N. Korea going off the deep end? Rockets "On Alert" to strike US military bases.

[99th_Monkey]

This can't be good news. When nations act like this, nothing good ever
comes of it. WTF are they thinking? They seem to be inviting a "preemptive
attack", by the US and/or S. Korea. It's just stupid. How can people be
so damned idiotic, when there are so many things that can "go wrong" when
tensions are ramped up like this. Not that the US is completely innocent of
escalating things, but still. I find this development very troubling.

North Korea Rockets On Standby To Hit U.S. Bases On Kim Jong Un's Orders, KCNA Reports
Reuters | Posted: 03/28/2013 7:16 pm EDT | Updated: 03/28/2013 10:10 pm EDT

By David Chance and Phil Stewart

SEOUL/WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - North Korea put its rocket units on standby on Friday to attack U.S. military bases in South Korea and the Pacific, after the United States flew two nuclear-capable stealth bombers over the Korean peninsula in a rare show of force.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed off on the order at a midnight meeting of top generals and "judged the time has come to settle accounts with the U.S. imperialists in view of the prevailing situation", official KCNA news agency said.

On Thursday, the United States flew two radar-evading B-2 Spirit bombers on practice runs over South Korea, responding to a series of North Korean threats. They flew from the United States and back in what appeared to be the first exercise of its kind, designed to show America's ability to conduct long-range, precision strikes "quickly and at will", the U.S. military said.

The news of Kim's response was unusually swift.

"He finally signed the plan on technical preparations of strategic rockets of the KPA, ordering them to be standby for fire so that they may strike any time the U.S. mainland, its military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in south Korea," KCNA said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/north-korea-rockets-on-standby-kim-jong_n_2975245.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. You know what is scary?

Everybody, BBC, CBS, Al Jazeera, they are running the same story.

[99th_Monkey]

2. This is like handing the US Military an engraved invitation on a silver platter, saying

"Attack us PLEASE, or you have NO BALLS!!!"

"PLEASE Attack us immediately, or we might just let you have it, while you hesitate!!!!"

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Well, the US and SK have had a perfect chance

To resume hostilities in 2010, when NK sank the Chosan, 42 sailors died, and used an island with civilians for artillery practice.

Yes...tensions are even higher tan 2010, but none is rushing to war. What people fear s a misstep and here we go.

[HereSince1628]

4. What internal problem in NK needs to be hidden from its people?

This show is for them, not for us.

No military leader is going to try to beat the US with unreliable ICBMs. Considering they haven't really shown they've got a working nuke small enough to be tossed as a missile warhead, ConEx shipping containers are more a threat than their missles.


It's like the Dear Young Leader is working on a remake of "The Mouse that Roared"

[Marrah_G]

6. All internal problems are hidden from it's people

Questioning the government in any way will get your whole family sentenced to concentration labor camps until you die.

[99th_Monkey]

8. Whether the show is intended for us or not, the US military isn't used to

having their nose tweaked so brazenly and publicly like this. Regardless of
the odds that N Korea would actually DO such a thing, the military approach
is often to go for the first strike, and call it "preemptive", pointing to these
kinds of threats as the justification.

I appreciate your laid back sentiments, but reserve the right to continue to
be troubled about how the N Korea "situation" is developing.

[HereSince1628]

12. I think this is the 4th time I've seen NK scream crisis...it's usually about an internal problem

They bluster mightily, after adequate posturing (so both sides claim they have strong position) the US and other nations come up with a package of fuel/heating oil and or food that the north koreans critically need.

Then the problem goes away until next time, and in the interim they try to reach a more threatening posture. This time the internet and their recent missile and nuke testing make those threats louder but not really very credible.

If we put an air and naval blockade on NK and start moving forces to the Phillipines and Japan we'd be actually positioning for an attack.

[99th_Monkey]

14. I don't doubt N Korea has "internal problems"

and chooses to divert attention accordingly with bluster & bravado
on the world stage.

All I was originally saying is that this announcement about pointing their
missiles at US bases and putting them all on "stand-by alert", is making
it all the more likely that some unintended freak "incident" will ignite
military hostilities that spin out of control.

Maybe I'm just unclear on what your issue is with that observation, or
even if you have one. Are you saying you agree with that assessment,
or that you disagree?

[HiPointDem]

20. how about when the us screams crisis?

[HereSince1628]

28. Yes, we could make smoke, but I don't see the need for such a diversion.

Which obviously is not to say something can't go on outside of my vision

[HiPointDem]

30. but you see the need in korea? because of your deep knowledge of korea as opposed to the US?

[HereSince1628]

31. No and no, but I've seen Korea do this sort of thing many times now.

This time it involves loud nuclear missile threats, which is a first...but the threats against US territory aren't credible

Still it's the same sort of thing they've done in the past. Lots of noise, threatening postures...

if it is the same pattern, pretty soon they'll 'negotiate' for fuel or food.

[longship]

10. First, NK has no ICBMs.

They barely have an operational short range missile, if they even have that. Their recent missile tests have been problematic at best, and likely not really totally functional even at short range. If NK launches a missile attack it might more easily hit NK than any other place.

Concerning nukes, NK has not ever successfully tested a bomb, AFAIK. Their last test had a yield of ~6 Ktons, in other words no chain reaction. But I imagine that they are well practiced in blowing a nuke assembly apart, a problem if they can deliver such a dirty bomb to a target. With their missile failures, I wouldn't bet on it.

I feel strongly that NK is no threat to US mainland or possessions. SK is another issue.

This is a country which cannot even feed their populace. They seem to have only two purposes, bullying their neighbors and starving their population.

I am worried about NK but not that they will attack us. However, they can sure stir up a hornet's nest in the area.

