This just in: North Korea to End armistice!

[Demerzel]

How exactly am I trolling?

You deny that Bush has a very hawkish rhetoric towards Iraq and North Korea?

You deny that North Korea has a very hawkish rhetoric towards the USA?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Sandman
This is clearly not insane behaviour from the North Koreans.

I would say it is brinkmanship. "Give me all of the aid I want and let me keep my nukes other wise there will be a war." The problem with the plan is a man like Bush wouldn't give in if he feels he's under the gun so NK will have to make good on his threats or back down. MY guess is he'll back down because China will make him.

[Ned]

The problem is that this guy is constantly escallating the rhetoric against the US. If ever the UN and the EU had to step in and say that this is a world matter, it is now.

[Demerzel]

yes we all do need to work together on stopping North Korea but surely we need to work with China as the only one who can really peacefully force North Korea to change.

War is unlikely to happen by non-North Korean forces as it would be extremely blooody indeed. So why, even remotely threaten that? Concentrate efforts on one thing at a time, i.e. Iraq first and then N.Korea not try to deal with both at same time.

[SlowwHand]

http://www.megastories.com/nkorea/glossary/war.htm

"It was General Dwight Eisenhower, coming to office as U.S. President in 1953, who forced the pace of negotiations to end the war. First, he settled the rift with the South Koreans by agreeing with President Rhee a mutual defence treaty without pressing the fighting for Korean reunification."

http://www.eisenhowerbirthplace.org/legacy/ike0001.htm

"terms of the Armistice signed in Panmunjom, the two Koreas were separated by a demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel, roughly the same border that existed prior to the war. The war was seen as proof that the United Nations could be counted on to resist aggression and that modem warfare could be conducted without resort to nuclear weapons. Ending the war was also of a personal interest to Eisenhower "

http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~korea/warevents.html

The unexpectant decision of China's entry into the war in early October turned the tide of the war. The Northern units, consisting of Sino-Korean troops, sent the U.N forces retreati ng again. On December 6, the Communist forces retook Pyongyang. And by the end of December, they recrossed the parallel and retook Seoul.

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Ned
I think the EU needs to send troops to replace US forces. This guy to the North of the 38th parallel is really crazy and a lot of Americans could end up being killed. It is high time for the Euros to take up some of the burden of policing the world against the insane.

Why should we? They are going to blow up the West Coast, not Europe.

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by DuncanK
This should not be another opportunity to Bash America.

It´s the mother of opportunities.

Chicken come home to roost early, this year.

[SlowwHand]

China. Behind a lot of things.

[DuncanK]

Ned,

You can tell that there is a great deal of difference between the way the Europeans and the US believe problems can be solved. The European way is to use straight diplomacy first, and then talk about military action. The US way is to get the troops over there, threaten military action and then talk diplomacy. The US way is undeniably more successfull. That's why we can talk all we want about the Europeans doing something here, but it's not going to happen, and I don't think we should allow this to be handled by the Europeans. It's too important.

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
What are you on about? It is because of your self-appointed righteousness that half these problems occur. We've had our fill of interference and manipulation, so why should we get in the way of your games?

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Comrade Tribune
Why should we? They are going to blow up the West Coast, not Europe.

It's not why you should. It's why you shouldn't. And the answer is because you're chicken.

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
You may not like diplomatic insults, but thats not quite the same as threatening to end the armistice and restarting a nuclear program.

You mean the US don´t have any nuclear program?

[Thorn]

C. Tribune : I believe his commment was directed toward NKorea.

[Spiffor]

Even though I find the whole chicken rethoric sickening, I agree with Duncan on one point : the EU has nothing to do there. For a very simple reason : in dealing with this nuclear threat, what we'll need is cohesion and determination. There is no such thing in the EU's foreign policy, since the Member States do approx. what they want, with a barely existing coordination.

South Korea, Japan, China, and the US are the main actors then. Best to listen to the South Koreans, rather than forcing a "solution" from Washington though.

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Did Kim really decide to suicide his country in a big boom or what ?
I hope he's a reasonable leader, who just uses hard talk to reinforce his bargaining position, but I can't say I'm sure. The more time passes, the more NK's poistion seems suicidal.

I believe he is a reasonable leader. BUT:

He is clearly not prepared to accept a threat to his country´s independence. A US buildup *is* such a threat, and, unlike Iraq, NK can do something about it.

I wouldn´t be surprised at all, if he is willing do go down with a 'BOOOM', rather than capitulating.

If the US are half-way reasonable, they will back down.