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North Korea is threatening the US with war... I'm shocked. Also in the news, gravity still works.
The Chinese are as unhappy with the North Koreans as the US is.
But the reason China tentatively supports NK is two fold.
1) China doesn't want an American ally on its border if Korea reunified through the South.
2) the refugee crisis should the North collapse from the inside would be very expensive for China.
I know it may not seem like it most of the time, but China is as fed up with Pyongyangs antics as anyone and if NK does another nuclear test you'll see Jinping take a very hard line with them.
Thing is that "fed up" is not enough and teaching NK that threats pay is ultra expensive in the future.
If China wanted to reign them in, I think they would have. I think they are like the dog the sic on us, and now is perfect timing. There was talk about restricting financial access through China which is one of their few sources of hard currency but I think China enjoys watching this.
warm and sticky
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- President Barack Obama is "recklessly" spreading rumors of a Pyongyang-orchestrated cyberattack of Sony Pictures, North Korea says, as it warns of strikes against the White House, Pentagon and "the whole U.S. mainland, that cesspool of terrorism."
Cont... News from The Associated Press
Mornin Jog. :2wave: Whatever we do they are saying it is limited.
OBAMA'S OPTIONS
Despite Obama's stern warning to North Korea, his options for responding to the computer attack by the impoverished state appeared limited. The president declined to be specific about any actions under consideration. North Korea has been subject to U.S. sanctions for more than 50 years, but they have had little effect on its human rights policies or its development of nuclear weapons. It has become expert in hiding its often criminal money-raising activities, largely avoiding traditional banks.
U.S. experts say Obama's options could include cyber retaliation, financial sanctions, criminal indictments against individuals implicated in the attack or even a boost in U.S. military support to South Korea. It could also take the largely symbolic step of restoring North Korea to its list of countries designated as sponsors of terrorism, which carries automatic restrictions.....snip~
Yahoo!
Just what happens with a weak POTUS. Noko can read Obama like an open book.
The US could probably wipe out NK's nukes, leadership and artillery overnight.
That's why its best to just let them punch brick walls.
While every single strategy paper and projection pretty much spells out NK's destruction in the event of a war... the cost of such a war is still very, very costly.
In Blood and treasure, a war with North Korea just isn't worth it for anyone.
If the status quo remains the ROK military will be so advanced in 15 years that it really doesn't matter what North Korea does, they'll never win a war even if the ROK faces them alone.
If the NK leader ever decided to act on threats, his first strike would not be the USA, he would most likely strike softer targets, like the South and/or Japan, but, it's possible China would intervene.The problem is living with the possibility of NK striking first, given the threats of a nutbag.
If the NK leader ever decided to act on threats, his first strike would not be the USA, he would most likely strike softer targets, like the South and/or Japan, but, it's possible China would intervene.
You sure about that?
The problem is living with the possibility of NK striking first, given the threats of a nutbag.
If he has a successor, then probably only the country crumbling would be a motive.
2) and most important of all, North Korea is alleged to have about 200, 000 special forces.
Intelligence suggests that in the event of a war these 200, 000 would infiltrate the ROK via small boats, tunnels and air.
They are alleged to have ROK uniforms and will than dedicate themselves to causing the most havoc possible, attacking air bases, hospitals, schools, grocery stores, government buildings and just generally ****ing up the entire back line.
(2) is of most concern. Every credible strategy and policy paper brings up this issue as the biggest reason why in the beginning of hostilities the North could cause real issues and may even initially gain serious ground.
NK is so secretive and off the grid, probably only the NSA would know who their next in line would be. At least the USA has it all laid out of who successive leaders will be, written in stone, so to speak.
We could gather the names of prominent NK military people, toss a coin, and guess correctly.
Nonsense. As soon as those "SF" units got across the border, they'd defect. NK is practically using vacuum tube computers and its military is malnourished, spare me the leet ninjas BS.
I get what you're saying but as far as we know these guys are absolutely ****ing fanatical and they've been brainwashed for decades (the SF I mean).
Some units may... but that's a big risk to take with a number like 200, 000, even a quarter of that number staying true to their mission would be a very difficult thing to curtail.
We heard that about Saddam's leet troops. They surrendered to CNN crews.
Few, if any, would fail to defect. This "army of ninjas" is a load of BS.
The Tricky thing is we literally know nothing about how North Korea operates day to day, we have no idea what would happen if Un got taken out because there is no clear successor.
We have no idea how fragile the elite are, even supreme kings have to play politics which is why the Sinking of the South Korean ship and the killing of his uncle were so important.
If in the ensuing chaos a General thought he could take the whole cake, I wouldn't be surprised if they took the chance.
Saddams cult of personality and troops were not as closed off and indoctrinated as the North Koreans are, on top of that North Korea hasn't fought a war since the 1950's and alot of those guys in 2003 in the Iraqi army had very fresh memories of American firepower during the first gulf war.
You may be right, but it's a big risk to take with an opponent as dangerous and fanatical as North Korea.