North Korea = JACKASSES

[Savage Messiah]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapc....us/index.html


U.S. says world united against N. Korean threat
Pyongyang tests 7 missiles; officials say more launches possible

Wednesday, July 5, 2006; Posted: 12:47 p.m. EDT (16:47 GMT)


(CNN) -- Japan on Wednesday called for "swift, strong" U.N. action in response to North Korea's missile tests, while U.S. officials cited "unprecedented" international unity on the issue.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said countries around the world have expressed concern "about this provocation."

"Whatever [the North Koreans] thought they were doing, they have gotten a very strong reaction from the international community," Rice said.

After a morning meeting of the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said, "No member defended what the North Koreans had done."

Japan's ambassador, Kenzo Oshima, said, "We hope the response from the council will be swift, strong and resolute."

While the ambassadors said the 15-member council would resume discussions Wednesday afternoon, U.S. and Australian officials warned North Korea may launch more missiles in the coming hours.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang said it was prepared to deal with any U.S. challenge to its security, hours after its test-firing of seven missiles ignited international concern. (Watch how missile tests shock the world -- 2:19)

An announcement on Pyongyang's Korean Central Broadcasting Station said North Korea's "strong war deterrent" had kept the country at peace and that it was prepared to respond to any moves by Washington, The Associated Press reported.

The broadcast did not mention the missile tests, but said, "Now, our military and people are fully prepared to cope with any provocation and challenge by U.S. imperialists," according to the AP. (Watch what North Korea's neighbors have to say about the tests -- 2:28)

North Korea fired seven missiles Wednesday, one long-range and five shorter-range missiles beginning shortly after 3:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. Tuesday ET) and a seventh missile around 5:20 p.m. (4:20 a.m. ET) Wednesday.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Wednesday that North Korea has additional missiles that could be launched in the next day.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also said more launches could be coming, the AP reported.

"We think they probably do intend to launch more missiles in the next day or two," the AP quoted Downer as saying after he phoned North Korea's ambassador to protest the launches.

The missile causing the most concern, the Taepodong-2, which some analysts say is capable of hitting the Western United States, was fired in the morning. It failed after about 40 seconds and landed in the sea about 200 miles (321 kilometers) west of Japan, U.S. officials said.

The short-range missiles also all landed in the Sea of Japan.

U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley described the missile launches as "provocative behavior" but said they posted no immediate threat to the United States. (Watch experts discuss the North Korean threat -- 3:35)

President Bush met with Hadley, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Rice as the tests were going on, a senior administration official said. (Watch the White House react to Pyongyang's "provocative" act -- 1:17)

Hadley said Washington was sending Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill to consult with U.S. allies in Asia after the tests.

Hill has been the lead U.S. negotiator in six-party talks -- which include the two Koreas, Japan, China and Russia -- aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.

"It's really quite unprecedented the degree to which everybody lined up opposed to these launches, launches that took place despite words of warning from world leaders," Hill said Wednesday of the international reaction.

The United States and Japan had urged Pyongyang to stick with the moratorium on long-range missile tests it declared in 1999, after it fired a Taepodong-1 missile over Japan in 1998.

Washington and North Korea's neighbors have been trying to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program since 2002.
Report: China urges calm

A spokesman for South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said after a National Security Council meeting Wednesday that North Korea must take responsibility for events resulting from its firing of the missiles.

"That has only served to strengthen the position of the hard-liners toward North Korea, will deepen the country's isolation and give an excuse for a military buildup in the region," Roh spokesman Suh Ju-suk said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao, in a brief statement posted on the ministry's Web site, expressed concern over North Korea's missile tests and urged all parties to remain calm, the AP reported.

Some analysts said the tests were also an effort by impoverished North Korea to redirect attention to the six-party talks.

"North Korea's point here is that they have capabilities, growing capabilities, and that they should be taken in a very serious way," said Wendy Sherman, a former U.S. State Department official who held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il during the Clinton administration.

Jim Walsh, a national security analyst at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also said the tests appeared to be an attempt to focus on North Korean demands in the six-party negotiations.
Analyst: Mastery may be decade away

But Walsh said the tests "do not represent an immediate military threat to the United States."

"It's very difficult technology. They very clearly have not mastered it," he said. "Most estimates are they will not master it for another 10 years."

Intelligence agencies had been watching preparations for the long-range test, but the shorter-range missiles were launched from a different site.

At least four of those missiles were variants of the Soviet-era Scud series, with ranges estimated from about 100 to more than 600 miles (160 to 965 kilometers).

