Another day, another threat of all-out war.

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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Clinton Huxley » Thu May 20, 2010 9:59 am

FBM wrote:I think Normal would make a very funny KJI. Him or Paco. :hehe:
Perhaps one could play the Dear Leader and the other the ghost of the Great Leader? Have I got that the wrong way round? Can never remember which is which.
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by FBM » Thu May 20, 2010 10:09 am

Clinton Huxley wrote:
FBM wrote:I think Normal would make a very funny KJI. Him or Paco. :hehe:
Perhaps one could play the Dear Leader and the other the ghost of the Great Leader? Have I got that the wrong way round? Can never remember which is which.
No, that's right. Then we'll need someone to play his son, the successor... Tails? Nah, too young...
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by kiki5711 » Thu May 20, 2010 10:45 am

Kim Jong-il is a retard who can only be president because it was passed down by his equally retarded father. Man that guy just makes me want to puke.

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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Ian » Thu May 20, 2010 4:39 pm

kiki5711 wrote:Kim Jong-il is a retard who can only be president because it was passed down by his equally retarded father. Man that guy just makes me want to puke.
You should have a look at his heir(s). :hehe: They make him look downright brilliant.

Which is worrisome... should the North survive the political transition to a 3rd generation of Kims, the new one is going to have a helluva time keeping everything together.

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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Ian » Thu May 20, 2010 6:47 pm

FBM - Would you mind telling me how the mood is in South Korea now that the Cheonan investigation has publicly concluded that it was a North Korean torpedo?

Personally, I doubt it'll come to an all-out war, but I have some concerns that things could escalate.

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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Toontown » Sat May 22, 2010 9:20 am

kiki5711 wrote:Kim Jong-il is a retard who can only be president because it was passed down by his equally retarded father. Man that guy just makes me want to puke.
And even then he couldn't be president if China wasn't protecting him. It's like setting Chuckie-doll up with his own slavishly devoted country. And then Chuckie-doll creates a whole slavishly devoted horde of uber-militaristic sub-Chuckies, bent on committing serial evil idiocies.

And that's the kind of monkeyworld we live in. And that's why we are necessarily eqipped to blow it the fuck up. And why it's not even necessarily crazy to contemplate blowing it the fuck up. And why we really do need to make monkeys believe we will blow it the fuck up if they take that longshot gamble, and head on down to Fire Lake.

It would be to laugh if I wasn't on the planet. From an alien observatory hidden on a moon of Jupiter, I'm sure the loon-infested cluster-fuck would be hilarious.

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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by FBM » Sat May 22, 2010 9:35 am

Ian wrote:FBM - Would you mind telling me how the mood is in South Korea now that the Cheonan investigation has publicly concluded that it was a North Korean torpedo?

Personally, I doubt it'll come to an all-out war, but I have some concerns that things could escalate.
I was out with some expat friends last night and they agreed that this is the most worried they'd been since they got here, and some of them have been here over a decade. I agree, except that I'm not particularly worried, overall.

As for the locals, there's definitely an increase in concern among those who pay attention to the news, but a surprising number simply don't keep up with what's happening. Most people were born into this political climate, so it's simply nothing unusual for them. The news is constantly headlining developments on the story, though, so there's definitely heightened awareness on the national level. For me, it's hard to get the scoop on public sentiment simply because politics with the North is one of those topics that people don't like to discuss. My gut feeling is that their silence on this particular incident is quite poignant. In short, people have heightened awareness, some heightened worries, but generally, it's business as usual on the streets. I just remembered something a student said to me a few days ago. It was something along the linese of, 'We don't worry about it. It's the government's job to worry about it'.

The prez is beefing up maritime defences and surveillance and SK forces are generally on a higher alert level. Politically, opposition parties aren't actually opposed to imposing economic sanctions on NK, which the ruling party is pushing, but they're nevertheless taking issue with how the ruling party has conducted the investigation, how slack they were to let one of their ships get torpedoed in the first place, etc.
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by FBM » Sat May 22, 2010 3:15 pm

From one of the most conservative newspapers today: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/na ... 66279.html
Tension mounts as two Koreas play hardball
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff reporter

The two Koreas are on a collision course after a multinational investigation team announced Thursday that North Korea torpedoed the South Korean frigate Cheonan near their maritime border in the West Sea on March 26.

