[Cog]

Tell me how Trump forced Kim to conduct long range missile tests and developed his nuclear weapons. This happened long before Trump was president. I seem to remember Bill Clinton "solving" this problem back in 1994, or so he claimed. All 15 members of the UN security counsel have agreed to intensify sanctions on North Korea. A rare show of unity on an issue.

Trump has forced this to some sort of conclusion. Kim either gives up his nuclear ambitions or he presides over a country of smoking ash. The choice is up to him.

[Plantagenet]

It's interesting to hear Susan Rice, Ben Rhodes and other high level Obama era officials on TV news shows commenting on the Trump efforts to stop NK from threatening the US with nukes.

The Obama people are all for NK having nuclear ICBMs. They are so reflexively anti-US and anti-Trump they actually wind up supporting the NK nuclear weapons program ?!!?!!

Cheers

[Cog]

The Obama administration people would very much like to install a leftist and authoritarian regime in the USA modeled after North Korea, so I'm not a bit surprised by their reaction.

[MD]

Once again the obvious is ignored:

"North Korea does not have the capacity to build a threatening nuclear arsenal without outside help."

That help must come from a very short list of sources. You all do the math from there.

[Newfie]

MD are you quoting a source or stating your opinion?

I've not heard that statement before.

[MD]

MD are you quoting a source or stating your opinion?

I've not heard that statement before.

it's mine. An impoverished and isolated country cannot muster that level of technology without serious help from very powerful friends. Isn't that obvious?

[Cog]

Missile transport trucks from China and rocket motors from Russia and Ukraine. The buy most of the military equipment abroad.

[M_B_S]

Earthquake in North Korea likely H-BOMB Test while 6.3 strong

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/no ... d82e80e8fe


TOKYO — North Korea has conducted another nuclear test, officials from Japan and South Korea said Sunday after seismic authorities detected an artificial earthquake near the Pyongyang regime’s known nuclear test site.

This would be North Korea’s sixth nuclear test, and the first since President Trump was inaugurated. The action probably will increase already high tensions between the Trump administration and Kim Jong Un’s regime.

The U.S Geological Survey said it had recorded a 6.3 magnitude earthquake exactly at noon Sunday local time, near North Korea’s nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, in the county’s northeast region. The quake was felt in northern China, with emergency sirens blaring in Yanji, near the North Korean border, according to local media.

South Korean authorities said Sunday’s earthquake appeared to be artificial, consistent with a nuclear test. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said it has concluded that North Korea did conduct a nuclear test.....
*******************
E=mC²

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9ETEEWW5eU


Hell March

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od36mGHMfZM

More BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41139445

[Cog]

Well there you are. North Korea has joined the big boy club. Now to see if they will be permitted to stay in it.

[Newfie]

Lotsa words, no action yet. We will see.

[onlooker]

Well, I for one find it very odd that N.Korea is such a short span of time has dramatically increased its offensive missile and apparently nuclear capabilities. Something does not smell right here

[Cog]

North Korea's first nuclear test was eleven years ago. With computer modeling and most likely not a little help from Pakistan, China, and Russia, plus open source material on warhead design, I'm surprised they aren't further along. They do not have a solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile yet but neither did the USA at first. The Atlas was liquid fueled and was a sufficient deterrent until we transitioned to solid based fuels.

Just a matter of time and testing before the represent a credible existential threat to the USA. If we are going to do something in a military fashion then it needs to be done right now or forgo that option forever.

The real danger that Kim represents is not him launching a missile at the USA or even one of our allies. I can easily see him selling a operational warhead to any number of people who won't hesitate to use it on us. ISIS, Hezbollah, the list in nearly infinite.

[onlooker]

Cog or any other poster. Do you think N. Korea would be brazen enough to launch a preemptive attack against either S.Korea or the US? Just curious

[Cog]

Cog or any other poster. Do you think N. Korea would be brazen enough to launch a preemptive attack against either S.Korea or the US? Just curious

No I do not. I think the danger is he sells a warhead to any number of groups that would love to stick it to the Great Satan while he sits back and laughs about it.

[Outcast_Searcher]

Cog or any other poster. Do you think N. Korea would be brazen enough to launch a preemptive attack against either S.Korea or the US? Just curious

No I do not. I think the danger is he sells a warhead to any number of groups that would love to stick it to the Great Satan while he sits back and laughs about it.

Yes.

I just hope that TPTB have made it damn clear to the folks that matter (like China, regarding NK), that if US city/cities are attacked with terrorist suitcase nukes (and perhaps all of NATO as well), that the US isn't just going to sit around and talk about it. That the outfits like NK are going to be presumed guilty, and cease to exist.

So that maybe, when push comes to shove, China should keep their dog leashed.

Now, whether that has been done, and whether that can remain credible across various presidential administrations, who knows?

But as nuclear proliferation spreads across rogue states, this is the obvious long term danger.

[onlooker]

By the way guys being that I am in a posting mood, I started a thread on Asymetric War in the Geopolitics forum, as it seems to be of interest

[Cog]

There is an escalation the US could make when he does more missile tests. Shoot them down if we are capable of doing so. It is an escalation but one could present it as a defensive measure. How Kim would respond to that is anyone's guess but it seems the next logical step to me.

The other step that the USA could do is put sanctions on China and engage in a trade war. This would hurt both China and the USA economically but China might consider North Korea a liability that they don't want around anymore. Almost all imports and exports from North Korea go through China.

[Tanada]

There is an escalation the US could make when he does more missile tests. Shoot them down if we are capable of doing so. It is an escalation but one could present it as a defensive measure. How Kim would respond to that is anyone's guess but it seems the next logical step to me.

The other step that the USA could do is put sanctions on China and engage in a trade war. This would hurt both China and the USA economically but China might consider North Korea a liability that they don't want around anymore. Almost all imports and exports from North Korea go through China.

The problem with sanctioning China to get them to act against North Korea is you are basically telling them they have to kow tow to the USA in a public way. If they do as we ask after something like that their international status takes a huge hit, so even if they want to chuck Kim out and replace him with someone sane they would refuse to do so to save face. International relations are a great deal like high school relations, when the head football players little brother acts like an idiot you let him deal with it. Threatening to embarrass the head footballer if he doesn't deal with it will cause him to defend the little puke out of family pride. Talk to him quietly and telling him his kid brother is making him look bad and he will deal with it in his own way a heck of a lot more ruthlessly than you will have the chance too.