North Korea Watch 2017

a reply to: mersaultdies

Iran is indeed going to be a bigger long-term problem if we don't do something in the meantime. Iran is pretty much where NK was 12-15 years ago or so, as far as their nuclear program. The Clinton and Bush admins tried to deal with NK the same way Obama tried to deal with Iran, and look at the result we got. We already know this approach doesn't work. If we stay on the current path, Iran will get nuclear capability. The scary part is they're paying a lot more attention to their missile development program than NK did. NK got their nuclear capability worked out and now it's basically waiting on their missiles to catch up, while they work on miniaturizing the warheads. Iran may have reliable functioning ballistic missiles before they even finish their nuclear development.

The good news is, in order to neutralize that threat an invasion isn't needed. We won't need to sacrifice thousands of troops. And this is all assuming there isn't another revolution in Iran in the meantime. The people there are getting fed up with their government.

a reply to: face23785

Well, Iran certainly has a better chance at revolution than North Korea. That's for sure.

As for the programs of both, it's well known that they are sharing missile and nuclear tech.

Here are a couple of interesting reports I came across this morning:

As North Korea draws ever closer to possessing a nuclear weapon that could hit the US mainland, President Donald Trump and his top military advisers must weigh whether or not they'd launch a preemptive strike on North Korea and risk potentially millions of lives in the process.

But even though a US military strike on North Korea would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale," according to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, that doesn't mean it's off the table.

At a National Committee on US-China Relations event in New York City, Samuel J. Locklear, the former head of the US military's Pacific Command made it clear: "Just because it's tragic doesn't mean he won't do it."

Source

and the other one:

USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Kidd (DDG 100), and USS Shoup (DDG 86) are scheduled to depart their homeports of Naval Station Kitsap-Bremerton and Naval Station Everett, respectively, June 1, for a regularly scheduled deployment.

Nimitz, the flagship of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11, Kidd and Shoup will make a brief stop at Naval Air Station North Island to meet up with the other ships and units of CSG 11. Strike Group units have spent most of the past seven months underway preparing for deployment.

Nimitz participated in a series of pre-deployment inspections and training evolutions, including Board of Inspection and Survey and a Composite Training Unit Exercise that certified them ready for deployment.

Source

I know this report said it was a "regularly scheduled deployment," but is it possible these ships will join others already stationed in the Korean Peninsula?

President Trump is on his way home from that overseas trip. There's been speculation we could attack NK only after his return.

a reply to: dianajune

Thanks for sharing the news you found

Personally, I have no idea regarding the deployment you mentioned. I would take it at face value for now though. If that group ended up heading in that direction and ended up closing toward NK it will definitely be well known in short order. You can't really hide the location of a carrier strike group for long in the world today.

I still don't think an attack is imminent, based of the reasons I mentioned earlier. But I don't know more than anyone else and less than some of course.

Even if they decided to move forward with a strike (and I don't think they would in the very short term), It certainly wouldn't occur close to Memorial Day of all times. The optics are just too bad.

If/when it ever happens though, three carriers are better than two of course. More planes and missiles is obviously beneficial. Any first strike would need to literally cripple as much as possible with regards to Kim's AA abilities, the command structure, and the actual nuclear program and the massive amount of artillery present. Honestly, there's so much we won't be able to get it all in the first round. You can only hope to get the vast majority of assets and cripple the command structure. Then you hope that everything is so centralized that the units remaining have no communication and don't respond on their own without hearing from superiors. A few artillery units or missile batteries can do a heck of a lot of damage quite quickly.

a reply to: dianajune

Sending cruise missiles into North Korea might not be such a great idea...

Worked in Libya to give the admin here a quick popularity boost, but this seems like a dangerous idea to try with North Korea.

Time will tell...

originally posted by: mersaultdies
Chill, everyone.

North Korea will be taken over by China and a Korean puppet of China will get to wear fancy suits, drink champagne with heads of state and jet set around the world.

The 'international community' (our governments, ruled by banks) will sanction this and tell us we averted a major threat to the world.

THEN, the good stuff happens. We move on to dealing with the MAJOR THREAT posed by Iran. You'll get your military action at that point but most US involvement will consist of special forces and private security firms. So, don't worry about any flag-draped coffins to sour your mood.

Peace

i ain't chilling for no one. Any takeover as you say will no doubt result in many deaths.

And whilst you may sit pretty where you are, the possibility of confrontation will no doubt hurt the security of where I live.

a reply to: Sagacity

You're welcome!

If we strike NK first, imho they should start with NK's satellites, which could (contrary to some opinions) do us a great deal of harm. Check out this excerpt:

An EMP attack would fry the circuitry of mobile phones and wipe out online banking, food resources and global financial systems. The short burst of electromagnetic energy would also potentially take down aeroplanes in flight and cause trains to stop in their tracks. Politicians are wary that North Korea's missile programme could encourage them to detonate a nuclear bomb in orbit over the US. This comes after North Korea recently tested a solid fuel missile last Sunday that would be harder for outsiders to detect before launch. The test, which Kim Jong-Un hailed as a success, has put the US on alert.

Source

An EMP attack would hamper our ability to fight back, so it could be that should NK strike first, that's how it would start.

Time will tell as another poster said.

Well, the Nimitz carrier group is heading toward North Korea.

For those that haven't seen it yet, here's the article straight from the VOA:

3rd US Naval Strike Force Deployed to Deter North Korea

Wonder how long it will take them to get in the region?

Also, in an attempt to make news and posture as well, NK just tested a new anti-air system.