[HereSince1628]

13. I think they have ballistic missiles that work, they have intercontinental missles that mostly don't

They almost certainly don't have a nuclear warhead small enough to toss with a missile

[longship]

15. They have zero ICBMs.

The only missiles they have tested are not ICBMs. And a minority of those were successfully tested.

The US would consider the testing of an ICBM by DPRK as a provocation. We would not have heard about Syria or Iran, we would hear about DPRK.

I have not heard of any such thing as an ICBM in DPRK's hands. I could have missed something, but I don't think so. Maybe you can provide a link to an authoritative source.

Thanks.

BTW, they also do not seem to have a nuclear weapon. They certainly don't seem to have had a successful test. At best, a low yield. The last test was 6 Ktons, in other words, a dud. Nota bene: there's a huge difference between a bomb used in a static underground test and an actual deliverable weapon. Even if DPRK has a working nuke -- no evidence so far -- they may not be able to deliver it to a target. Even if they can deliver it, they haven't yet had a successful test. It probably won't work. It would be a dirty bomb, though.

I am worried about these knuckleheads, but please, let's not worry about missiles from Pyongyang hitting Honolulu, let alone Austin, TX.

[Marrah_G]

5. My heart goes out to the N.Korean and S Korean people

They are the ones who will pay for it if N. Korea's insane leader decides to fire those rockets.

The North Koreans live such an oppressed and isolated life, filled with fear and paranoia.

[99th_Monkey]

7. Right on! I totally agree. n/t

[JaneyVee]

9. Propaganda.

[AsahinaKimi]

11. Its Saber Rattling...

This is probably all Rodman's fault, not writing a Thank You note for the visit or forgetting
to send that signed official NBA basketball.

[99Forever]

16. It's a level of insanity that I don't ...

.. think we can actually grasp. I can't even wrap my head around killing ANY one person...

.. it boggles my mind. Seriously.

[JCMach1]

17. Eye off the ball much the last 20 years?

as N. Korea developed missile capabilities and weapons of mass destruction...

Bush's wars cost us again.

[TwilightGardener]

19. You nailed it. REAL threat, going on here.

[talkingmime]

18. We should be shaking in our boots. They've got at LEAST 100 short-range rockets.

Perhaps six or so nuclear weapons on antiquated boosters and almost useless guidance systems. I doubt that's what the generals are telling the child king, but they really don't grasp what they are up against there. This isn't 1950 and we won't need boots on the ground. If they're seriously dumb enough (or arrogant enough) to try something, they won't last long.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

21. One should never take a threat lightly.

[talkingmime]

24. I'm not taking it lightly. I just don't think N. Korea has thought it through that well.

It's obvious that they can strike S. Korea, as they've proven before. They pose the US no threat. But if they start anything, especially with their recent rhetoric, we've got more than enough firepower in the region to wipe them out without using troops on the ground. They don't have the technology, the firepower, the communication systems, the coordination of units, or anything else necessary for a ground invasion, but should they attempt it, it wouldn't last long. The central points of command are well known and would be wiped out as quickly as our missiles can get there.

I'm not advocating any of this by any means, but it's sad that they are so delusional that they would risk the entire population of the country over ignorance and arrogance. Unlike Afghanistan where the "enemy" hides within the citizenry, all of the military targets in N. Korea are easy to identify - they have electricity and use it to light up their facilities at night. I'm sure all of those coordinates are already programmed in and ready for a retaliatory strike at any moment.

I just hope we can avoid, or at least minimize, civilian casualties. We don't have a great track record in the Middle East.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

32. I don't share your enthusiasm that it will be over and done with so quickly.

Things seldom go as planned in wartime.

[talkingmime]

34. My point is that N. Korea is either ignorant or suicidal. Times have changed, well,...

... everywhere but there.

And no, they don't go as planned, pretty much ever (except in "Star Wars: A New Hope&quot . But we have more firepower in the immediate region (not counting troops on the ground) to completely wipe out the entire country. I do however have confidence that, if for no other reason than public opinion in the US, the military is focused on N. Korean military targets with the express intent of avoiding civilian casualties.

My point in comparing it to Afghanistan was that there is not distinguishing factor there. N. Korea literally "lights up" their military installations as legitimate military targets. Funny how that works.

[99th_Monkey]

35. Thank you

I totally agree.

[Marrah_G]

22. I wouldn't blame the residents of Seoul for being nervous

[talkingmime]

23. We have a family from Korea (close friends) who left for that very reason 12 years ago.

[Marrah_G]

25. It's got to be like living next door to a lunatic with a bunker and an arsenal

Don't blame them one bit for moving.

I hope this is all just blustering. I would hate to see the people of South Korea under attack

[talkingmime]

29. Well, as I said in another post in this thread, it won't be like Afghanistan.

The only parts of N. Korea with lights at night are the military facilities. The rest of the country is dark. I'm certain all of those locations are already locked in as targets. Twenty minutes tops to wipe them out. In Afghanistan, the "enemy" hides within the civilians. N. Korea doesn't do that because there's no infrastructure to support them. The targets are obvious.

And as for S. Korea, the missile launch sites will be taken out first. At the slightest sign of a launch, we'll respond and no country on Earth (well, other than Iran, of course) would blame us. We also have justification - we're still at war with Korea. An armistice does not end a war, just suspends it.

[southernyankeebelle]

26. Well I hope to god they are getting the families living on the base out of the country.

That is one thing that always made me nervous living in another country.

[Cleita]

27. Lil' Kim playin' with his toy soldiers again!

Wait a minute! They are real!

However, before we go off half-cocked. Isn't this hair on fire stuff how our govt. gets us into wars? I will need many, many more facts before I agree.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. If the US wanted to restart the Korean war

It's not over, we have had plenty of past opportunities.