North Korea warns of 'fire shower of nuclear' attack

I would go with the former. I don't think they understand the concepts of missile interception, economics, or general sanity.

 

North Korea is like a child throwing a tantrum. The proper response is the proper response for that child - respond firmly and authoritatively, but dispassionately to show the child that acting out won't elicit a perceived favorable response, and above all don't get sucked into the child's name calling or the other childish games.

 

I fully agree! I would just sit back and let them wine and if they make one false move spank them. I'm getting sick and tired of N. Korea right about now.

 

You know how you deal with a bully, you beat his butt, or call his bluff.....

DD

 

The missile defense system is shaky at best.

 

North Korea is in a no-win situation as far as the nuclear situation goes. If they were to nuke South Korea, then North Korea itself would suffer the consequences of the radioactive fallout. The whole peninsula would be affected...with some of that depending on which way the winds carry the fallout. That also is not accounting for the fact that if they fire nukes...it would likely invite a nuclear retaliation. And, given China's proximity, China would definitely be impacted by any nukes going off in that region.

If we fought a non-nuke conventional war, then NK would probably shoot nukes if they were about to lose a conventional war...to assure SK's destruction in addition to their own.

The only way a war is going to start is if NK fires the first missiles. There is no reason for our side to start a war...regardless of all the threats and temper tantrums. Yes, NK will continue expanding their programs. But, unless we plan on taking them out with a nuke, then what can we reasonably do about it...other than what we have done up to this point (which is basically to isolate them)? Any new war would be devastating for the peninsula but, honestly, the world doesn't need another war. The environment certainly doesn't need it. The problem here is NK is paranoid and unpredictable...so they could very well sow their own fate in the end by their own actions. The question becomes are they crazy enough to start a war?

 

i think this is just more saber rattling.

(atleast i hope it is, i still have relatives that live in sk)

 

Say what you want, but Kim Jong Il is an egomaniac who is about to die. I would take his threat seriously. I really think he wants to go down in infamy.

 

I hate to admit I agree with this, strongly. If people would analyze him like a cult leader (Heaven's Gate freaky man, David Koresh, Jim Jones), you get to some pretty horrifying scenarios.

However, I don't know where that leads you in terms of international policy.

 

Except most schoolyard bullies aren't wearing explosives-laden vests that can take out most of the cafeteria and all your friends on the swing set.

Kim's not exactly screaming, "Die with a degree of dignity!" though, and passing out the cyanide syringes. Like his personality-cult father before him, the last I'd read he's trying to set up his son as a successor. Most doomsday-seeking cult leaders, for obvious reasons, aren't worried about propping up the lines of succession.

Count me in the 'hope this is just saber rattling' camp; if he is indeed ill or perceives himself as weakened, this seems more suited to heading off the coming internal power struggle via outward display(s) of strength.

 

Who is the bully in this case? What is North Korea doing to us or South Korea except saber rattling?

 

How do you respond when the child has a nuclear bomb? I'm tired of North Korea also because they no regard for their own citizens or anyone around them but they have nukes which is a game changer. That is why Iran wants nukes in the worse way.

 

North Korea is like the half aborted freak child of the Eur-Asian family of countries that lives in the basement and eats fish heads for dinner.

 

http://www.gulfnews.com/World/Korea/10325713.html


North Korea threatens to wipe US off map

Seoul: North Korea has threatened to "wipe out" the United States as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles soon.

The official Korean Central News Agency said on Wednesday that if the US starts another war, the army and people of Korea will "wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all."

North Korea has banned ships from the waters off its east coast from Thursday through July 10 for military exercises, Japan's Coast Guard said.

A senior South Korean government official said the no-sail ban is believed connected to North Korean plans to fire short- or mid-range missiles.

 

I like how North Korea always starts out their absurd threats by saying stuff like "If the US starts a war...", "If we are attacked by the United States..." stuff that we'd never bother doing anyway.

Oh Kim Jong Il, you lovable scamp.

 

They’ve test fired two nuclear bombs. One of them was a failure, with a yield smaller than the largest conventional bomb. The second "worked" and was still tiny by the standards of nuclear weapons.

Additionally, they have no delivery method which works. They've been working on ICBM's with a payload that is too small to carry a warhead, and each attempt has been a massive failure. Basically, if they wanted to use their nukes right now, they'd have to put them in the back of a truck and drive them to the detonation location.

I am more concerned about their ability to murder people in Seoul with conventional weapons than the "threat" of their nuclear weapons.

 

I don't think they test fired two nuclear bombs. I think they test fired two missles and fired one nuclear bomb underground. I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure that's how it went.

 

One in 2006, and one in 2009.