In a statement released by the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, a nuclear attack on the U.S. has been approved and could be launched "today or tomorrow":
“The moment of explosion is approaching fast,” the North Korean military said, warning that war could break out “today or tomorrow”.
Pyongyang’s latest pronouncement came as Washington scrambled to reinforce its Pacific missile defences, preparing to send ground-based interceptors to Guam and dispatching two Aegis class destroyers to the region.
Tension was also high on the North’s heavily-fortified border with South Korea, after Kim Jong-Un’s isolated regime barred South Koreans from entering a Seoul-funded joint industrial park on its side of the frontier.
In a statement published by the state KCNA news agency, the Korean People’s Army general staff warned Washington that US threats would be “smashed by… cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means”.
“The merciless operation of our revolutionary armed forces in this regard has been finally examined and ratified,” the statement said.
'cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means”...could the Norks be thinks of launching an EMP attack?
Meanwhile, there is an ominous military buildup on Korea's border by China's People's Liberation Army(PLA):
The buildup appears linked to North Korea’s March 30 announcement that it is in a “state of war” with South Korea after the United Nations imposed a new round of sanctions following the North’s Feb. 12 nuclear test and because of ongoing large-scale joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troop and tank movements were reported in Daqing, located in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, and in the border city of Shenyang, in Liaoning Province.
Officials said one key military unit involved in the mobilization is the 190th Mechanized Infantry Brigade based in Benxi, Liaoning Province. The brigade is believed to be the PLA’s frontline combat unit that would respond to any regional conflict or refugee flows. Troops and tank movements also were reported in Dandong, in Liaoning Province.
Fighter jets were reported flying in larger numbers in Fucheng, Hebei Province, and in Zhangwu, in Liaoning Province, and Changchun, in Jilin Province.
This can be read in a number of ways.
It could be that the Obama Administration and the Chinese have come to a meeting of the minds and have decided to work together to put the cork in the Kim regime's bottle.Possible, especially if the Obama Administration did what I suggested earlier and offered to allow China to dictate who takes over once the Kims are gone.
Or it could simply be China's way of ensuring that any conflict doesn't stray over it's own borders.
Or, finally, it could be China's way of telling the world that they have Kim's back..particularly if a North Korean strike involves U.S. allies like South Korea and Japan, with Japan the most likely target.
We'll find out shortly.
"This could be read in a number of ways." Actually there's really only one way to read it that makes sensne. "Allow China to dictate who takes over" is not the case. The Chinese do not need for the US to "allow" them to do any thing. If they want the Kim's gone, their gone or if they want them to stay they stay. Its that simple. They don't need America's participation here.
ReplyDeleteThe notion that this build up is to ensure that conflict does not stray over its borders appears to be the working assumption of US officials and media pundits. Unfortunately it is incorrect. They seem to have forgotten or never realized NK and China are on the same side against America.
When it comes to things like get out the vote campaigns, influencing public opinion to support a position they like, and demonizing domestic political opponents so that they lose support among the public, America's current leadership is EXTREMELY smart. When it comes to foreign policy, America's leaders are thus far EXTREMELY stupid.
The last option you point out is likely the correct one. At least this should be the working assumption of US policy makers. Also, it should be the working assumption of US policy makers and military planners that NK has the ability and willingness to hit the US any where it wants with nuclear weapons be they EMP weapons or any other kind.
They've threatened to nuke us. If another nation issued a simillar threat against Russia or China, how would the leaders likely respond? How would world leaders respond? How would the media respond. I suspect that Russia and China would respond with extreme force to such a threat. Also, world leaders and the news media would be outraged at the nation making the threat. This is not the case when America is the target.
At least when it comes to foreign policy, America's leaders should study the Chinese, the Russians, North Korea, and Iran very carefully. They'd learn a great deal.
Also, Japan is not the likely target. Tbe likely target is America. This also should be the working assumption of American officials.
Finally, when do we learn that sanctions are worthless. They are easily beaten and they play directly into the hands of enemy propaganda.