Foreign policy experts warned of the catastrophic state of security on the Korean Peninsula, calling on the government to sit down with the North.

They said a diplomatic breakthrough may come if the two sides meet and have a frank talk.

Their advice came as military tensions mounted on the peninsula in the wake of the Cheonan sinking.

In a statement released Friday, North Korea described the current circumstances as a state of war, threatening to react firmly to any measures taken by the South.

The North further warned that South Korea's possible retaliatory measures will take a heavy toll on inter-Korean relations, joint economic cooperation projects and even the non-aggression treaty as it is ready to scrap or shut down all of these.

Such a tough reaction came a day after North Korea's National Defense Commission called the multinational investigation team's findings "fabrications."

It also said the North's military was willing to send a fact-finding team to the South to see if the evidence the investigation team found was genuine.

South Korea hasn't backed off. Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said the government would react firmly to the North.

"Watching the investigation team's presentation, I was shocked and was barely able to control my emotions. All we need now is unity," he stressed during a meeting with high-ranking government officials.

The government is seeking a two-track approach ― economic and diplomatic measure ― to deal with the North. It plans to cut inter-Korean trade to press the North, whose economic condition went from bad to worse after a failed currency reform last November.

South Korea is also preparing to take the maritime disaster to the U.N. Security Council.

Given that the North has denied its involvement in the Cheonan sinking and reiterated retaliatory measures against the South, a clash seems to be unavoidable if the two sides cling to their hard-line positions.

Rep. Song Min-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party told The Korea Times over the phone that many questions still remained unanswered even after the investigation team presented its findings.

To quench suspicions, the former foreign minister said the government needs to accept the North's proposal of sending its team to the South to see if what the investigation team found was true.

"The government can also invite Chinese experts, along with the North Korean team, to let them see the evidence in person. If all parties agree that the evidence is clear enough, then we can demand that the North admit its deeds or apologize for what it has done," he said.

Regarding the North's offer to dispatch a team, South Korea said it is not in a position to accept it.

The two Koreas are technically still at war and the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission is in charge of the management of affairs associated with armistice, the government said.

North Korea watcher Kim Yong-hyun called on the government to accept the North's offer if it officially makes the proposal through the U.N. body.

"If the two sides meet, I think they can find ways of easing military tensions," he said.

Some North Korea experts say if South Korea rejects the North's offer, suspicions about the evidence will not be quenched.

hkang@koreatimes.co.kr
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat May 22, 2010 3:18 pm

I suppose "play nice" is out of the question?
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by FBM » Sat May 22, 2010 3:19 pm

From a supposedly more moderate paper: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/ ... id=2920811

Military measures on the table
South reviews its options in face of North’s denial of attack on Cheonan
May 22, 2010
South Korea is considering both military and non-military measures to avenge North Korea’s attack on the Cheonan warship on March 26, the South’s leading defense official said yesterday.

President Lee Myung-bak, meanwhile, called for a “prudent” reaction to the “grave” situation, and South Korean and U.S. forces mulled over raising their alert level on North Korea.

In a press conference yesterday, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young called North Korea’s denials “preposterous” and described the attack as “an act of brutality.” He said the South was consulting with other nations to create “military and non-military countermeasures.”

“Since the Koreas are under an armistice and still technically at war, problems may arise,” Kim said. “But there must be limits to the degree of hostile action. Our government will make sure North Korea pays dearly for what it’s done.”

Kim did not elaborate on what the military measures might entail, but said the South’s “firm” steps would include raising the Cheonan case at the United Nations Security Council, which could resolve to levy international sanctions on North Korea.

He also said the South Korean and the U.S. military are reviewing the possibility of elevating the five-level Watch Condition, or Watchcon, alert on North Korea by one notch, to Level 2.

Under a Level 2 alert, which indicates the presence of a vital threat against national security, South Korea and American forces would step up their intelligence and reconnaissance efforts.

