North Korea vs. U.S.A. - The Showdown

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the United States could defend itself should North Korea launch a missile toward Hawaii and that U.S. officials are carefully monitoring the reclusive nation's military.

This North Korean ship is known for having carried "proliferation materials," a senior U.S. official says.

North Korea is preparing to launch a missile over Pacific Ocean waters, Japanese media reported Thursday.

With missile interceptors and radar equipment deployed in and near Hawaii, "we are in a good position should it become necessary to protect American territory," Gates said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military is tracking a North Korean ship in the Pacific that is believed to be carrying illicit weapons or technology, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

While the United States does not know what is on the ship, the Kang Nam is a "repeat offender," known for having carried "proliferation materials," one senior defense official said. Watch what U.S. forces are monitoring »

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the United States would not forcibly board a North Korean ship but, in accordance with a recent U.N. resolution, would request permission to search the ship or press any port the ship docks in to inspect it for illegal materials.

The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution June 12 calling on all states to inspect vessels suspected of containing contraband. If a ship refuses, it is to proceed to the closest port for a mandatory inspection.

Tension has been rising with North Korea, which in May conducted a nuclear test, fired test rockets and threatened U.S. and South Korean ships near its territorial waters.

Also in late May, two U.S. Defense Department officials said U.S. satellite imagery spotted "vehicle activity" at a North Korean ballistic missile facility. The officials said the images showed vehicles used to transport Taepodong-2 missiles but no missile parts. The Taepodong-2 is a long-range missile that North Korea tested in April.

That test showed a significant improvement in range from North Korea's initial long-range missile test in 2006.

Further aggravating tensions are North Korea's arrest, conviction and sentencing of two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling.

The Current TV journalists were apprehended near the country's border with China and accused of plotting a smear campaign against North Korea. Lee and Ling were sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/19/us.nkorea/index.html

ready for a showdown???

I, for one, look forward to obediently serving my Chinese overlords...or moving to the Carribean before it's too late.

I still can't figure out why China hasn't taken their "little brother" aside and smacked him around a bit... "stop rocking the boat and if you play your cards right, you too can be swimming in American money like we are..." I know it's not as simple as that, but still... the whole thing just kinda makes you go:

Ian F wrote: I still can't figure out why China hasn't taken their "little brother" aside and smacked him around a bit...

Because the analogy is more like "idiot nephew," and "you just can't fix stupid."

With a touch of "we let the idiot nephew cause trouble so we can play off of it." If the Chinese wanted to, they could shut N.K. down in about 3 weeks. Oh, we forgot your food shipment. We'll catch you next month. Or sweep up then.

But really, I thought Uncle Bill and Aunt Hill had fixed the North Koreans when we started giving them billions of dollars and plenty of uranium and in return the N.K.'s promised to only use nuclear energy for good.

Oh, and is the the six month "test" that Biden told us was coming?

Look at a map and there range and its the only way they can launch one without hitting anyone, or really pissing off the region. Hawaii is like 4500 miles the longest range that has been calculate on their missiles are 3700-4000 miles.

Might be a good chance to try a few air to air intercepts though. Or the new chemical lasers they have been developing.

well they were saying last night that U.S. Inspectors want to board that vessel with the suspected weapons onboard to inspect it and N.K. is saying if the U.S. gets onboard, then it is considered an act of war...

So NK, a country roughly the size of Virgina (46,540 square miles vs. 42,769 square miles) has the 20th ranked army in the world ( http://www.globalfirepower.com/ ) and continues to piss off Nos. 1,2,3,9 and 12 in the rankings.

I am certain 4 of the 5 other armies involved in this little thought could utilize the land in some fashion.

Let them release a weapon, drop a few low powered nuclear weapons in the area, wait 140bn years an repropogate.

New Jersey 2

John Brown wrote: I am certain 4 of the 5 other armies involved in this little thought could utilize the land in some fashion.

But what about their FEELINGS? We wouldn't want to hurt their FEELINGS, now, would we?

