North Korea fires four missiles

a reply to: penroc3

Looks like THAAD has already been deployed in SK.

This is a much needed but controversial action. Let's see how the north responds.

U.S. military says deploys THAAD anti-missile defense system in South Korea

a reply to: Wookiep

ahhh i thought they were only training units for upcoming joint SK US training events

The US should send couple recovery ships armed of course to ether recover or look like they are recovering these missiles.

This will cause the Norks to worry that we are getting valuable countermeasure intelligence from there test and then they will ether quit doing the tests or we will be recovering there test items.

a reply to: seagull

That's actually what I said - there is not the same Eastern Bloc with Stalin and Mao. It should be said very clearly that no one is interrested in another Korean war and that the agression will be neutralized "on the same day".
Who would pay for a conventional conflict of this scale? Is there a million volunteers with a deathwish? No.
Btw the world would be a better place when a possession of nuclear weapon doesn't mean power and safety but a chilling certainty of nothing but the opposite scenario. Imagine Mr. T's speech offering assistance with their dismantling if any other country reconsidered their possession in the next days.

I think NK may have just made a huge mistake, they have now publicly claimed this to be a test attack on US bases in Japan. This actually could lead to military action, they've never done anything like this before.

US military bases in Japan ‘targeted in missile launch drill’ – N Korean state media

PACCOM deployed the first elements of THAAD to South Korea. China is warning of an arms race on the peninsula. North Korea has barred anyone from Malaysia of leaving their territory, after the assassination of Kim Jong-nam using VX gas.

PACCOM deploys THAAD.

China warns of arms race over THAAD.

I've heard that North Korean school children are taught that the Presidents of North Korea don't defecate. I wonder if that is true. I'm not saying its impossible. Is there any way to independently verify this veracity of this statement.

And if it is not true why is it necessary to misinform school children, and why does the topic of defecation of North Korean rulers even need to be brought up in public school.

a reply to: Miracula2

It's how you develop a cult of personality, one that is unique, thank God, to North Korea. Their leaders can do no wrong, they are, to put it bluntly, God on Earth--all bounty flows from them, because they are, in all ways, infallible. Any and all wrongs, or the misery the population suffers, are to be blamed on Outsiders. The evil West is behind all that is bad, all that is good comes from the Kim's.

Been that way since Grandpa Kim back in the day.

a reply to: seagull

those videos of people freaking out when they see them is real. Imagine meeting your god

a reply to: penroc3

Exactly!

Meeting the Beatles on steroids is the closest analogy I can come up with.

The indoctrination begins at birth. I seem to recall seeing a picture of a North Korean maternity ward with a picture of the the first Kim beaming oh so benevolently down upon the infants in the ward.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Are we going to see conflict in the region soon?
Can the missile defense systems, either AEGIS or THAAD take down ICBM's?

a reply to: D8Tee

I doubt it. They aren't designed to stop ICBMs, they're theater missile defense systems.

a reply to: Zaphod58
They can shoot down anything N. Korea has at this point in time?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
PACCOM deployed the first elements of THAAD to South Korea. China is warning of an arms race on the peninsula. North Korea has barred anyone from Malaysia of leaving their territory, after the assassination of Kim Jong-nam using VX gas.

PACCOM deploys THAAD.

China warns of arms race over THAAD.

Looks like an escalation. What do you gather China's position on this Zaph? I am hearing mixed reports. Not just involving arms race, but stronger warnings to the U.S.

a reply to: D8Tee

Anything that they've got operational.

a reply to: Wookiep

I think China is going to posture, and puff, but I don't think they'll back North Korea the way they have in the past. China wants to be seen as the mediator in this whole thing, but they're really reaching the end of their rope with NK. The problem is that they've kind of backed themselves into a corner with their support of them for so long. They can't suddenly change their position without losing face, so they almost have to react this way.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That's hopeful. I would hope China would step aside if we act. I don't support most wars, but I would support a plan to quickly remove the leadership there and restore unification. It will need to happen eventually. China, IMO is the only reason this hasn't happened yet.

a reply to: Wookiep

China has proposed North Korea suspending their nuclear program in return for the US and South Korea suspending military exercises. I don't see that happening, as they have a long history of training together, but they might suspend them for a year or two.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The problem with NK at this time is not them putting a nuke on a rocket , it them putting one on a ship . Do ships get screened for radiation in the US .

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: Zaphod58

The problem with NK at this time is not them putting a nuke on a rocket , it them putting one on a ship . Do ships get screened for radiation in the US .

Not sure if the ship itself would be screened, but any containers offloaded would be screened, yes.