Posted on 03/28/2013 11:05:07 PM PDT by CMB_polarization
Edited on 03/28/2013 11:22:28 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
"In a photo published in the Korea Worker’s Party (KWP) paper the Rodong, plans for a strike on the U.S. mainland are clearly –and therefore probably deliberately– visible. The newspaper is widely distributed in cities, and often displayed in public places for easy viewing..."
More from the article:
UPDATE 1449KST: South Korean intelligence agencies have spotted increased activity on North Korean mid-t0-long range missile platforms, an unnamed official told Yonhap in Seoul: “We are closely watching for the possibility of a missile launch,” the anonymous government source said.
SEOUL – Kim Jong Un signed off on a plan to ready his forces to target the U.S. mainland and American bases in East Asia following yesterday’s U.S.-led B2 strategic bomber runs, the KCNA reported after the North Korean military conveyed an “emergency meeting” in the early hours of this morning.
In a photo published in the Korea Worker’s Party (KWP) paper the Rodong, plans for a strike on the U.S. mainland are clearly –and therefore probably deliberately– visible. The newspaper is widely distributed in cities, and often displayed in public places for easy viewing.
“He finally signed the plan on technical preparations of strategic rockets, ordering them to be on standby to fire so that they may strike any time the U.S. mainland, its military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in south Korea,” a KCNA report in English said.
In the below photos, Kim Jong Un can be seen in what appears to be a military command room, signing the ready order.
In the version enlarged by NK NEWS (below), the text reads “U.S. Mainland Strike Plan” [미본토타격계획], and a larger map towards the back of the command centre appears to show the Western coast of the United States.
A composite overlay appears to show Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Hawaii and possibly Austin as being primary targets in a North Korean attack plan:
In a second picture Korean People’s Air Force (KPAF) squadron numbers are visible, as is what appears to be a flight plans on the left side of the large map on the wall. A 21.5 inch aluminium unibody iMac is on Kim Jong Un’s desk, confirming long-held rumors of the Kim family’s passion for Apple Macs.
Given that the photo will have primarily been intended for a domestic audience, it will most likely have already served its purpose of demonstrating North Korean military capabilities internally. Most analysts agree North Korea would not be able to hit any U.S. mainland targets.
A composite of the two photos gives a better idea of the scene, although the different focal lengths distort the image slightly:
The development appears to be a tit-for-tat response to a U.S. stealth bomber training run Thursday that saw two B-2’s fly from Misourri to drop ordinance on an island in the southern half of the Korean peninsula. U.S. officials said the flights were not designed to raise tensions, but reduce them by bolstering deterrence in face of North Korea’s recent vitriolic provocations.
However, North Korea sees ongoing U.S. military drills as part of a plot to conduce a full-scale nuclear invasion of their country. This week, North Korea put its military on the highest level of alert possible and cut a second military hotline. A KCNA report published earlier today added to tensions by saying that the North Korean military was preparing to “blow up the strongholds of aggression…through precision strikes no matter where they are.”
Observers worry that, with tensions running high and two new leaders in Pyongyang and Seoul, there is significant potential for escalation in the event of military confrontation. Both Kim Jong Un and Park Geun-hye are under domestic pressure to show strong and decisive leadership in the face of each other’s threats, and a lack of direct communication between the two sides is worrying for some.
Love the photo of the Generals. Where did they get all those medals? They had to be teenagers during the Korean Conflict of 51 to 53. I would guess that when they run out of space in the front of their uniforms, they will put any additional earned medals on the back? So general Kim how many medals do you have? “I am not sure, maybe 25 lbs?”
“Austin, as in Texas??Why would they want bomb an ally??”
Shh!! Don’t give them any ideas they also got Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Hawaii.
By the time their done we might actually be able to fight North Korea. LoL
Dude if he could make a mistake that big, don’t you think he might just as well make a smaller mistake and hit somewhere we care about?
Is the original post by AmericanInTokyo okay to repost if he deletes the profanity?
I, for one, value news of North Korea here on Free Republic, considering that I have a number of relatives who not only are within range of the North Koreans but also would be in the South Korean military response to any North Korean aggression.
One good thing is that based on what I've seen, the South Koreans are quite capable of handling themselves regardless of what President Obama does or fails to do. If worse comes to worst and the North Koreans really do attack, even though the economy of the South will be devastated and millions of people will die, “reunification” under force of arms by Seoul might not be the worst possible outcome.
Unfortunately, that applies only if the Chinese decide they won't back the Pyongyang dynasty. If it were not for China, I would have no concern at all and would place the South Korean military in the same category as the Israelis — i.e., people **NOBODY** in the region wants to mess with.
