"Now what are you gonna do about it?"

[DanS]

This is likely a response from the reports that the US was planning a first strike.

You're thinking about a Rummy proposal for a regime change with China's help. It was supposed to have been done non-militarily.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DanS
This is likely a response from the reports that the US was planning a first strike.

You're thinking about a Rummy proposal for a regime change with China's help. It was supposed to have been done non-militarily.

No, an Australian paper leaked a news item a day or so back, but I didn't bookmark it and now I can't figure out where I saw it. It was an actual plan for hitting the suspected sites of the bomb preparation areas. So the DPRK says then, we've got some a-bombs, i.e., don't attack us or cuz we can nuke you or your allies.

I'll see if I can find the source, but right now I'm not holding out any hope.

[uh Clem]

I doubt Shrub is worried; NK doesn't appear to have the range to hit any Red States. Just those West Coast liberals.

BTW, Truman gave serious consideration to first-use of nukes against NK (and China) more than 50 years ago, months before he fired MacArthur. They've lived under the threat of a first strike for decades.

[Drake Tungsten]

Their primary aim is survival, and once the US won't do anything to them, well, they won what they wanted.

If this is true, then why have the North Koreans been blackmailing the US for economic aid all these years? If they were primarily interested in survival, they would've announced their nukes long ago and would never have shut down Yongbyon in the first place.

The North Koreans are building nukes for economic reasons as well as security concerns. If we don't pay them to stop, they'll just sell the technology and maybe the weapons on the black market. That, along with ballistic missile tech, is the only thing the North Koreans really have that is of any value.

I doubt Shrub is worried; NK doesn't appear to have the range to hit any Red States. Just those West Coast liberals.

[Lincoln]

Good deal. I moved from that liberal hell-hole 30 years ago. A nuclear bomb might do that state some good...

[Dr Strangelove]

So how is Kim going to prove that he has a working bomb? Obviously he will have to detonate one. Hopefully Kim will have the smarts to do it underground. Then we'll claim that all our seismographs were off line at the time and ask Kim to repeat the test. He will do so obligingly. Then we'll ask Kim how many bombs he had before starting the tests. He will reply "two". We'll ask him then how many were used in the tests. He'll reply "two". Then we'll ask Kim how many he has left. When the light of realization spreads over his face we'll point out to him that he's no longer in position to bargain.

It could happen.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by GePap
Their primary aim is survival, and once the US won't do anything to them, well, they won what they wanted.

Then this entire game is pointless because thier objective was achieved long ago due to thier being able to reduce Seoul to rubble with thier artillery fairly quickly after an invasion starts. The only reason such an act would be contemplated is in response to DPRK provocation.

[Q Classic]

unfortunately, in a paranoid state such as nkorea, where any action by the us or skorea is taken as a threat (even if one of their soldiers decides to piss on the DMZ)...

nothing will ever convince them otherwise.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
unfortunately, in a paranoid state such as nkorea, where any action by the us or skorea is taken as a threat (even if one of their soldiers decides to piss on the DMZ)...

nothing will ever convince them otherwise.

Perhaps China???

[Q Classic]

china could no more convince that the us has no hostile intentions towards nkorea than bill gates could convince linus torvalds that windows is better.

[Drake Tungsten]

We need to get our troops out of South Korea as soon as possible. There's no need for us to risk a nuclear war defending people that hate America.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
china could no more convince that the us has no hostile intentions towards nkorea than bill gates could convince linus torvalds that windows is better.

I stand corrected!

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
We need to get our troops out of South Korea as soon as possible. There's no need for us to risk a nuclear war defending people that hate America.

Drake: It is my understanding that a sizable percentage of ROK people support our presence. IIRC, however, it was mainly older people.

[Drake Tungsten]

Drake: It is my understanding that a sizable percentage of ROK people support our presence. IIRC, however, it was mainly older people.

While this is true, South Korea still has one of the most anti-American populations in the world; if the figures given on Moneyline today are correct, only Middle Eastern countries and Argentina have a higher percentage of their population that strongly dislikes America. Time is only going to make the attitudes in South Korea worse, as the older, pro-American Koreans die off. We should get out now before the situation gets worse.

[PLATO]

I believe our withdrawal was a topic of Rumsfield's not to long ago. I agree with you. We no longer need the tripwire.