments have said Monday's underground test has yet to be confirmed, with some experts saying the blast was significantly smaller than even the first nuclear bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. North Korea appeared to respond to that Wednesday, saying in its statement that it "successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions." In rare direct criticism of the communist regime from Seoul, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said the security threat cited by North Korea "either does not exist in reality, or is very exaggerated," according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. He spoke even as South Korea's military was checking its readiness for nuclear attack, Yonhap said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended improving the military's defenses, possibly with state-of-the-art weapons to destroy nuclear missiles, the report said. The top U.S. general in South Korea said that American forces are fully capable of deterring an attack despite the North's still-unconfirmed nuclear test. "Be assured that the alliance has the forces necessary to deter aggression, and should deterrence fail, decisively defeat any North Korean attack against" South Korea, U.S. Army Gen. B.B. Bell said in a statement to troops. "U.S. forces have been well- trained to confront nuclear, biological and chemical threats." About 29,500 U.S. soldiers are deployed in the South, a remnant of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a cease-fire, not a formal peace treaty. Bell said seismic waves detected after the claimed test were still being analyzed and it had not been yet determined if the test was successful. Japan took steps to punish North Korea for the test, prohibiting its ships from entering Japanese ports and imposing a total ban on imports from the impoverished nation. North Korean nationals are also prohibited from entering Japan, with limited exceptions, the Cabinet Office said in a statement released after an emergency security meeting late Wednesday. A total ban on imports and ships could be disastrous for North Korea, whose produce like clams and mushroom earns precious foreign currency on the Japanese market. Ferries also serve as a major conduit of communication between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations. Tokyo has already halted food aid and imposed limited financial sanctions against North Korea after it test-fired seven missiles into waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula in July, including one capable of reaching the United States. A report that North Korea may have conducted a second test rattled nerves Wednesday before the Japanese government said there was no indication of a blast. Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported around 8:30 a.m. that unidentified government sources were saying "tremors" had been detected in North Korea. South Korean and U.S. seismic monitoring stations said they hadn't detected any indications of a second test, findings backed by White House spokesman Blair Jones. With the United Nations debating how to respond to North Korea, China agreed to punishment but not the severe sanctions backed by the U.S. Beijing is seen as having the greatest outside leverage on North Korea as a traditional ally and top provider of badly needed economic and energy aid. The United States asked the U.N. Security Council to impose a partial trade embargo including strict limits on Korea's weapons exports and freezing of related financial assets. All imports would be inspected too, to filter materials that could be made into nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
FWIW a wire report just came across stating that the US says an air sample taken after the NK nuclear test contained no radiation. i guess that's how they test for it. i don't know. just passing the word along.
Now that's typical of the North Koreans. Now they are scamming both sides. They're going to sell untested nuclear weapons to the Iranians and other terrorists. You know they don't have quality controls so who is going to regulate the price/blast per megaton? The United Nations needs to do some more hand wringing and sanction threatening. It seems like there are no more principles in weapons dealing any more.
That's the report I've seen. Apparently it was a test gone wrong, but a test, nonetheless. I would support a naval and air blockade of North Korea, and I would expect the Chinese and Russian governments to support it. If they do not, let them explain themselves to the world. We have to do everything possible to keep this mad regime from selling it's weapons and radioactive materials to those who would use them on London, Tokyo, Paris, Moscow, New York, or Beijing. No one is safe from those this regime would do business with. And no one can say just what they are capable of. Keep D&D Civil.
