NKorea threatens SKorea with nuclear war

[Honu]

sadly this is a country that could carry out that threat

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/13/nkorea-threatens-skorea-nuclear-war/

[variablebinary]

South Korea has no dick, so what does it matter. Bring our boys home and let them get nuked.

[Suwannee Tim]

If we pulled out we would prove yet again that America is harmless to it's enemies and treacherous to it's friends.

[DaBears_85]

I'm not too worried about North Korea. We could turn their entire country into a smoldering pit within a week, maybe two. Our present-day battlefield technology is unsurpassed, and when coupled with our joint-strike capabilities? Hell, we could destroy their entire infastructure and all of their major military installations in one fell swoop.

[GermanSynergy]

We could, but we won't.


I'm not too worried about North Korea. We could turn their entire country into a smoldering pit within a week, maybe two. Our present-day battlefield technology is unsurpassed, and when coupled with our joint-strike capabilities? Hell, we could destroy their entire infastructure and all of their major military installations in one fell swoop.

[DaBears_85]

We could, but we won't.

I see North Korea's 'threats' as nothing more than empty, painfully transparent sabre-rattling. It seems as though they do this in cycles, usually whenever they're feeling 'left-out' by the international community as a whole and are wanting to generate some attention. I'd like to believe that the North Korean's are aware of both our offensive and defensive capabilities. Hopefully it will remain to be perceived as enough of a deterrent and save us the trouble of having to send them a first-class ticket back to the stone age.

[chadbag]

While NK has a huge army, a lot of them are underfed and probably have little will to fight. NK does not have the resources to go to war.

(We have all seen the pics of NK soldiers on parade -- somewhat emaciated and extremely underfed looking).

[Complication]

While NK has a huge army, a lot of them are underfed and probably have little will to fight. NK does not have the resources to go to war.

(We have all seen the pics of NK soldiers on parade -- somewhat emaciated and extremely underfed looking).

In the documentary Kimjongilia, one guy who escaped to SK via boat said he just hoped to stay out of firing range of the NK Navy because they didn't have enough fuel to keep the engines running.

Another guy who escaped to SK was an NK Army officer who said that some months the troops simply weren't paid and that their food rations were insufficient even by NK standards.

Their nukes are scary, but without Chinese/Soviet support (economic, military, or political), North Korea's military is mostly a paper tiger (which is probably why Kim Jung Il was so intent on getting nukes).

[Thomas M-4]

The timing of all this with the son taking charge is a big hint. By all right SK should have called the cease fire over with and be rolling tanks north.

[Suwannee Tim]

The problem is thousands and thousands of artillery guns within range of millions of South Korean civilians. These guns are dug in and would have to be located and destroyed one by one. This takes time and during that time a lot of damage could be done. I have no doubt that we can and would defeat the PDRK but I think the cost in lives and treasure would be very high. The Norks are crazy but they are not stupid.

[GermanSynergy]

Precisely. Any full scale war on the Korean peninsula would mean almost unimaginable carnage and destruction, as well as heavy damage to many cities north of, and including, Seoul.




The problem is thousands and thousands of artillery guns within range of millions of South Korean civilians. These guns are dug in and would have to be located and destroyed one by one. This takes time and during that time a lot of damage could be done. I have no doubt that we can and would defeat the PDRK but I think the cost in lives and treasure would be very high. The Norks are crazy but they are not stupid.

[Bolt_Overide]

NK is nearly totally full of shit ( I say nearly because I have no doubt that if they could afford it, and thought they could get away with it, they would do it).

[Honu]

remember they invaded in 1950 ? they did it once they could easily do it again !

hoping no police action this time and no war starting and they get away with it ?
the US is to stretched thin and testing the actions they are doing now gives them the idea what the boundaries are


they are crazy not stupid I dont fear a stupid person I fear the crazy ones
so they still might do it if they think they can get away with it ?



they are smart enough to have nukes and control their people they are surely capable of starting a war by invading SK they have shown us this before !!!

[Thomas M-4]

Waiting for NK to fall on its own I believe is a mistake that has very real chance of starting a nuclear war that will engulf SK & Japan in a nuclear holocaust and threaten the pacific coast with nuclear retaliation if the United States try's to intervene.
They have the ability to threaten SK& Japan with nuclear attack now sooner or later they will have the ability to do the same to the United States pacific coast.
With the controls of the NK government being passed down to the son this does not mean things will improve or that the son will be more reasonable [one only has to remember Uday Hussein & Qusay Hussein to see what could happen].

