NKorea accuses South of faking warship sinking

Associated Press ^

[jhpigott]

By SANGWON YOON, Associated Press Writer Sangwon Yoon, Associated Press Writer – 20 mins ago

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea's powerful National Defense Commission accused South Korea on Friday of faking the sinking of a warship for which Pyongyang has been blamed and warned that the Korean peninsula was heading to "the brink of war."

The comments were similar to other recent pronouncements but were made at a news conference, which is an extremely rare occurrence for the commission, the most powerful organ in the North and which is chaired by leader Kim Jong Il.

"The South Korean puppet regime's faked sinking of the Cheonan has created a very serious situation on the Korean peninsula, pushing it towards the brink of war," Maj. Gen. Pak Rim Su, director of the department of policy at the National Defense Commission, told a news conference in Pyongyang, according to broadcaster APTN.

He also said that Seoul's resumption of psychological operations near the border was "sharpening possibilities for one-on-one confrontation at an unprecedented speed."

A number of people attended the news conference, including some foreigners who may have been Pyongyang-based diplomats. A uniformed foreign military officer could be seen watching the proceedings, which were aired in full on state television.

[jhpigott]

highlights from the story -

1) NK holding a news conference - that rarely happens

2)reiterates the threat to take out any SK broadcast equipment in the border area

3)foreigners in attendance at the news conference

4)a uniformed foreign military officer in attendance. Wonder where from? China?

[jhpigott]

ping

[Puppage]

Can we just make NK a glass parking lot & move on? The entire world will be much better off.

[Genoa]

The AP reporter saw a uniformed foreign military officer, but was unable to discern what nation's uniform he was wearing. Sweet.

[70th Division]

I’ll have the Kim Jong Il under glass please.

[hennie pennie]

Amazing.

[AU72]

My worry is that NK may be coordinating with Iran-Syria-Hezzbollah for action designed to overwhelm the US.

Considering that Obama is alrady overwhelmed by an oil spill, it is a big worry.

[camle]

geez! and they managed to say all this with a straight face??

one wonders what kind of person (I didn’t say ‘moron’, I only thought it) would beleive this

[agere_contra]

Being overwhelmed is Obama’s default state.

[Vermont Lt]

Combine this with the Iranian fly over of our carrier group, and I am concerned that the “delivery” system is going to be “unconventional” because it is so “conventional.”

I spent some time yesterday trying to convince my wife this stuff happens all the time. She wasn’t buying it.

[jhpigott]

It wouldn’t shock me. I’ve noticed a pattern in the past few years within the geopolitical landscape - basically, you would never see Iran and N. Korea in the headlines at the same time and rarely would we go any significant lenght of time where neither of them were in the headlines. Now, all the sudden, both are front and center . . .

[fenderfeeder]

I fully expect North Korea to try and pull off another dramatic provocation on Memorial Day. Its how they roll.

No idea what it will be though.

[libs_kma]

Where the hell is Obambi with all of this?

I can't even imagine something like this happening and the POTUS has NOTHING to say about it?

Thats surreal.

[JimSEA]

Tensions have soared since South Korea laid out a series of punitive measures and pledged to haul Pyongyang before the U.N. Security Council.

Typical AR reporting. When the aggressor is a Marxist regime, blame the victim. On a matter related to the high standards of journalism practiced by the AP, Their report on the the Maoist attack on the train in India fails to mention the fact that the state government against which the Maoists are fighting has long been communist.

[jhpigott]

I recall them test firing an ICBM on July 4th a few years back. Wasn’t one of their nuke tests on Memorial Day??

[reagan_fanatic]

I wonder if the National Defense Commission could also weigh in with their expert opinion on whether or not the planes that supposedly hit the World Trade Center were, in fact, diverted to a secret military base instead.

[fenderfeeder]

They are unlikely to provoke something for the next two days with the Chinese delegation still in the South, but come Monday when the Chinese gone from the peninsula coupled with the fact that it will be Memorial Day, well, I’d be amazed if there wasn’t some form of provocation. Either in the form of a new headline grabbing statement or something physical.

[fenderfeeder]

Chinese I’d imagine.

[Col Freeper]

"The South Korean puppet regime's faked sinking of the Cheonan ...".

Not to worry. The South Koreans plan to just "fake" the sinking of the NK's ships and "fake" the destruction of the NK's military assets, etc.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks jhpigott.