posted on October 2, 2003 09:46:33 AM new
The North is claiming to have seperated plutonium from it's used fuel, and will assemble them into weapons.
This is what the current administration in the US has claimed is intolerable to it before.
They are even worried they may be able to use less metal per bomb meaning they could have as many as 6 instead of two. With more to come soon.
Will they -
1. Cave and give N. Korea assurances of nonaggression which would have to include a big black mail payment of food and fuel to mean anything.
Or.......
2. Strike them with a heavy nuclear hit not using ground forces since they are simply tied up in the middle east. And blockade them?
If they cave will the North take that as license to ratchet up it's pressure on the South?
posted on October 2, 2003 11:10:25 AM new
With the axis of evil concept, George Bush created a monster. The inclusion of Korea in that comment served only to inflame and reduce the possibility of peaceful solution to the problem. I hope that a nuclear war is not under consideration by this wild and crazy administration.
The Bush Administration has directed the Pentagon to develop plans for a flexible policy in the use of nuclear weapons, authorizing their use in three potential scenarios.
1. Nuclear weapons could be employed in “retaliation for attack with nuclear biological or chemical weapons”
2.Nuclear weapons could be employed “against targets able to withstand non-nuclear attack,” an apparent reference to North Korean underground industrial and military facilities.
3. A third category called for nuclear attack “in the event of surprising military developments,” a phrase vague enough to allow open-ended interpretation. The policy directed the Pentagon to be prepared to use nuclear weapons against seven countries: Russia, China, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Libya and Syria
Outside the US and George Bush few people believe the information that Korea is a nuclear threat.
Outside the U.S., not everyone bought the story. The South Korean Defense Ministry questioned the assertion that North Korea had already built plutonium nuclear weapons and pointed out that these bombs – “if they exist, would weigh between 2 and 3 tons because of lack of technology to make them lighter.” The weight of such weapons would exceed the delivery capability of North Korea’s missiles and bombers. (17) Russian military analysts concluded that North Korea lacks the “military and economic potential” to produce nuclear weapons and that the “existing military potential of the DPRK is quite definitely of defensive nature.” (18) U.S. Undersecretary John Bolton visited Russia and presented U.S. evidence of the North Korean nuclear weapons program, hoping to persuade the Russians to back American pressure on North Korea. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov was distinctly unimpressed with the quality of such evidence, stating that “the Russian side has not yet received any convincing evidence of the existence of such a program.” (19) South Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-Hyun suspected that the U.S. was not being entirely honest. “I am afraid that Kang Sok-Ju’s remarks were quoted without their full context.” Lim Dong-Won, South Korean Presidential Advisor for Security and Unification, commented that the timing was suspicious. “The U.S. notified us of the secret program in August, when Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi planned to visit Pyongyang and the two Koreas embarked on reconnection of railways and roads.” (20) There was an added reason for suspicion about the timing of the announcement, which was sure to have an effect on the South Korean presidential election scheduled to take place on December 19.
posted on October 2, 2003 11:45:00 AM new
It's weird how the idea has changed from wanting to get rid of terrorists, to now wanting to get rid of leaders. Is that allowed?
posted on October 2, 2003 04:50:43 PM new
I don't know, gravid. Appears they're dragging these 'talks' out as long as possible. How often are they meeting?.... Once a month or once every two months?
At least, imo, Bush did get the beginning of what he wanted which was the other countries to be involved in this process, rather than just the one-on-one Jong 11 wanted.
Last I read, in response to your #1 option was that we may be willing to 'consider' that, but only AFTER NK gets rid of the program. And since they say they won't get rid of the program UNTIL we give into their requests for 'bribes' and assurances this may go on for quite a while.
Of course, should NK use any nuclear I think it's quite clear what action Bush would take.
I'd be interested in reading how you think President Bush should be handling it. Did you agree with the 'bribe' money and oil the clinton administration was using to 'keep the peace'? That didn't seem to work as the NKs were working on the program anyway. Do you agree with more funding being put into our missile defense program in the event we see their missiles headed our way?
posted on October 2, 2003 07:39:05 PM new
Honestly I feel that the South does not welcome US troops or help anymore and this generation does not feel the North is a threat so I'd never overstay my welcome.
If they estimated their Northern neighbor wrong they can deal with it by themselves.
I'm guessing they would fold rather than fight and of course if the North was running the South they'd be starving too in a year.
Then when the whole peninsula is governed from the North Japan will have to deal with it.
They can - but they don't want to.
