What Is The World To Do With North Korea???

[Dino Velvet]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522103,00.html

N. Korea Warns of Military Strike on S. Korea
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea warned South Korea and the United States on Wednesday that Seoul's participation in a U.S.-led program to intercept ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction is equal to a declaration of war.

South Korea announced its participation in the U.S.-led program on Tuesday, one day after North Korea defiantly conducted a nuclear test, drawing international criticism.

The North's military said in a statement that it will respond with "immediate, strong military measures" against any attempt to stop and search North Korean ships under the Proliferation Security Initiative.

The statement, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, also said the regime no longer considers itself bound by the armistice that ended the Korean War. It accused the U.S., a signatory of the armistice, of "dragging" the South into the program under its "hostile policy" against the North.

It also said it cannot guarantee safety for South Korean and U.S. navy ships sailing near the disputed western Korean sea border.

Earlier Wednesday, news reports and South Korean officials said the North has restarted a weapons-grade nuclear plant and fired five short-range missiles in two days, deepening the standoff with world powers following its nuclear test.

South Korea's mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that U.S. spy satellites have detected steam coming from a nuclear facility at North Korea's main Yongbyon plant, indicating the North is reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods to harvest weapons-grade plutonium.

Its report quoted an unnamed official. South Korea's Defense Ministry and the National Intelligence Service — the country's main spy agency — said they cannot confirm the report.

The North had said it would begin reprocessing in protest over international criticism of its April 5 rocket launch.

North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium for at least half a dozen atomic bombs. The North also has about 8,000 spent fuel rods which, if reprocessed, could allow the country to harvest 6-8 kilograms (13-18 pounds) of plutonium — enough to make at least one nuclear bomb, experts said.

Yonhap news agency carried a similar report later Wednesday, saying the gate of a facility storing the spent fuel rods was spotted open several times since mid-April. The report, also citing an unnamed South Korean official, said chemical-carrying vehicles were spotted at Yongbyon.

North Korea test-fired three additional short-range missiles Tuesday, including one late at night, from the east coast city of Hamhung, according to South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae.

He said the North already test-launched two short-range missiles from another eastern coast launch pad on Monday, not the three reported by many South Korean media outlets.

I don't want to go to war with these guys but it seems like UN action has had little effect on North Korea acheiving its goal of going nuclear. Russia and China have been especially unhelpful. I realize China is worried about refugees and I understand that to a certain degree. But, if they don't get with the program South Korea and Japan will want nuclear weapons too. This is a sensitive situation. What are your opinions on how the North Koreans should be dealt with?

[trish]

So Georgie W took his eye off the ball. Pakistan, Iran and just about everybody traded nuclear technology with North Korea. So now N. Korea claims they have nuclear weapons and the technology to deliver them. But that alone is no reason to go to war. Face it. You can't stop knowledge from spreading. The nuclear "club" will continue to swell in membership. Instead of wasting our resources and the lives of our soldiers stomping the shit out of every nation that tries to join [the] club, just let them in. Sometime soon, we'll have to learn to deal with others using intelligence and reason rather than with brawn.

[edits in square brackets]

[hippifried]

That's an easy question.

Just get out of the way & let Korea reunite.

[Dino Velvet]

That's an easy question.

Just get out of the way & let Korea reunite.

How do they reunite? Peacefully? What system prevails, Capitalism or Communism? What is Kim Jong Il's role? Does he just go away and retire to Florida?

[trish]

Capitalism, communism...it doesn't matter. Vietnam is communist, but it still rings the opening bell in the stock market everyday. Not everyone has to adopt our political philosophy. We are just a nation; not the world’s guardian of democracy. Nor are we democracy’s evangelistic missionaries.

[hippifried]

That's an easy question.

Just get out of the way & let Korea reunite.

How do they reunite? Peacefully? What system prevails, Capitalism or Communism? What is Kim Jong Il's role? Does he just go away and retire to Florida?