But when you've got a billion people, like China does, certain issues of scale come into play.
Not completely true, but I understand your point.
Being overweight is a status symbol in North Korea and at one point was also a status symbol in the South, especially for older people outside the military.
Younger North Korean elites, outside the immediate Kim family, especially those who have studied abroad, are less likely to be interested in showing off their access to food by having large waistlines. But some older people who have access to lots of food choose to do so.
I'm not defending the Koreans, but a look at photos of Westerners in the 1800s and the then-current stereotype of “fat cats” (i.e., rich men) will show that where food is scarce, weight becomes a way to show off one’s status, but where food is plentiful, being thin with well-toned muscles is a way to show off one’s personal discipline.
Probably the only vestige in modern American culture of that older attitude toward food is Santa Claus.
LOL!!!!
Real story. I was covering one of the “pepper spray” simulations where the local county deputies and jailers had to spray each other with the stuff they would use to control the inmates in case of “issues.”
Of course they were all bawling their eyes out and some were retching or washing their faces out in buckets.
Well, one of them got the great idea to give the reporter some of the spray so I could understand firsthand what they were going through.
Since I'm small and look wimpy, they put just a few drops on my hand and had me sniff. I guess they were trying to be kind and not hurt me too badly.
No effect.
Then they had me touch the edge of my lips. Slight burning sensation, but no big deal.
They tried several increases of the amount, with the deputies and jailers looking on in amazement as I didn't react.
Finally the lead trainer shouted out: “That's right! His wife is Korean and he eats that kimchi stuff!”
That was the first time I realized that the hot red juice in kimchi was pretty much the same taste as the pepper spray that wasn't bothering me.
If you eat cabbage soaked in the juice of homegrown hot red peppers as part of your daily meal, I guess pepper spray won't have much effect....
Reposting a reply after removing offensive language is just fine.
Sometimes a lot of good information is lost when we have to remove a post because of profanity.
North Korean uniforms have been laughed at since the Korean War 1950-53. During the initial armistice talks at Panmunjom, U.S. personnel watched Red Chinese officers in their quilted Mao jackets laughing up their sleeves at the strutting Norks in their Stalin inspired finery. The Chicoms were especially amused by the “coffee can” hats worn by the Norks.
A Soviet fashion that persists to this day is the size of one’s “flying saucer” hat. The more rank, the wider the saucer part until a senior general’s hat looks ready to take wing & carry him away.
The photo of Norkie generals with so many badges that they cover their sleeves with them is a real hoot.
Anyway, these guys know that only the military in North Korea gets enough to eat, and their perks & privileges depend upon their going on living to enjoy them. Even Kim Jong Fatso wants to know where his next meal is coming from.
But if the Norkies want to throw it all away, then bring it. Unfortunately, the utter smashing of the North Korean armed forces will be instantly followed by something even worse than military invasion: millions of starving North Korean civilians streaming across the DMZ in search of food.
Why don’t the Norks use THAT as a threat???
Just how long would it take our AF to bomb NK “back to the Stone Age?”
Wait, they are back in the Stone Age.
Just part of the theater to subdue the people he tyrannizes over...and to ask for food and financial aid from the US.
What will be will be.
Maybe the AM thought you stole secret info from the CIA or something.
Looks like a NK all black ninja militarized version of R2D2 in the background of that photo.....beware...
The North Korean missiles are much more hi-tech. They follow a 3D printout and trace their paths much more directly, following their commands instead of some curvy path. They must be fly by wire, line of sight telemetry weapons..../s
Heard some guy saying from CSIS:
70% of N.Koreas Military is on or about the DMZ.
25% of the children are malnourished.
2/3rds of the entire population do not know where their next meal is coming from..if at all.
I realize these figures “drift from month to month...but I’m ‘beginning’ to think the vested nations are simply tired of dealing with the North and want it resolved.....regardless how it goes down. And I think those meeting next week are going to be looking at this differently then in previous years.
Trouble is what alternatives are workable...and how will China respond? There really many alternatives than what's been done in the past....though I do think technology can cripple the North even further and could change the equation.
China just fired a journalist, over the weekend, for even suggesting, in his article, that it was time China considered letting go of the noose with N.Korea.
Just interested in what you think...
Regards,
CAWW
Libs saying we need to send The Worm over to calm things down. Seriously.
They wouldn’t waste their few nukes trying to target cities. They would use them for an EMP attack, which would knock the entire US back to 1700’s for decades. The resulting death toll would be immense.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.