Link

They keep this up and they're going to run out of toys to test for Kim.

Defense Sec Mattis was apparently just on Face the Nation, and was stating that war with North Korea would be catastrophic.

Direct link to the interview at Face the Nation here: ink although it's front and center on the main page of course. There's also a link to the full transcript of the interview within the article.

The Hill has also picked up the story already : link

I didn't really see anything new in the interview. I think most anyone who's halfway paying attention knows the threat and knows the consequences as well.

originally posted by: Sagacity
Also, in an attempt to make news and posture as well, NK just tested a new anti-air system.

Link

They keep this up and they're going to run out of toys to test for Kim.

And a few hours later, N.K. conducted their (as promised) weekly Ballistic Missile launch. It landed in the busy shipping lanes just off Japan. A new and potentially dangerous twist. (One theory is it could be a test of a "submarine destroying" missile)

www.nbcnews.com...

The leader of South Korea called for another emergency security council meeting. He's going to drive his country crazy by calling these every time North Korea launches a missile...since Kim Jong has promised to launch at least 1 every week.

a reply to: carewemust

Poor Moon, he just got elected and now Kim is helping those grey leader hairs grow faster!

SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired "at least one" short-range ballistic missile from its eastern coast early Monday morning, South Korea's military said, with the provocation triggering a strong condemnation by the South's new government seeking to improve inter-Korean ties.

The missile, presumed to be a Scud type, was launched eastward from the vicinity of Wonsan, Gangwon Province, at around 5:39 a.m., according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). "The flight distance is around 450 kilometers," Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, the JCS's spokesman, told reporters. "It flew at an apogee of some 120 km."

NK fires scud type missile - SK

SK are working on identifying if more than one missile was launched.

You know, it's going to take one errant missile landing in the shipping lanes and "accidentally" hit a ship. If so it's going to take a lot of restraint not to go in guns blazing.

A 3rd US aircraft carrier task force has now been dispatched to North Korea.

USS Nimitz
USS Carl Vincent
USS Abraham Lincoln

US moving 3rd aircraft carrier-led strike group towards North Korea in unprecedented show of force

Washington is sending its third aircraft carried-led strike group to the western Pacific stretch closer to the waters of the Korean peninsula in what is seen as an unusual show of force amid tensions in the region. USS Nimitz, one of the world's largest warships, will join two other supercarriers, USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan, which are already sailing in the region.

It is extremely rare for the US to deploy three aircraft carriers simultaneously in the same region and this is additionally significant given the existing tensions in the Korean peninsula. The US Navy has not explicitly said Nimitz is intended for operations related to North Korea but said the aircraft carrier will be mobilised in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

click link for article

a reply to: carewemust

Yeah, if they are going to call a meeting every time he launches, they might as well put some reserved times on their calendars. Or it seems more cost effective to just email any new info on the latest test out to staff. Heh.

Not really making light of the situation, but you're right. It's going to make his staff crazy.

a reply to: Xcathdra

The war drums are banging.

Despite increased pressure from the UN and the United States, it would appear that our pal, Kimmy, has his heart set on provoking the US into action.

That's a lot of boats in the water. Along with the aircraft carriers are guided-missile destroyers USS Howard and USS Pinckney and guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton from San Diego. Carrier Air Wing 11 and the Gray Wolves of Electronic Attack Squadron 142 are well represented with the Nimitz group.

Stratfor Naval Update Map

The men and women from San Diego might have a busy summer in front of themselves.

a reply to: AnonyMason


Indeed! Kimmy/NK is getting overly cocky and confident!

""We're prepared to test-fire ICMBs anywhere and anytime on orders from the supreme commander (Kim Jong-Un)", the Rodong Sinmun paper said in the article entitled: "No one can stop the nuclear power state, rocketry master in the East".

The paper added: "The United States must know our declaration that we can turn the devils' den into ashes with nuclear weapons is not an empty threat.""

Source: pulse.ng...

The USS Vinson and Reagan will begin holding war game exercises immediately off the North Korean coast today. Let's see if Kim Jong even has the nerve to fly one of his cute little drones near those battlegroups.

originally posted by: Sagacity
a reply to: carewemust

Yeah, if they are going to call a meeting every time he launches, they might as well put some reserved times on their calendars. Or it seems more cost effective to just email any new info on the latest test out to staff. Heh.

Not really making light of the situation, but you're right. It's going to make his staff crazy.

E-mailing these weekly non-emergency notifications is a good idea. The new S.C. President called 2 "Emergency Sessions" over the past 3 days.

When the real N.C. invasion of S.C. starts, I can see the S.C. leaders looking at their "WARNING! URGENT!!!" text messages, having a good laugh, and going back to sleep.

You know what scares me about North Korea?
The unreal lack of knowledge of the outside world, from the general populace.
This is what makes me most worried about NK starting WW3, or at least having the potential to. The weapons are threatening but I think history has shown how a majority following a leader can be the most deadly.


Example; A friend of mine works in the energy sector and it's taken him all over the world, one of the places he lived was South Korea. He came into contact with a middle aged lady from North Korea, who was absolutely amazed by him for starters. She actually asked him the following question...; "Do they have trees in England?"


I mean... wow.

They are so out of touch that they don't know if there are trees in other countries?
The potential for complete and utter devotion via brainwashing is terrifying.

Then add in nukes, to boot.

a reply to: Rikora

They are indoctrinated / brainwashed from birth. They are taught their great leader never has to use the bathroom and shot 38 under par, with 11 holes in one the first time he played gold.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Don't forget he bowls a 302.