Maybe not Florida, but yes. That's exactly what he'd do. The South Koreans have been clammoring for reunification for decades. Every time they start getting too loud about it, the SK army steps in & cracks heads. I can't believe that the folks in NK would have any truck with reunification. The whole Korean conflict was contrived in the first place, & the 50+ year ceasefire is a joke. Why not try getting out of the way & let the Koreas talk to each other directly. They're all Korean. They already speak the same language. What? You don't think open trade, freedom of movement, & communication among the Korean people might have better results than the last half century of pointing guns accross the line? I wonder what would happen if the Koreans just tore down the fence like the Germans tore down the wall. Think the Americans would open fire?


trish wrote:

Vietnam is communist

You sure about that? That's the excuse we keep using to justify not dealing with them & trying to get others to not deal with them, but is it true? Does anybody really know?

Nor are we democracy’s evangelistic missionaries.

Yes we are. That's a perfect description of what we do.

[trish]

hippiefried wrote:

trish wrote:
Quote:
Vietnam is communist
You sure about that? That's the excuse we keep using to justify not dealing with them & trying to get others to not deal with them, but is it true? Does anybody really know?

As I said, they do ring the opening bell everyday, so..no...I'm not so sure; but I'm pretty sure it doesn't really matter.

Quote:
Nor are we democracy’s evangelistic missionaries.
Yes we are. That's a perfect description of what we do.

Point taken, but my statement was prescriptive rather than descriptive.

[tstv_lover]

Capitalism, communism...it doesn't matter. Not everyone has to adopt our political philosophy.

Totally agree. What's important is what works for them. It's taken the western world several millenium to reach our current state and it would arrogance to require others to follow suit. Maybe they will find something better - who knows.

We are just a nation; not the world’s guardian of democracy.

.
What refreshing realism Trish!

As for North Korea's current threats, I'm really at a loss to suggest a solution. These seem to be 3 options:

1. Nuke the bastards
2. Impose further trade sanctions
3. Something else.

Given that existing sanctions have clearly made no impact, I vote for option 3. Just gotta figure out what it is![/quote]

[beandip]

"So Georgie W took his eye off the ball. Pakistan, Iran and just about everybody traded nuclear technology with North Korea. So now N. Korea claims they have nuclear weapons and the technology to deliver them. But that alone is no reason to go to war. Face it. You can't stop knowledge from spreading. The nuclear "club" will continue to swell in membership. Instead of wasting our resources and the lives of our soldiers stomping the shit out of every nation that tries to join [the] club, just let them in. Sometime soon, we'll have to learn to deal with others using intelligence and reason rather than with brawn."

I agree...kinda, Moron Clintoon did more to spread nuke tech than that dick head Shrub ever did.

They are no threat to the US. Actually...the only jerks we should worry about are the ones who have ICBM's / sub platform nuke cruises and such. After that... no one, and I mean no one has heavy lift capability like the US and are therefore no threat to us. What are they (anyone) gonna do? Swim over here to attack us? The tact nuke (suitcase) mess is like toothpaste, we'll never put it back into the tube, that threat is real. Thankfully the triggers have a limited lifespan.

LOL

[beandip]

"So Georgie W took his eye off the ball. Pakistan, Iran and just about everybody traded nuclear technology with North Korea. So now N. Korea claims they have nuclear weapons and the technology to deliver them. But that alone is no reason to go to war. Face it. You can't stop knowledge from spreading. The nuclear "club" will continue to swell in membership. Instead of wasting our resources and the lives of our soldiers stomping the shit out of every nation that tries to join [the] club, just let them in. Sometime soon, we'll have to learn to deal with others using intelligence and reason rather than with brawn."

I agree...kinda, Moron Clintoon did more to spread nuke tech than that dick head Shrub ever did.

They are no threat to the US. Actually...the only jerks we should worry about are the ones who have ICBM's / sub platform nuke cruises and such. After that... no one, and I mean no one has heavy lift capability like the US and are therefore no threat to us. What are they (anyone) gonna do? Swim over here to attack us? The tact nuke (suitcase) mess is like toothpaste, we'll never put it back into the tube, that threat is real. Thankfully the triggers have a limited lifespan.

LOL