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The Real Threat From North Korea
SpaceWar.com ^ | 07/07/06 | by Anthony H. Cordesman

Posted on 07/07/2006 1:44:49 PM PDT by garbageseeker

The same North Korean ICBM efforts that throw a rock at Alaska can throw a large nuclear warhead at every ally the United States has in Northeast Asia. Japan and South Korea are not only close allies, they are critical trading partners. The risk of a war in this part of the world would inevitably threaten Chinese involvement in some form, and possible bloc trade with much of China for an extended period even if China did not become involved. Our troops and our bases in most of Asia would be at hazard as well.

Americans need to stop thinking parochially and selfishly and start thinking strategically. North Korea does not have to be able to hit the United States with meaningful nuclear threats to do much to deter or damage the United States

(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Japan; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: atomic; china; clintonlegacy; cordesman; geopolitics; iaea; icbm; iran; iranianmissiles; japan; kimiljong; kimjongil; koreanpeninsula; lefties; liberalopinion; looneyleft; missile; mushroomcloud; nationalreview; northkorea; nuclearwar; nukewars; opinion; proliferation; rodong; scud; scudmissile; southkorea; taepodong; taepodong1; taepodong2; wwiii
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To: American Quilter

Yes it is sad. But many if not most are completely brainwashed towards Dear Leader. If it were otherwise Dear Leader would be Dead Leader.


21 posted on 07/07/2006 2:09:42 PM PDT by DB (©)
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To: garbageseeker
China is also providing them with fuel and food.

Yes, by train. And NK is refusing to return the trains to the Chinese. Have to wonder why they are keeping them. Maybe for troop transport to the south?

22 posted on 07/07/2006 2:09:50 PM PDT by daybreakcoming
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To: daybreakcoming

CHINA TO USA in hushed tones: Taiwan for NK. I am sure that's what this is all about anyway.


23 posted on 07/07/2006 2:12:59 PM PDT by kinghorse
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To: daybreakcoming

Maybe those trains are containing something else like weapons and spare parts for their missiles.


24 posted on 07/07/2006 2:13:22 PM PDT by garbageseeker (It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”Samuel Clemmens)
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To: garbageseeker

Nothing will be done by the appeasers until one of those Longdong rockets lands on their head.


25 posted on 07/07/2006 2:19:16 PM PDT by pankot
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To: Brilliant
The real threat from NK is that they are going into the export business.

Their top sellers appear to be counterfeit $100 US bills and ballistic missiles. And that is just what we know about.

When I was in London (almost 2 years ago), very few businesses were accepting or dealing with 100 Pound Bills. Big counterfeit problem there at the time. Maximum size bill anyone carried was a 20 pound note.

26 posted on 07/07/2006 2:44:47 PM PDT by justa-hairyape
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To: DB
" And I have no doubt Japan would provide a formidable deterrent. "
Yes, they do have the means to do it, Japan is the worlds 2nd largest economy next to the USA.
27 posted on 07/07/2006 2:45:11 PM PDT by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM 53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart , There is no GOD .)
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To: garbageseeker
This is absolutely true.

A nuke over Japan would plunge the world into a recession the likes of which you have never seen.

28 posted on 07/07/2006 2:45:53 PM PDT by Lazamataz (Isalm is a perversion of faith, a lie against human spirit, an obscenity shouted in the face of G_d)
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To: monkeywrench

My Daughter went to techschool at Keesler. Luckily she wasn't trained to defuse IEDs.


29 posted on 07/07/2006 2:59:06 PM PDT by wolfcreek
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To: xjcsa
>As to lighting up their missile on the ground - just keep in mind that it would mean the immediate destruction of Seoul and the deaths of a great many of its residents. North Korea has artillery - some of it possibly loaded with chemical or biological weapons - in range of the entire city, and we would not be able to take it out fast enough to save the city.

I think the whole "missile" strategy is an excuse to swarm over the Parallel with their MILLION person army and take the whole of SK if the US invokes "war" with a preemptive strike. Nothing else makes sense to me. I am sure China and even Russia would sit by and chuckle.. I believe that is why the multiparty talks are essential.. They are banking on the US, standing alone, being short on boots on the ground.. But whata I know?? I remember the swarms of human tidal wave that stopped conflict at the Parallel in the first place.