[Savage Messiah]

and this is what a guy said on another board:

China prefers a divided Korea to a strong democratic Korea that would compete with them. But even they don't want too big a mess.

A number of other countries buy weapons from North Korea. They may not like North Korea, but they find them useful. "According to US sources, other customers of North Korean missile parts and technology include Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Vietnam."

This isn't that simple. Obviously North Korea is not going to attack us. That's too nuts, even for them.

But they think that testing weapons will get them something. They may be very wrong. But we have no obvious ways to fix this situation. War against North Korea would be more costly than the war in Iraq. If we squeeze them economically, their best source of income is more weapons sales. Our best strategy may be to contain them and hope the government falls internally. Not all that wonderful.



Then another guy said:

Technically, the Korean War never ended. We're just in a really long cease fire.

[wrightz28]

Yep, here we go again. I wonder if they'll roll out those corney cold war filmstrips where if you just cover your head when the bomb drops, you'll be fine, like Bobby,

It's a bomb, quick, duck and cover! That flash means act fast!

geez.

[Earlsfat]

We dropped the atomic bombs on the wrong country as far as I am concerned. Should have saved them and ended the Korean War the right way.

[Rally Sport]

I seriously wonder what N. Korea thinks its doing with these tests.. im glad that the Taepodong-2 one failed but any test data is good, so even if it failed the next one they test will be better.

Hopefully they'll quit though.

[Elk]

Originally Posted by Savage Messiah

Then another guy said:

Technically, the Korean War never ended. We're just in a really long cease fire.

If you really want to get technical Korean is “an on going policing action” since the U.S. hasn’t declared war since WWII.

Originally Posted by wrightz28

Yep, here we go again. I wonder if they'll roll out those corney cold war filmstrips where if you just cover your head when the bomb drops, you'll be fine, like Bobby,

It's a bomb, quick, duck and cover! That flash means act fast!

geez.

Actually if your far enough away to see the flash then your probably going to live if you “duck and cover” to keep from getting killed by flying debris and minimize your exposure to heat and radiation. Yes you might die of cancer at some point but that would be years away as long as you don’t do something stupid like make snow angels in the fallout.

[Rally Sport]

^I'll take my chances if I dont duck and cover as soon as I see a flash.

[666_speed]

Atleast they said it will hit the west coast first....glad I live in Kentucky! Seriously though, that is not good obviously. Weapons have put us in a very serious situation especially after pissing all those guys off with our action in Iraq. I hope this falls out into nothing but it's looking pretty bad so far.

[Savage Messiah]

yea, if it was just them testing bombs i wouldnt care, but the whole them supplying to Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Vietnam part concerns me. Especially if we put economic sanctions down, theyll sell more weapons to these countries, and I don't need to re-state Bush's opinion on Pakistan...

[goldz28]

We are the most hated nation in the world. I would not put it past them to do something stupid...

[CamaroRS92]

Yeah , isn't it funny that we are hated by european countries?
evidentally they forgot that it was the US that pulled their asses out of the skillet in WW II

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by Rally Sport

im glad that the Taepodong-2 one failed .

"failed" was the authorized release of info. Involved in fender bender with a patriot missle is a better probability

[Earlsfat]

Originally Posted by CamaroRS92

Yeah , isn't it funny that we are hated by european countries?
evidentally they forgot that it was the US that pulled their asses out of the skillet in WW II

And helped them in WWI, and the Vietnam War, and the Korean Conflict, not to mention the oodles of money we give away via debt forgiveness when their economies were all in the shitter. We should be given hummers for all we've done for the world.

I'm also not saying that I don't recognize and appreciate the help we received in the beginning: France during the revolution, yadda, yadda, yadda... But they act like we're a bunch of bastard, drug addict, criminal children. I'd like to see what they said if we just pulled all the AIDS funding for foreign countries. Just that one thing. Half the drugs were invented by AMERICANS, we're giving billions of dollars, and they wanna be pissy??? We should NUKE any country that so much as looks at us funny. (That'd leave alot of open real estate in the middle east!) I'd love to see all of those bastards get slapped like the limp-wristed, dick-breathed, ass-sucking, dim-witted, punk bitches they are.

[wrightz28]

Awwww, what the hell, I turn my head for 2 minutes and somebody got Jim all worked up, again.

[Earlsfat]

HAH! Went on vacation... started smoking again... quit Wednesday morning... It ain't taking much to set me off.

(GOD I love smoking)