I also find it interesting that North Korea was the site of Japan's nuclear weapon development area, and very likely the site of Japan's nuclear weapon test. You have to dig pretty deep to find out about that, but Japan was planning on sailing a sub with a nuke on it into San Francisco harbor and blowing it up.

I still don't understand how N. Korea thinks it would carry out an act of war against a nation thousands of miles away. Maybe they will FedEx the bombs and the troops can fly coach? Even if they launch a rocket I doubt it would hit a target with any accuracy. And there is still the question of how capable the N. Korean army really is after all these years.

I don't think there is anything to be gained by another land war in Asia. Just do it from the air.

At this point, if the United States farts, DPRK is going to consider it an act of war. Frankly, we can only lose in this situation because it's like hitting a little girl, no matter how desperately she deserves it. If you hurt her, you're a bully, and if she hurts you, you're Bob Costas.

Which is a shame, because they are long overdue for some strategic ordinance placement.

Dr. Hess wrote: I also find it interesting that North Korea was the site of Japan's nuclear weapon development area, and very likely the site of Japan's nuclear weapon test. You have to dig pretty deep to find out about that, but Japan was planning on sailing a sub with a nuke on it into San Francisco harbor and blowing it up.

Actually, a couple of minutes on wikipedia and I know where you're coming from.

iF THEY hit hawaii I just hope they get
dog the bounty hunter and his wife and his team of stink cannister carrying bruddas

hmmm... I suppose we could get a warship a bit "too" close to that NK ship and have a collision.. would not be the first time

mad_machine wrote: hmmm... I suppose we could get a CONVOY OF warshipS a bit "too" close to that NK ship and have a collision WITH MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF ARTILLERY.. would not be the first time

Sounds fair.

The real threat is N. Korea attacking either Japan or Seoul, but if they did it would be on because the US has agreed to protect S. Korea and we are already the protectorate of Japan. It would make not a bit of sense for them to attack the US, it would be like picking a fight with mike tyson. The only real damage they could do to the US is attacking our allies in Asia. The best thing to happen would be for Japan to get rid of their pacifist constitution and arm up.

I think the Pyong Yang would make a nice glass surfaced parking lot.

Well the thousands of troops in S. Korea might not agree cause they are in the way of the N. Koreans. When you get to Korea you're briefed on how you are a speed bump. Not a fun situation for some of my buddies. Right now is a pretty bad time for the N. Koreans to start acting up. We are pretty stretched out as it is, 2-3 years from now then game on.

My friend did 2 or 3 tours there on the DMZ. He said that it was more like they (we) were protecting the North Koreans from the South Koreans. And there was still plenty of shooting going on.

Oh yeah they have raids to the north and to the south all the time from what I understand.

benzbaron wrote: The best thing to happen would be for Japan to get rid of their pacifist constitution and arm up.

they may have a pacifistic constitution.. but you should take a good hard look at their "self defense force" it is a millitary to be envied in size and sophistication. It is all our stuff with their own electronics..

If Korea nuked Japan.. they would ditch that consitition in a heartbeat and we would not be able to keep them out of NK

The last thing that part of the world needs is a militarized (again) Japan. That whole hemisphere still hates them for the last hundred years. The Japanese weren't very nice until we fixed them up in '45. The Japanese people are now exterminating themselves, so it doesn't really matter anyway. Fortunately, Toyota has plants here now so we can still get great cars.

mad_machine wrote:

benzbaron wrote: The best thing to happen would be for Japan to get rid of their pacifist constitution and arm up.

they may have a pacifistic constitution.. but you should take a good hard look at their "self defense force" it is a millitary to be envied in size and sophistication. It is all our stuff with their own electronics.. If Korea nuked Japan.. they would ditch that consitition in a heartbeat and we would not be able to keep them out of NK

I have a video of the training I did with them, I'll try to upload it to youtube I witnessed the coolest ATGM (anti-tank guided missle) launch ever.

I understand that Hawaii is part of the US and the closest target for those in the Pacific Rim, but come one, nuke Hawaii? What has Hawaii ever done to anyone? The place is beautiful and the people are super nice! Keep working on the missiles until they can reach LA.