30 posted on 07/07/2006 3:32:55 PM PDT by glowworm ( Liberal thot is truly a mental condition... Seek help!)
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To: glowworm

If we attack them at night, we could put out both lightbulbs in one stroke. :>)


31 posted on 07/07/2006 3:39:56 PM PDT by monkeywrench (Deut. 27:17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark)
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To: RandyRep
He said the Chinese watch this with their own systems (including satellites) to determine ways to evade or neutralize them.

2 can play at that game. I wouldn't doubt that we've done, and are doing, lots of that ourselves. It'd be interesting to see what the launch of a few armed cruise missiles from several subs at widely-spaced locations toward their launch pads during refueling would do in terms of lighting up their radars (not to mention the fireworks that'd be produced upon landing. Then we'll see what Mr. Kim Jong (Mentally) Il does.

32 posted on 07/07/2006 3:42:06 PM PDT by Ancesthntr
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To: garbageseeker

How dare he iimply the oceans won't protect us!

Oops! wrong century.


33 posted on 07/07/2006 3:42:24 PM PDT by PsyOp (A nation can survive its fools…. But it cannot survive treason from within. – Cicero.)
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To: RandyRep
I heard a fellow on the Glenn Beck show yesterday call in and say that every time North Korea launches something, the US radar systems (and presumably the defense systems in Alaska) light up to track the NK missile.

He said the Chinese watch this with their own systems (including satellites) to determine ways to evade or neutralize them. I don't know how accurate this comment is, but Beck said he would investigate it.

Wow Glenn Beck investigating.....that almost means something, like Imus investigating or Bill O'Reilly.

BTW, it aint all that hard to nuetrilize this:

1) The Chinese could launch a pre-emptive EMP bomb into the atmosphere to knock out power. Only draw back is that they loose power too

2) or they could fire 10 missles at once with only 1 nuke in the lot and play the odds. You definately will destroy something either small or very very big.

Either way its a load of over-hyoed crap! A 3rd rate country like North Korea knows that in the end, if you show up to a gun fight with 5 swiss army knives hoping to kick ass while your loading your Mossberg shotgun, your going to go home in a body bag!

34 posted on 07/07/2006 3:57:39 PM PDT by Bommer (Attention illegals: Why don't you do the jobs we can't do? Like fix your own countries problems!)
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To: b4its2late

Maybe, but China has already threatened Taiwan with missiles a number of times. The results weren't the intended ones.


35 posted on 07/07/2006 4:45:28 PM PDT by dr_who_2
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To: garbageseeker

So is our food and fuel.


36 posted on 07/07/2006 4:46:01 PM PDT by dr_who_2
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To: wolfcreek

>>>All these countries that think We're too bogged down in I and A to be a real threat, seem to discount the fact that our Navy and AF are basically idle.

Their perception is everything. Even though our Navy and AF are idle, they apparently don't think so. So do the liberals in the U.S. I don't think Bush can wage a two front war. He's got to close down Iraq (perhaps Afghanistan is OK) before he can move on politically to N. Korea.


37 posted on 07/07/2006 4:49:28 PM PDT by Hop A Long Cassidy
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To: dr_who_2

And you'll notice that the Big Bad China has never made a move on Taiwan, One, they aren't sure how we will react. Two, don't sell the Taiwanese short as many do. They have a very highly trained military and they are Very motivated. If the mainland attacked,they would quickly find the themselves being put in a defensive position. The taiwanese will be quick to take the fight to them. It will be very costly for the mainland to take on the islanders.


38 posted on 07/07/2006 4:58:48 PM PDT by Always Independent
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To: dr_who_2

You bet.


39 posted on 07/07/2006 5:05:17 PM PDT by garbageseeker (It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”Samuel Clemmens)
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To: PsyOp

LOL


40 posted on 07/07/2006 5:06:24 PM PDT by garbageseeker (It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”Samuel Clemmens)
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