Iraq war hands lessons to China (further arming North Korea)

CNN ^ | 15 April, 2003 | Willy Wo-Lap Lam

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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- The Chinese leadership's assessment of the war in Iraq is focused on two issues: the impending North Korean crisis, and chinks in the American armor that have been exposed in the heated campaign.

The coalition forces' relatively speedy liquidation of the Saddam Hussein regime has raised fears in Beijing the U.S. might target North Korea sooner than expected.

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China - our reliable ally in the war on terrorism...</sarcasm>

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FYI

[COURAGE]

"After we finish defeating all of those animals we will disclose that with facts and figures."

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Indexing

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Screw Pyongyang. The Butchers of Beijing should be next on the list.

[Numbers Guy]

PLA tacticians were interested in how the U.S. maintained its long supply line

Pyongyang isn't 300 miles from the DMZ. Study all you want, PLA, if war comes your pals won't be able to exploit it.

[D Rider]

Yep, isn't a great thing that we helped them with their thermonuclear warheads. And made sure that their rockets are reliable. After all they do by American products like coca-cola </sarcasm> </sarcasm> </sarcasm>

Hey who broke the tag?!

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

The missive pointed out Beijing must adopt a "resolute stance" on the issue because the country "cannot afford to lose the North Korean buffer."

Well, this should sum it up for anyone who is dumb enough to think that China is really concerned about North Korea. North Korea has been backed by China for fifty years.

[CasearianDaoist]

THis is actually a canned response. They came out with a similar announcement after GWI and Afghanistan.

[etcetera]

The weakness in the American Way of War is in space: the satellites used to direct American bombs, missiles, ground forces, and aircraft. What protects the GPS satellites from attack?

[mc10]

not so veiled pronouncement that an attack on NK will mean war with China...i doubt it...unless clinton, loral and company continue to provide all our state secrets...

[denydenydeny]

To prevent such weapons from being misused by the Kim Jong Il regime, the PLA officers suggested the hardware be put under Chinese control all the time....For example, Beijing would send military and technical staff -- including personnel with ethnic-Korean backgrounds -- to man the weapons, which would be taken back to China as soon as the crisis is over.

I'm wondering if those "officers" and "technical staff" will at some point "escort" Kim Jong Il to "safety" in Beijing.

[AntiGuv]

Insofar as extended supply lines & the Korean Peninsula are concerned, the Chinese would be interested in two aspects.

1) The ability of U.S. forces to move toward the Yalu River line at the China-Korea border before the Chinese might deploy forces.

2) The ability of U.S. forces to swiftly roll back a substantive initial North Korean 'preemptive' advance into South Korean territory.

Reviewing the timeline & geography of the Korean War itself should make the significance of both these potential scenarios self-evident.

[color_tear]

"While summing up America's overall strategy in Iraq, Chinese commentators have highlighted the following points: high technology, high mobility, ubiquitous intelligence gathering, and a relatively small number of ground forces."

From ChiCom's mind, it can never see and understand our best weapon and strategy, humanity: "avoid civilian casualties, no bombing of power plants and water supply facilities"

[Normal4me]

>>"What protects the GPS satellites from attack?"<<

They orbit 20,200km above the earth.

[Rodsomnia]

It's just easier for the ChiComs to donate to the DNC rather than develope a strategy of military defense.

Any "decapitation" of our state would be welcomed and would result in a less authoritarian government by the way I'm in CA.

[DB]

What makes them think a war with N.K. will be done the same way as Iraq? An yes, America takes serious a country that threatens to "nuke" it on a regular basis. Big surprise...

[elfman2]

"The missive pointed out Beijing must adopt a "resolute stance" on the issue because the country "cannot afford to lose the North Korean buffer." "

Guess no price in Korean lives is too high for a "buffer". Some day even Chinese will despise their memory.

[etcetera]

"They orbit 20,200km above the earth."

Distance is not defense anymore. I bet the Chinese are working on a way to take out our satellites. And if we continue to assume that distance prevents attack, how are we going to protect the satellites when the Chinese do mount an attack?