Tension rises as N Korea cuts off hotline

Financial Times ^ | March 9, 2009 | Christian Oliver

[FocusNexus]

North Korea on Monday cut its military hotline to Seoul and put its million-man army at battle stations, ratcheting up tensions as South Korean and US troops began war games that Pyongyang warned could spark open conflict.

UN forces last week tried to counter North Korean claims that the exercises were a smokescreen for an invasion by promising to keep the hotline open, giving Pyongyang advance warning of anything that could cause a misunderstanding.

[FocusNexus]

I thought Obama is going to have Kim Jung Il eating out of his hands. What happened to his new reach out program to the world's dictators?

[JohnLongIsland]

Time to activate the teleprompter.

[frankiep]

Don’t be so hard on him. The White House has made it perfectly clear that The One is just too darn tired to worry about things like this.

Don’t you remember your first job? It can be downright draining sometimes.

[Wolfhound777]

The dictators know he’s weak and will bend over. They don’t respect him at all. They may not have liked Bush, but they knew not to %#&^ with him.

[Greenpees]

BHO will probably call Kim Jung Ill. It will all look great until KJ tells BHO to go F*** himself. After that, the real begging begins. Real honorable of Hussien to grovel up to tin pot dictators.

[Semper Mark]

Nuke ‘em . That’ll shut ‘em up.

[Texas Eagle]

What happened to his new reach out program to the world's dictators?

Obviously it wasn't enough. Perhaps Kim Jung Il will consider an extra couple hundred billion dollars a more appealing effort to be "reached out" to.

[FocusNexus]

“Don’t be so hard on him. The White House has made it perfectly clear that The One is just too darn tired to worry about things like this.”

We have an economic crisis, a crashing market, two wars still going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, potential major crises with N Korea and Iran and Obama, at age 47, with “chiseled pectorals” is just too tired to address them.

But he is not too tired to take on Rush Limbaugh — clearly this is more important to the country, than solving the many crises... (/SARC)

[April Lexington]

I'm sorry but North Korea would be quickly destroyed by South Korean industrial and military might if they invaded. Plus, Japan and China would quickly intercede to stabilize the region. The best thing that could happen is for China to occupy and pacify the Northern Korean peninsula. The world would all sleep easier once this Kook Kingdom is subdued and assimilated into the Asian economy. Nobody benefits from these cracked pots.

[meanie monster]

Yup I agree with you. Oboober seems to be on automatic pilot. We are week looking. Why was that Navy Ship that was bullied by ChiComs not armed? It don’t make sense.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Somebody forgot to wind up the phone?

[zipper]

The best thing that could happen is for China to occupy and pacify the Northern Korean peninsula.

I'm sure if Mao were alive he would approve of your plan.

[MediaMole]

Why was that Navy Ship that was bullied by ChiComs not armed?

Because it was a naval sealift command ship, not a warship. They have always been unarmed.

[mkjessup]

The dictators know he’s weak and will bend over. They don’t respect him at all. They may not have liked Bush, but they knew not to %#&^ with him.

That's right, Bush pulled no punches with Comrade Chia Pet, and hit him with those (*gasp*) 'SIX PARTY TALKS' (noooo, not that, not the Six Party Talks?!?), and I'll just bet you that we'll all be pleasantly surprised when Comrade 0bama ups the ante on Pyongyang with (drum roll please), (AHHHHH!!!!) 'SEVEN PARTY TALKS' !!!!


["nooooo, nooooo, oh ultimate community organizer, not Seven Party Talks, we will surrender at once! What are your terms?"]

[meanie monster]

Oh thanks, I did not know that.

[meanie monster]

week should have been weak. DOH

[The Duke]

Maybe we should threaten to send Madeline Albright back over?

[concerned about politics]

Time to activate the teleprompter.

LOL.

[concerned about politics]

The dictators know he’s weak and will bend over. They don’t respect him at all.

The American people don't, either. People are beginning to see "Hope" as a four letter word.

[April Lexington]

Too bad he didn’t do it while he was alive. Would have saved a lot of people a lot of agony. We need an Asian Yalta!