N. Korea vows to end Korean War cease fire...

[sureLoss]

American's are rattling their sabres... B52s are flying over South Korea in exercises
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/19/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

[CaptainCrunch]

I have to say that the saber rattling between the two sides is the highest I've seen since the tree incident

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I also don't think a Chinese occupation of North Korea would be the end of anything, but rather the beginning of a new cold war. As crazy as North Korea is, they serve as a buffer. If China occupied North Korea, it would only be a matter of time until annexation of the Korean peninsula was on the menu. China only knows one direction when it comes to these things. The ultimate goal should be a free and united Korea. If China takes control of half now, it will never happen... just ask Tibet.

Korea is a different situation than Tibet, though. China hasn't been into imperialism or expansion except when it comes to "re-unifying" territories that it considers to historically be part of China (e.g. Tibet, Taiwan, etc.). Korea doesn't fit that description.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Korea is a different situation than Tibet, though. China hasn't been into imperialism or expansion except when it comes to "re-unifying" territories that it considers to historically be part of China (e.g. Tibet, Taiwan, etc.). Korea doesn't fit that description.

I think that they would make an exception with North Korea if they had to. The preferance would be to keep North Korea as a buffer state.

If the balloon ever went up they would gain a great deal of international positivity if they knocked over the current regime, seized and destroyed the nuclear weapons program under international supervision and shipped in mass quantities of food aid, and then put a China friendly regime in place and withdrew their troops.

Contrary to popular belief the current relations between China and North Korea could be classed as barely correct at the high end and extremely cold at the low end. China hasn't had the same mass influence in North Korea that they had with Kim Il-Sung once his son took power and decided to chart his own nations course.

In fact China views North Korea's Dynastic succession version of Communism as a grotesque creation.

China has been forced to play the game with North Korea in order to keep that buffer zone against the West.

If North Korea did jump in to stop a war physically you could expect to see the whole Kim family tried in a People's revolutionary court and probably imprisoned or shot. The General Staff and most of the senior officers would be sacked as would the internal intelligence and police organs.

China would rea-arm and retrain the North Korea army as well in exchange for North Korea's massive mineral wealth and mining access to it.

[Zulu29]

Is it just me or does this seem to be a "ratcheting" escalation. I mean it in that it doesn't seem like the pressure can be reversed. When this most recent conflict erupted I initially thought it was just more of the same hot air from NK but recently I'm more concerned that NK is legitimately preparing to carry out their threats. Time will tell of course but this situation seems to be headed to disaster.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

Is it just me or does this seem to be a "ratcheting" escalation. I mean it in that it doesn't seem like the pressure can be reversed. When this most recent conflict erupted I initially thought it was just more of the same hot air from NK but recently I'm more concerned that NK is legitimately preparing to carry out their threats. Time will tell of course but this situation seems to be headed to disaster.

Trust me, not even Jong Un is dumb enough to go through with anything. Brainwash their populace all they want, but leadership isn't oblivious to how f'd they'd be within a week if the war restarted. (with or without nuclear involved).

Its all posturing, and has been since 1954

[skins]

Interesting article in the Herald today. Seems pretty spot on.

The premise of the strategy is never actually to do something but always to appear that you might do anything. This means both seeming too weak to attract serious attention and too dangerous and unpredictable to annoy. It has worked for the past 20 years and, judging by the American response, it still does.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion...638/story.html

[FlamesAddiction]

I always liked Israel's strategy on nukes. Most people assume they have them, but they never come right out and say so, nor do they brandish them like some other countries. If you really want the deterrent, that is the way to go.

In a way though, the anti-nuclear thing is a bit misleading. Countries like Japan and South Korea could develop a program very quickly if they wanted to. Not to mention other developed countries like Canada, Australia, South Africa (already had them I believe), and most of Europe.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I always liked Israel's strategy on nukes. Most people assume they have them, but they never come right out and say so, nor do they brandish them like some other countries. If you really want the deterrent, that is the way to go.

In a way though, the anti-nuclear thing is a bit misleading. Countries like Japan and South Korea could develop a program very quickly if they wanted to. Not to mention other developed countries like Canada, Australia, South Africa (already had them I believe), and most of Europe.

