Time bomb (North Korea is the absolute craziest place on earth – MUST READ article)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | July 12 2003

[KC_Conspirator]

We should have let MacAurther "do what he was gonna do" and it would have saved us alot of headache.

[Support Free Republic]

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[wideawake]

If I'm not mistaken, 1.3m is 4'4". That's amazing, if true.

[Williams]

Good article, probably wrong on some points. IF China is willing to use it's army to smash North Korea, I say that is a great deal. Yes North Korea can do awful damage to South Korea. But imagine the damage they will be able to do to Japan, USA and South Korea in 5 years. Also, it is hard to picture a full attack South while a massive Chinese invasion is pouring in from the North.

[wcbtinman]

I really don't understand this situation in N Korea as it relates to threats against the US. One well placed bomb, or a couple of well placed bullets could end this problem in a minute.

The US has already crossed the line so far as going after another head of state is concerned, so I don't really see that there is a problem. Just kill the bastards, and be done with it.

Any problems caused by assasinating the leadership would be small change compared to allowing this lunatic to use a nuke. If we are going to be the lone superpower, we had better start acting like it.

[Cincinatus]

Sort of like going up against a malignant Munchkin-Land.

[VOA]

bump

[dead]

Part of the problem is that, even barring a deliverable nuke (which they may or may not have), their military has massive amount of artillary dug-in all around the DMV. At a moment's notice, they could rain holy hell down on Seoul, killing a million or so people.

That would create some image problems for us at the UN.

[dead]

DMV should read DMZ.

(I would be in favor of a massive artillary assault on the DMV.)

[NorseWood]

bump

[Amelia]

FYI & comment.

[Centurion2000]

If I'm not mistaken, 1.3m is 4'4". That's amazing, if true.

Almost sounds like they are devolving ....

[r9etb]

The author of this article doesn't notice that he's put forth two contradictory views of North Korea

"The idea that this is a ... state that only needs a prod to collapse is false," the diplomat said.

...

"There is a critical crossover point some time in the future - which we don't know and which we can't know - where the North Koreans calculate they won't be able to fight the Americans and win," the diplomat said. The idea of a "use it or lose it" deadline for North Korean conventional war capability adds a frightening new dimension to the crisis over the US-led effort to eliminate Pyongyang's nuclear threat.

According to this second theory, NK could well collapse if we delay for long enough their decision to "use it."

I'm also inclined to disbelieve that NK is close to a point where all of the people "think the same thing at the same time." I think instead that, given a chance at a life without Kim Il Sung, most people would jump at the chance.

I agree that NK is crazy, though.

[r9etb]

The increasing reliance of the present-day US military on precision air strikes and its unwillingness to carry casualties is said to be encouraging some KPA generals to think they could prevail, helped by Korea's difficult terrain and weather.

Bah. We've seen how devastatingly effective our "reliance" on precision airstrikes can be. That, coupled with what would have to be extremely dense masses of North Korean troops, will result in the greatest military slaughter in human history.

[N. Theknow]

"It's a lot worse than even George W. Bush thinks it is," says a senior Western diplomat who frequently visits PyongyangThe Democratic Party Headquarters. "It is something very depressing to the human spirit. They want everyone to think the same thing at the same time, and they are close to getting it. That's what makes it horrible."

[r9etb]

As revealed this week in the Herald, these studies included the feasibility of China's People's Liberation Army conducting a lightning strike to disarm North Korea. The conclusion was that the PLA did not have the logistics capability to reach the DMZ fast enough to prevent the North Korean military attacking south to engage US troops. Hence a frantic Chinese drive to get the Americans and North Koreans back to a second round of talks.

Hmmm. The underlying assumption here seems to be that the North Koreans would ignore a Chinese attack from the north, because it couldn't reach the DMZ quickly enough.

Even the North Koreans aren't that crazy.

[blam]

Good article bump.

[Dec31,1999]

I just love that "Atoms for Peace Program". Are we having fun yet? :0

[El Laton Caliente]

It is very difficult to imagine a good outcome of this situation.

To survive the north has to take the south. The south cannot allow this to happen because of the human toll and it only delays the inevitable fall of a dysfunctional government.

The only way to stop the north, preemptive or not, would be tactical nukes.

The north’s only exportable products are arms with the most exportable being WMD. They left themselves no real choice but to trade in weapons systems. Their most likely primary customers being the Middle East and/or terrorists, the USA cannot allow the trade.

It looks like a no win situation for all involved.