I don't think Russian and Chinese, especially Chinese, will support US naval and airblockade. It will not be about supporting Kim, but rather about US naval and air presense in war form that close to Chinese coast. It possess thread and it's about "face" as well. No matter US likes Cuban or not, it will never let Russian army come near it, whether it's for blockade or support. However, I do see the possibility China joining some sort of sanction by cutting down support, but in low-key. Do you think N.K. hates US most? You are wrong. They hate China. Look back at those relationships in the history, China-Soviet, China-Vietnam, China-Albania etc. Ask vietnamese, do they have harder feeling against China or US. Long term history sits deeper in people's mind than one war 50 some years ago. N.K. cannot to do any demage to US, but they could do something bad to China, their so-called only supporter. They are doing plenty of them now, like government supported forged money (in RMB) business, smuggling, army soldiers entering China to rob etc etc. It's a very delicate case for China. They have to respond, but with control and talk. It's so easy for US to blame China didn't keep N.K. in check, after Bush irrated a mad man and attention w**** again and again. Japan and S.K. are throwing heavy sanctions against them. Wait till China joins the party, and you will see reaction from N.K., they are waiting for that to rally their people to fight the evil China. Since when, have you ever seen a dictatorship appreciating any support from the past? N.K. leveled all the tombs and memorials of Chinese soldiers died in the Korean War, including Mao's son. There was no mentioning about Chinese support in their "Victory over US" memorial. Kim is having a hard time to control the army, he's eagerly provoking and waiting for a chance to rally the army and people and cleanse army officials. A full-scale naval and airblockade is exactly what he's dreaming of.
A military blockade is an act of war, too hostile approach considering the situation IMO. The NK would be stupid to attack China. OK they are stupid enough, but attacking China would be stupidity at a whole differnt level.
the best i can say for you, real_egal, is that you're rather un-informed. NK hates Japan the most, by far. every other nation are tied for 2nd place.
From what I read and heard, N.K.'s No.1 sworn enemy was, has been, and will always be the United States. They blame every bad thing that happens in their country on us.
This would be a great thread. Start a new thread and give us your impressions of what's going on in Iran!
A better thread would be - What are we doing about what's going on in Iran.... On second thought, that would be a pretty empty thread.
That is because they feel threatened by US. But look at who is most aggressive on pushing for the harshest possible sanctions - Japan. Koreans' hatred towards Japanese runs hundreds of years long.
what specifically have read; from whom specifically did you hear. Korea's hatred for Japan has spanned centuries, before there was a USA
the deep hatred is mutual. American Baseballers playing in Japan learn quickly that the most effective way to insult a Japanese oppoent is, not to talk about their mother nor wife/girl friend, to call them "Korean". In Japan, that is an insult to the highest degree.
I was talking about government reactions. Neither US people can send troops or talk to Kim, nor could N.K. people can claim war. In fact, North Koreans just accept whatever Kim has fed them, because they don't have a choice to even know about anything else. I stand corrected that the current N.K. regime, especially Kim hates China more than US or Japan. Don't forget, China was the only country has supported N.K. regime throughout all these years, but the only foreign land N.K. occupies is part of the Northern China.
But N. Korea has a history of actually kidnapping Japanese citizens and officials. They have actually taken offensive steps towards Japan.
That's provocation, just like what they did to S.K. The government backed forge money and smuggling business in Northern China, and N.K. soldiers entering China for organized robbery, those were equally offensive steps. They are hostile towards Japan, and still officially in war with S.K., it's sort of understandable for the provocation. However, to China, the only supporter they had for years, they are taking offensive steps without kisnapping but with many other means, it's a whole different level of provocation. If Israel poses offensively towards other Middle Eastern countries, you would think it's normal. However, if their leader calls out US in the world stage that US is "unreliable", and refuses to meet US high level officials visiting Israel, would you consider that very offensive, and it spells out hatred? Kim did exactly that, not to mention leveling all the tombs of Chinese soldiers who died in the Korean War helping them fight against US. To me, those actions are far more offensive than kidnapping a couple of people from so-called "enemy country". Yes, Japan put sanction on them, what are they going to do? Maybe trying to kidnap a few more Japanese? That's about it. Are they going to start a full-scale war against Japan? I don't know how. On the other hand, wait till Chinese goes with heavy sanction, they will sure show more "anger", not to start a war, but at least they are going to provoke more, like opening the refugee flood or shooting at Chinese at the boarder. What can China do about that? Sending the army to punish them? The Western will be jump up and down, crying for Chinese aggression, all talking heads and so-called academics will be out there praising each other "I told you so. China is the Aggressor in Asia and the only unstable source in Asia". That's how I see the situation.