The Watchcon in South Korea is usually kept at Level 3, which indicates a steadily rising threat that warrants careful monitoring, because of the potential threat from the North. The South has lifted the Watchcon to Level 2 on five previous occasions, most recently in May 2009, when North Korea conducted its second nuclear test.

Level 1, the most serious alert, has not been issued since the Korean War ended in 1953.

Kim said the Defense Ministry has asked the United Nations Command to investigate whether the North’s action violated the 1953 Armistice Agreement, as both the White House and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak have charged.

The Military Armistice Commission, under the UN Command, is expected to form a special investigative team to look at the issue and begin its probe as early as this weekend, Deputy Defense Minister Jang Kwang-il said yesterday. According to Jang, if the team determines that North Korea breached the terms of the Armistice Agreement, it will issue a formal complaint to the North and send its findings directly to the United Nations.

The Defense Ministry sent a dispatch to North Korea yesterday, urging its military representatives to attend the meeting with the UN Command to discuss the armistice commission’s findings.

Meanwhile, chairing an emergency National Security Council meeting yesterday, President Lee stressed the importance of a prudent response. But he also said the Cheonan attack “can be regarded as a military provocation that constitutes a violation of the UN Charter, the Armistice Agreement and the Inter-Korea Basic Agreement.”

A violation of the UN Charter would subject the North to Security Council sanctions. Its Chapter I, Article 2, Clause 4 states, “All members shall refrain ... from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”

The Armistice Agreement provides that neither Korea “shall execute any hostile act within, from, or against the demilitarized zone” and “naval forces shall respect the water contiguous to the demilitarized zone.”

The Inter-Korea Basic Agreement is a 1991 pact between the two countries calling for non-aggression and reconciliation.

North Korea yesterday remained defiant. Through a statement by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, the North said the Korean Peninsula has entered a “phase of a war” and warned it was prepared to scrap all agreements with the South.

Repeating its denial of responsibility for the Cheonan sinking, North Korea said the conclusion that identified Pyongyang as the culprit was a “ridiculous charade.”

“If the South puppet group comes out with ‘response’ and ‘retaliation,’ we will respond strongly with ruthless punishment including the total shutdown of North-South ties, abrogation of the North-South agreement on non-aggression and abolition of all North-South cooperation projects,” the statement read.

The North also claimed yesterday it would send a team of inspectors to South Korea this weekend. It had said Thursday that it wanted its own officials to double-check the evidence submitted by the international team of experts who concluded that the North sank the Cheonan.

Defense Minister Kim scoffed at the idea.

“It’s akin to a murderer asking to examine the scene of the crime himself,” Kim said. “It’s absolutely nonsense.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday kicked off an Asia tour in Japan.

Her visit there is expected to focus on the debate over the fate of a U.S. base on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, which the United States insists is the key to maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

Following her Japan trip, Clinton will meet Chinese leaders on Monday, and expected topics include the North’s provocation.

She will end her regional trip in South Korea on Wednesday.


By Yoo Jee-ho [jeeho@joongang.co.kr]
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by FBM » Sat May 22, 2010 3:19 pm

Gawdzilla wrote:I suppose "play nice" is out of the question?
No profit in it.
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat May 22, 2010 3:22 pm

FBM wrote:
Gawdzilla wrote:I suppose "play nice" is out of the question?
No profit in it.
Okay, then will you Cloverdale the events for us? :pop:
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by FBM » Sat May 22, 2010 3:23 pm

Gawdzilla wrote:
FBM wrote:
Gawdzilla wrote:I suppose "play nice" is out of the question?
No profit in it.
Okay, then will you Cloverdale the events for us? :pop:
Do I know what you're talking about? :think:
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat May 22, 2010 3:25 pm

FBM wrote:
Gawdzilla wrote:
FBM wrote:
Gawdzilla wrote:I suppose "play nice" is out of the question?
No profit in it.
Okay, then will you Cloverdale the events for us? :pop:
Do I know what you're talking about? :think:
The movie "Cloverdale" consists entirely of footage "recovered" from a camcorder after a huge alien attacks NYC and all hell breaks loose.
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Re: Another day, another threat of all-out war.

Post by Trolldor » Sat May 22, 2010 3:26 pm

Cloverfield, Gawd.
The title is Cloverfield.
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