I don't think they do?

http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/...frica/nuclear/

[nik-]

South Africa had the bomb and then cancelled their program, their spin up of a nuclear program would be incredibly fast, which is what FA is suggesting.

[Ozy_Flame]

Yup, it was a big deal back in the late 80's, early 90's. I believe relations soured pretty bad with Western nations when they went down that route. Good thing they put an end to that.

The problem is, South Africa is in a whole different situation than South Korea, and the DMZ is essentially the Berlin Wall circa 1945. Except in the Korean scenario, the Soviets (North Koreans) have the bomb and the Americans (South Koreans) don't.

The Soviets also didnt have leaders nearly as belligerent as the Kim Jong clan. They actually understood the principles of MAD and sought international condemnation through the UN when they got mad. North Korea couldn't care two hoots about IR right now, or ever.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Trust me, not even Jong Un is dumb enough to go through with anything. Brainwash their populace all they want, but leadership isn't oblivious to how f'd they'd be within a week if the war restarted. (with or without nuclear involved).

Its all posturing, and has been since 1954

While this round has seemed much more intent, I think that there is a line that the North won't cross.

The problem is no one is eagerly giving them emergency aid to get them to back down.

The question is around a young inexperienced leader following a playbook that's more then 50 years old, and not adjusting to modern age.

The smartest thing that Kim Jung-Un could do would be to invite Sally Struthers to his country with a video crew.

[HotHotHeat]

Just want to share a photo from NBC News. Look at the gear and weapons these guys are being given. There is no chance N Korean leadership doesn't understand how badly it would go for them, is there?

[Chingas]

^you are correct. However if I am going to war and my job is to pack a rifle the ak47's pictured above are my choice.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Chingas

^you are correct. However if I am going to war and my job is to pack a rifle the ak47's pictured above are my choice.

Agreed; there is a reason the AK47 has been in production forever. The most concerning part is actually their outfits. Every other nation (including small poor African nations) have moved to camouflage (even for cold weather gear), while these guys are still rocking the "Red Army" green felt outfits.

I can totally see the flak cannon taking out some B-2 stealth bombers though....

[CaptainCrunch]

Realistically there are their regular army conscripts, they are forced into duty for a 10 year term after which they can go to university or work in a factory.

Their rank structure works a little differently as their sergeants are no more experienced then their privates. They are selected during training for their intelligence and effort and political reliability and then sent to a special school where they graduate as sergeants.

In Western Armies where the senior NCO's are the experienced backbone of the army, in the old communist model that the NK follow they really aren't.

As far as the uniforms go, the North Korean's don't fight in the same way, and really don't require much in terms of cammo. They basically use StarCraft tactics in that they line up with tank formations and rush under an artillery barrage. AS a rule they don't really practice small unit tactics, and don't do a lot of ambushing, they are the definition of a push army.

Their special forces are on the other hand lavishly equipt trained and fed, they learn infiltration, small level unit tactics, ambush and evasion.



They don't Zerg rush, they will dress up in South Korean uniforms and infiltrate cities, create ambush points and create panic before vanishing and attacking somewhere else. They are trained and designed to be autonomous human smart bombs.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Chingas

^you are correct. However if I am going to war and my job is to pack a rifle the ak47's pictured above are my choice.

I realize it never stops working but most people couldn't hit much of a 4x8 piece of plywood from a 100 yards with it. I would imagine most NK soldiers are quite small and light which wouldn't help the accuracy either.

I'm a little surprized they don't import chinese assault rifles.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Just want to share a photo from NBC News. Look at the gear and weapons these guys are being given. There is no chance N Korean leadership doesn't understand how badly it would go for them, is there?

They also look really itchy. I bet that is part of the reason they are so angry all the time... they are too hot and itchy.

[T@T]

First the B-2 bomber paid a visit now Obama buzzes NK with the Raptor.

The F-22 Raptors were sent to the main U.S. Air Force Base in South Korea amid spiking tensions on the Korean peninsula

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/31/world/...22s/index.html

[nik-]

Don't worry everyone! ... that searing heat and the mach stem ripping apart your neighbourhood is just an April Fools joke!