This just in: North Korea to End armistice!

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Caesar the Great
so kicking out nuclear inspectors and restarting a nuclear weapons program is not taking crap from us??

Well, they are in their rights; they officially opted out of the treaty.

Originally posted by Caesar the Great
when they develop missles which an reach your country, we'll see what you have to say.

I think they can do that already; but they have no reason to threaten us. Of course, in a full-scale Atomic War between NK and the US, there will be fallout everywhere, which I find mildly alarming, so I hope the US will back down and learn their lesson.

[Caesar the Great]

this has been going on for a lot longer than bush has been president... they tried something like this about a decade ago. they want food, oil etc b/c they can't afford to have these and a huge military force at the same time. so they threaten some of their neighbors and we give in.

[Thorn]

Bush may be right, but if his actions spark Wwar III, is it really worth it?!! I mean, "I was right", yet millions had to suffer to prove this. North Korea may be an axis of evil... but is getting everyone to hear you're really cool insult worth starting the path to WAR?!

Oh and go to hell Paul.. ignoring me for more than a year.....!!!

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by DuncanK
Don't take this the wrong way, but that's why the US is better at these things.

Don't take this the wrong way, but that's why the US is now in danger of getting nuked.

[Caesar the Great]

Originally posted by Comrade Tribune


Well, they are in their rights; they officially opted out of the treaty.

ok, go opt out of the UN, so you won't have to take any more crap from us.

I think they can do that already; but they have no reason to threaten us. Of course, in a full-scale Atomic War between NK and the US, there will be fallout everywhere, which I find mildly alarming, so I hope the US will back down and learn their lesson.

there isn't anything worth nuking in your country anyway

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Caesar the Great
this has been going on for a lot longer than bush has been president... they tried something like this about a decade ago. they want food, oil etc b/c they can't afford to have these and a huge military force at the same time. so they threaten some of their neighbors and we give in.

Yes they did. But this time the threats came from the other direction. In other words if Bush had kept his mouth shut the problem would have arisen when he was ready to deal with it.

[Demerzel]

Originally posted by DuncanK
Demerzel,

Diplomacy never works with dictators like this unless they think you will use force if no deal is made to your liking. If he doesn't think we will take military action he will never negotiate. Don't take this the wrong way, but that's why the US is better at these things.

I still believe in the carrot and stick approach.

As I've mentioned several times, diplomacy involving China ( esp. now China is starting to try to make itself more respectable on the international scene ) would pay great benefits when offering incentives to North Korea to back down ( carrot )

The threat of making life more difficult for North Korea ( stick ) would then back it up, not be the primary method.

Remember you get more flies with honey than with vinegar.

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by Comrade Tribune
Don't take this the wrong way, but that's why the US is now in danger of getting nuked.

What's NK going to do, roll a nuke in an oil drum across Siberia and Canada?

[Caesar the Great]

Originally posted by Agathon


Yes they did. But this time the threats came from the other direction. In other words if Bush had kept his mouth shut the problem would have arisen when he was ready to deal with it.

don't get me wrong, I have disagreed with a lot of Bush's actions in the past. (I was screaming at the TV when he gave that "axis of evil" speech) but this problem has to be solved, someday they're going to acquire a nuke (assuming they don't have one already) and that makes the situation a hell of a lot more complicated.

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Caesar the Great
ok, go opt out of NATO, so you won't have to take any more crap from us.

We never opted in; Austria is neutral.

(But I wouldn´t expect an American to find Europe on the map, let alone know who belongs to what alliance. )

[Jon Shafer]

I see 2 possibilities here:

1) NK talks big and tough for a while. US builds up forces in the region. NK 'draws the line'. US crosses the line. China smacks NK and Kim isn't seen again until they finish their nuke program.

2) Kim realizes his comments aren't getting him anywhere, anticipates possibility #1, and shuts up until NK finishes their nuke program.

Three things will occur in either situation:
There won't be a war.
NK will eventually get nukes.
Europe won't do a thing.



After situations 1 or 2, beats me what'll happen. NK will probably attack SK or something fun like that.

[Caesar the Great]

Originally posted by Comrade Tribune


We never opted in; Austria is neutral.

(But I wouldn´t expect an American to find Europe on the map, let alone know who belongs to what alliance. )

wonderful, i had to go and prove your point for you

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Caesar the Great


don't get me wrong, I have disagreed with a lot of Bush's actions in the past. (I was screaming at the TV when he gave that "axis of evil" speech) but this problem has to be solved, someday they're going to acquire a nuke (assuming they don't have one already) and that makes the situation a hell of a lot more complicated.

Fair enough, but I'm worried that, unless someone checks him, Bush is going to keep making dumb mistakes like this and get himself into an irretrievable situation (if he hasn't done already with the Iraq debacle).

Nice avatar BTW, I've always loved that album. I think someone needs to sit GWB down and play him, "You can't always get what you want."

[Comrade Tribune]

Originally posted by Trip
What's NK going to do, roll a nuke in an oil drum across Siberia and Canada?

You aren´t up to date. They don´t just have nukes; they have intercontinental rockets as well.

***
'North Korea: Nuclear-Missile Threat Adds to Americans' Worries
By Jeffrey Donovan

For the first time, U.S. officials have said they believe North Korea has the capability to hit the West Coast of the United States with nuclear-tipped missiles. As RFE/RL reports, the revelation is just one more reason for Americans to be jittery.

Washington, 13 February 2003 (RFE/RL) -- With Americans skittish about terrorist attacks at home, a possible war with Iraq and a slumping domestic economy, what more could they be worried about? How about a nuclear strike by North Korea?

For the first time, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has confirmed that Pyongyang has the capability of hitting the western United States with nuclear-tipped missiles.

The announcement was made yesterday by CIA Director George Tenet during a hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee. It came as the United Nations nuclear agency ruled that North Korea is in breach of atomic safeguards.

Senator Evan Bayh asked the CIA chief about North Korea's ability to inflict damage on the United States: "What is the likelihood that [the North Koreans] currently have a missile capable of hitting the West Coast of the United States?"

Tenet, pausing to confer with officials behind him, replied, "I think the declassified answer is, yes, they can do that."

Tenet said the North Koreans probably have one or two "plutonium-based devices" today.

It is the first time the United States has publicly acknowledged that North Korea has such a missile capability, though media reports have long asserted that Pyongyang's long-range missiles could probably hit the West Coast.'
***

[Agathon]

Hey they can nuke Redmond as far as I am concerned.

Gates dies in a firey holocaust, great!

Just as long as they don't target Cupertino.