Kim Jong Says It's Time To Get Ill
On the Fourth of July, North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-il launched a salvo of seven short, medium, and long range missiles.
It's oddly coincidental that at about the same time Americans were shooting rockets into the sky to celebrate independence, Kim Jong-il and his communist regime decided to shoot rockets into the sky over the Sea of Japan.
It's almost poetic. One nation shoots rockets to celebrate freedom, democracy, and independence while another nation shoots rockets in an act of belligerence and aggression toward the nation of freedom, democracy, and independence.
Despite the failure of the single long-range missile, the Taepo Dong-2, the launches confirmed that North Korea is seeking to advance its missile arsenal which could pose a greater threat to both the United States and its allies in Asia.
While North Korea is openly pursuing nuclear weapons and is thought to have a small number of such weapons, mating these weapons to ballistic missile delivery systems requires additional technological steps which seem to have not been achieved either.
North Korea has long had an array of weapons that could destroy Seoul or hit Japan, including American forces based there. The only new element in the dramatic barrage into the Sea of Japan was the launching of its intercontinental-range Taepo Dong-2, the missile that, if they get it working, could possibly hit targets within the continental United States.
So far they have tested the Taepo Dong twice and both have failed dismally, but just in case we parked a Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense cruiser just outside North Korean waters to intercept any missiles that may have posed a possible threat.
North Korea is known for its erratic behavior. They have a history of doing provocative things to improve its position at the bargaining table and obtaining concessions from the rest of the world.
As for attempting to use the launch as a negotiation point we could possibly tell Lil' Kim -
“Never mind we thought you guys were dangerous. We may have over emphasized your capabilities. We’ll get back to you when your missiles can actually leave the launch pad.”
Certainly telemetry and other data from failed missiles will help their scientists avoid mistakes in the future and eventually get it right. Add to that the fact that North Korea has developed strong relationships with enemies of the U.S. (Iran), and the result is cause of great concern.
The U.S. and Japan have agreed to work together on a U.N. resolution demanding that nations halt funds and technology that could be used for North Korea's missile program.
Surprisingly <---insert sarcasm here Russia and China oppose sanctions against North Korea.
But, nothing seems to have dissuaded Kim Jong-il from his present course of action and he has vowed to carry out more tests and threatened to use force if the international community tried to stop him.
If the U.N. Security Council can't agree on how to handle this situation, how will it be resolved?
We all know how well crazy dictators listen to the U.N. ...
You can only yell "Stop! Or We Shall Say Stop! Again" so many times.
Will it be resolved by the international community, or will the U.S. and Japan eventually take matters into their own hands?
posted by Digital Fortress at 08:22
5 Comments:
So, Kimshi popped off another scud....
Let's hear more from Great Leader in Pyongyang-
George Bloosh you sum beechie! Why for U no shoot my Scuds? Specialli why no shoot me Long Lange Dong? Madame Allbite and Jimmy Klotter gonna hear flum dis kewl NK kat bligg time. Me lookie for new woket scientist as old one swimming wiff da fishes in the Sea of Japan. Maybe New Lork Times or L Ray Times help me wiff missle builting if I subsclibe to their daily intel goldmine rags called newspapers. When the Plime Minister of Japan sang "Rove Me Tender" ...I wanted to touch myself. Ooops! Gotta Go! Rater Gator!!!
I crack myself up!
This is probably a China-orchestrated event.
What leverage do we have even with the Chinese?
They are pulling the strings behind North Korea, you can bet on that.
Posturing over Taiwan doesn't actually accomplish anything for us. There must be something we have that could hit them strategically.
I think unfortunately they have us over a barrel. The only playing card we have might be their uncertainty as to whether or not we would jump in with both feet if they attack Taiwan. Their military build-up does seem to emphasize their navy, and perhaps it's a question of our maintaining our own presence in the area to show we control that SLOC down through the straits and around through the gulf. The US navy ensures the openness and safety of that route, and it should stay that way. With their control over US currency, their exploitation of US technical and scientific info, and the trade imbalance, It doesn't look like we hold many long-term cards except the military one.
A direct confrontation with China is not something I even want to ponder. Scary thought.
Russia and China will have to face this resolution soon, possibly as early as Sunday. If they veto the resolution, likely Japan will start to consider its own options. They include termination of trade and assistance to Kim's regime, and perhaps even nuclearization as a MAD deterrent to Kim's provocations. The Chinese will not like that option one bit, and even the consideration of such an option (which might be a tough sell to the Japanese anyway) will prompt China to finally get serious about reeling their client state back into a rational frame of mind.
Last time I heard of a weapon that big blowing up on the launch pad, over a hundred and thirty people died. Kim obviously has no cares for the lives of his people, I have no doubt that he'd be willing to sacrifice them to get an obvious sign of war.
Most likely, that results in an attack on South Korea, the border of which has been suffering from a buildup of northern troops, minimum. Worst case, China and the US start duking it out
Not worth the risk.
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