North Korea Defiant Amid U.S. Threats

MSNBCNEWS.COM ^ | MSNBC STAFF

[Happy2BMe]

North Korea vowed Sunday not to fold under pressure as the United States threatened to apply economic pressure to the communist state in a bid to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

But Secretary of State Colin Powell told on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the United States has no plans to attack North Korea and is ready to wait months to see whether diplomacy can persuade Pyongyang to abandon nuclear programs.

Meanwhile, inspectors from the U.N. nuclear agency, expelled by Pyongyang after the North said it would reactivate a mothballed nuclear research facility, prepared for their New Year’s eve departure.

N. KOREA: CONFRONTATION INEVITABLE

North Korea also said on Sunday that it preferred to resolve the dispute in a “peaceful” manner.

“It is the consistent stand of the (North Korean) government to settle the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful way,” said a commentary in Rodong Sinmun newspaper, carried by North Korea’s official foreign news agency.

[Happy2BMe]

Pretty high bets on N. Korea's part.

Our only option is a nuclear one . . and THAT will never happen.

[The Duke]

The whole thing feels kinda cowardly to me. It's pretty
obvious that negotiation with North Korea is meaningless.

[rightazrain]

Duke, I would expect that this is a matter of timing, not cowardice.

[Happy2BMe]

"Duke, I would expect that this is a matter of timing, not cowardice."

The whole thing is a matter of "blackmail" timing.

Bill Clinton opened this SOB pandora's box by offering to "buy off" the SOBs in the first place!

Look where his policy got us!

[FreeReign]

But Secretary of State Colin Powell told on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the United States has no plans to attack North Korea and is ready to wait months to see whether diplomacy can persuade Pyongyang to abandon nuclear programs.

Translation -- when, after months of persuasive waiting for you to abandon your nuclear program, we will attack you.

[Happy2BMe]

"Translation -- when, after months of persuasive waiting for you to abandon your nuclear program, we will attack you."

STOP! Do you hear THAT!!!??

It's SILENCE coming out of the PROTESTORS in SOUTH KOREA!

This time JUST LAST WEEK, South Korean protestors were demanding for the U.S. rats to get their a$$$e$ out of S. Korea.

Funny what a difference a week makes, eh?

N. Korea knows they have us just where they want us.

They know we won't attack them for fear of a nuclear war.

The S. Koreans are PETRIFIED either way - they go up in smoke.

Betcha that new SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) all the hell-raisers in S. Korea were rioting about last week gets put on the far-far back burner.

[FreeReign]

N. Korea knows they have us just where they want us.

For the moment, they have us on the spot.

However Powell has signaled, that when after months of persuasive waiting for NK to abandon their nuclear program doesn't work, we will attack them.

[txrangerette]

I reject the wording in this headline:
"...Amid U.S. Threats"? What threats?
NK is issuing the scary threats, not
us. Thanks, Lib Media. Go to NK, ok?

[wretchard]

The North Koreans hold three sets of hostages: Seoul, which due is 26 miles from the border and within range of 1,000 artillery tubes; Camp Red Cloud, home of 2nd Infantry division, even closer to the DMZ; and Tokyo, home of Godzilla and a possible target for a nuclear armed No Dong missile. Camp Red Cloud was situated between Seoul and the border to avoid having to retake Seoul again, which was a bloody chapter of the Korean War.

The fifty year old US policy on Korea is falling apart. It was originally designed to contain, not to destroy North Korea. It was designed in the context of the Cold War (indeed, it was the first battle of the Cold War), with its emphasis on tripwires (i.e. the 2nd ID) and in an era where only the superpowers had nuclear weapons. The hostage situation described above, was merely a subplot in the gigantic mutual standoff called Mutual Assured Destruction.

A policy designed for stasis must now be transformed into a dynamic program to topple or eliminate the North Korean regime. All the old diplomatic and military arrangements were simply designed to ensure the survival of South Korea. The first step in this new policy must be to get the 2nd ID out from under the muzzles of those pieces to exploit our longer ranged armaments and other superior capabilities and integrate it into an offensive force. Not designed to defend the DMZ. Designed to take Pyongyang. Second, the US must build a coalition, based around Japan and South Korea, with occasional help from China and Russia, aimed at a regime change in North Korea. Third, the US must expedite the US-Japan theater ballistic missile defense. Not just Tokyo, but US facilities in Japan are under threat.

President Bush must reverse nearly a half century of policies suited for another era to one specifically directed at ending Kim Jong Il's bad haircut.

[RightWhale]

America must wait to be attacked. It's the rule.

[Republic of Texas]

They problem with timing? The price will ONLY go up the longer we wait. Every hour, every day, the price goes up. What are we waiting for? We cannot mass troops on their border, they have at least one nuke. There IS only one solution.

[Republic of Texas]

Well put.

[wretchard]

"America must wait to be attacked. It's the rule."

Traditionally, the enemy must be allowed to go for his gun first. Shane always reserved the right to clear leather faster and pull before the bad guy could twitch it clear of his holster.

[Happy2BMe]

"President Bush must reverse nearly a half century of policies suited for another era to one specifically directed at ending Kim Jong Il's bad haircut."

Your summation is excellent and accurate.

Apparently you have some first-hand exposure to the sit at the 38th.

My big question is S. Korea worth it?

They hate our guts and are pounding their woks on their kimchee pots louder than ever for us to get our a$$e$ out of there.

Threat rises, pounding stops. Threat subsides, pounding starts.

N.Korea has to be contained because of Tokyo, not Seoul.

And I am hard-pressed to see how the Chinese would lift a finger to disarm the idiots in N. Korea. It is in their best interest for us to be stretched as far as possible militarily in the region (they know we won't attack N.K.).

[RightWhale]

The Code of the West. The American West. It's the Christian Way. It's also the Islamic Way, but some from that culture and from others have muddied the waters in that respect. We should try to stick to the Code. In the case of Terrorist Groups of Global Reach, our way is clear since WTC911 and we can go ahead. N Kor is a little less clear.

[Republic of Texas]

Not when they sell WMD to our Islamic/Arab enemies. When that happens, and it already has, they insert themselves into the proceedings. We don't need to wait for anything else.

[Happy2BMe]

The Code of North Korea: WMD

[Happy2BMe]

[wretchard]

I have never been to Korea, though I have read somewhat of it.

The South Koreans are divided. Remember that the current "peacenik" President Roh, nearly lost the election despite his predecessor's support. Most legislative seats were won by a party that favors a harder line against North Korea. They have their Democrats and Republicans, too.

Unlike 1950, China's main business partners in the region are South Korea and Japan. When Pyongyang targets Seoul or Tokyo, they are targeting Chinese business. North Korea, for its part, is simply a mendicant with respect to China. Kim Jong Il is bad for business. When people speak of "ending the crisis by negotiations", they are really negotiating the offing of Kim Jong Il with China's complicity.

[Sabertooth]

Clinton Appeasement Montage (NK)...