[Complication]

Waiting for NK to fall on its own is a mistake it will start a nuclear war that will engulf SK & Japan in a nuclear holocaust and threaten the pacific coast with Nuclear retaliation .

...and attacking NK WON'T start a nuclear war?

I agree that leaving NK alone to do it's thing doesn't help matters. But how on earth do you reason that NK is less likely to use its nukes if we attack?

[ForTehNguyen]

The Soviets collapsed and they had how many 10s of 1000s of warheads? Where's the holocaust?

[Thomas M-4]

...and attacking NK WON'T start a nuclear war?

I agree that leaving NK alone to do it's thing doesn't help matters. But how on earth do you reason that NK is less likely to use its nukes if we attack?

What does NK have to look forward to if it doesn't everybody agrees it can't go on forever the people work in labor camps that look straight out of WII . Only thing there is Kimgungill how ever you spell his name and the Military.

[Complication]

Holy hell, man. Can you use punctuation or string words together in a way that make sense?

[Thomas M-4]

The Soviets collapsed and they had how many 10s of 1000s of warheads? Where's the holocaust?

The Soviets also had an economy other than the military and wasn't just ruled by one family.

[Thomas M-4]

Holy hell, man. Can you use punctuation or string words together in a way that make sense?

Sorry never mind about it.

[Thomas M-4]

...and attacking NK WON'T start a nuclear war?

I agree that leaving NK alone to do it's thing doesn't help matters. But how on earth do you reason that NK is less likely to use its nukes if we attack?

Unfortunately there may be no choice. Baring a military cue or the son changing polices it pretty much looks like they are on a one way road.

[Complication]

Unfortunately there may be no choice. Baring a military cue or the son changing polices it pretty much looks like they are on a one way road.

Given the state of their economy, a military coup or a civilian revolt may very well take place if the current state of NK continues to decline. Keep in mind that things have not always been so unimaginable dreary in NK--while always a bastion of totalitarianism, it wasn't until the 90's, with famines and natural disasters, that the country took a nose dive for "totally ****ed."

When you can't pay or feed your Army, can't even keep gas in the tanks of your military vehicles and ships, and spend $800,000 a year on Hennessey, your choices are:
1) coup
or
2) massive policy change.

The question is just how long that takes. If the alternative is a war that is sure to go nuclear (a war in which American troops are certain to be in the forefront of), I vote for waiting them out.**

Nukes are no joke. And since they're the only card NK has to play, militarily-speaking, that means action against them comes with a mushroom cloud.

**But being ready to cut off their balls at a moment's notice.

[Thomas M-4]

Given the state of their economy, a military coup or a civilian revolt may very well take place if the current state of NK continues to decline. Keep in mind that things have not always been so unimaginable dreary in NK--while always a bastion of totalitarianism, it wasn't until the 90's, with famines and natural disasters, that the country took a nose dive for "totally ****ed."

When you can't pay or feed your Army, can't even keep gas in the tanks of your military vehicles and ships, and spend $800,000 a year on Hennessey, your choices are:
1) coup
or
2) massive policy change.

The question is just how long that takes. If the alternative is a war that is sure to go nuclear (a war in which American troops are certain to be in the forefront of), I vote for waiting them out.**

Nukes are no joke. And since they're the only card NK has to play, militarily-speaking, that means action against them comes with a mushroom cloud.

**But being ready to cut off their balls at a moment's notice.

We also waited for Saddam to topple over from the massive sanctions after the first Gulf War even after more than one cue attempt it failed. So far there hasn't been anything near that in NK .
I will also restate just because his son is taking over doesn't mean that he will be anymore reasonable [one only has to look to Saddam's son's to see what could happen].

Nukes are most certainly no joke nor is the possibility of a NK preemptive nuclear strike against SK & military bases in Japan.

Really moments notice that has passed they did after all sink a SK war ship and have shelled civilians with artillery. Doing nothing gives them the green light for a larger more devastating attack in the future.

[BWT]

I think North Korea does this every once in awhile to appear threat to their enemies (they're not), but more importantly, seem like they're in control to their citizens.

[Thomas M-4]

I think North Korea does this every once in awhile to appear threat to their enemies (they're not), but more importantly, seem like they're in control to their citizens.

They have all the control over there citizens that they need through the barrel of an AKM and the government run grocery store. He has already proven to have no compunction of using starvation to further his control. Dont need nukes for that alot cheaper and easier just to starve them out.

[rickrock305]

I think North Korea does this every once in awhile to appear threat to their enemies (they're not), but more importantly, seem like they're in control to their citizens.


its sabre rattling to better position themselves in future negotiations.