North Korea- What do we do???

North Korea is the most unpredicatable nation on earth. These missle tests and nuclear programs by them have violated international law, far more the Iraq or Afganistan ever did. There has been so little action against these programs and so little progress being made that a new solution needs to be found, soon.

In reponse to the missle crisis, I would not be at all shocked to see them react violently to any sanctions or other form of punishment. They are willing to push as exceed the limits of international laws and the patiance of their neighbours.

Brinkmanship is the most dangerous policy any nation can adopt. It helped to trigget WWI and WWII. Could korea possibly be the starting point for another major conflict? I hope i'm wrong, but i think there is a strong chance that it could be.

I would be in favor of taking north korea out as quick as possible and as soon as possible. The dangers it presents to its neighbours and world stability are too great. Action, military action, must be taken now. Diplomacy has failed.

-DSO

I would suggest you read Bill Gertz's article in the Washington Times and watch the whole drama unfold. I'm not a Bush fan, but his approach with North Korea is very, very solid this time. By taking it slow he is getting South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, China, and Russia focused on North Korea, putting everyone on the record, and doing it just in time for North Korea to make the next move.

It is the smart move by the US, the game of chess isn't between the US and North Korea, the chess game is between the US and China, and the rest of the countries in the region are playing their role as a castle or a rook forming the check mate.

If you read the column, read the top of page 2, and ask yourself if you think there is any chance a second ballistic missile test will be successful.

I actually agree with how bush is hadeling the situation. I feel it is important for the international community to solve this situation. However North korea will continue in its ways due to its governments lack of respect and common sense. It may solve the crisis for now, but in the long term we will be worse off then before (since we will have given them time to develop better technology)

I don't advocate violence as a solution to problems, but i see the only way of solving this situation permentaly is either and assasination of entire government or a full scale invasion of the nation by a multinational group, eventully uniting the two koreas.

I don't think military action is a realistic option. There's just far too much risk that it will escalate not only into a nuclear conflict on the Korean peninsula, but possibly worldwide given China's relations with NK. Even airstrikes would be incredibly dangerous given the instability and unpredictability of the NK regime. NK might retaliate to something as insignificant as destroying a missile on the launchpad by firing a nuclear-tipped missile at Seoul or Tokyo. If one can convince China to turn a blind eye, military action might become a bit more plausible, but I don't believe the Chinese would agree to it given that it would put US troops on their southern border.

Granted, inaction carries its own risk. There's little doubt in my mind that NK plans on selling its missile and nuclear technologies to other rogue states. At this time, however, I think diplomacy is the only real option and no permanent solution is likely to come from that, either. All it will do is buy time.

While military action carries its won risks, i think that risk is mush less then the one posed by inaction. I am more concerned with what NK will do with its missle technology against it's neighbours (including the US and Canada). Also i feel there is a high probibility that there is and allinace brewing between Venezaula and NK (according to cnn, the two leaders are to have meetings in the near future). Then the US + UN may get a bit more agressive in ending the major threat NK poses.

What do we do? I'd say begin pulling out of South Korea. They have had long enough to be able to defend themselves and we do not need further entanglement in the age of nation building garbage.

War is to punish, and NK has done nothing directly and doesn't seem close to being able to.

What we need is less involvement in the world militarily.

We sell 'em more weapons, more purifiers, and more centrifuges!!! Yeehaw!

/military industrial complex contractor mode off

Ok seriously though? Just let them moan and whine. Kim's like a little kid over there screaming for attention, which is part of the game. If you ignore the kid in this case, he'll go away. Unless it is in the script, which it very well may be, he's not about to plunge the area into war to satisfy his testosterone.

You could alternatively give the kid a cookie and maybe some milk, but strategically speaking, the US is not in a position to invade NK or defend SK throughout a prolonged siege. The logistics for such a war on land are not favorable at this juncture. Of course the wildcard in this game is China, in that they may very well side with North Korea from a political standpoint, but they also may not because of the economic interests.

What I mean by the 'it's part of the script' is basically that the US already found and recovered a Taepodong warhead in Alaska and didn't really do anything about it. I think this happened around Late 2003. Obviously, I doubt it was a live warhead, meaning it was probably just the rocket and some dummy ammo and did not contain actual fissile material.

[edit on 7/8/2006 by AlnilamOmega]

The USA realises that IRAN are insane enough to ACTUALLY accept total anhiliation if it means making the superpower bow.

Nkorea has bred its civilians for War.

Kim states sanctions will mean WAR.

What are we to do ?

Fight this little man on his home turf? when he has nukes?

I think the US should just leave him, be like a bully, ignore him.
He will go away.
He just wants attention.

Test firering missles, honestly isnt anything to be scared of.
When he starts testing NUKES,
or startes lobbing missles AT countries,
then I think the world will get behind an effort to remove him by force.;

because right now he's just a school yard bully, who's standing in the corner in time out poking his tounge out.
Why punish him, it will give him a reason to rebel.

Dont punsh until he hits someone, then hit him hard enough to make him realise it isnt a game.

Originally posted by AlnilamOmega
the US already found and recovered a Taepodong warhead in Alaska and didn't really do anything about it. I think this happened around Late 2003. Obviously, I doubt it was a live warhead, meaning it was probably just the rocket and some dummy ammo and did not contain actual fissile material.

It wasn't a warhead, it was a satellite, the first missile was actually a launch of North Korea's space program, except they aren't very good at it and the first one failed. The rocket landed in Alaska and the technology was recovered. Too many soldiers based in Alaska have confirmed this for it to be false, and it also explains why the first AEGIS SDI offshore platform is in Alaska.

The second launch, the one that failed the other day, was also a Satellite launch. I covered it in this thread.

What is ironic, to answer the original question, is that nobody has any solutions. Clinton didn't, Bush doesn't, and everyone you read everywhere on the internet replies to the question asked with sarcasim. It is a weakness I am proud Americans have, because it shows we are resisting the only obvious answer which is violence. It is a result of the American way of trying to find the best in others, trying to apply logic to manic nutjobs like Kim Jong-il.

I'll wait to see what happens, but I am yet to see any light at the end of the tunnel. The world is dealing with a man who spends virtually all of his money on ballistic missiles and nuclear programs at a cost of starving his own people to death, and to make it worse, we can't even use food as leverage because China already cut off food shipments in what has to be the most insane twist to the whole ordeal. I saw a panal discussing this tonight on TV, and while even the most conservative commentators were frustated with the rash calls to war, the most liberal commentators were equally frustrated with North Korea's obvious insanity. The problem spans idealogies in the Western world equally, leaving both sides of the political spectrum equally confused on the best coarse of action.

This is the insanity facing the diplomats, so it is hard to believe sane solutions will come out of negotiations. Hopefully the guy will die of a heart attack and the region will change for the better.

I heard that Japan is now investigating the legality of military action. >>> www.cnn.com...

I still feel an invasion of NK is the only way to solve this crisis, but i'm not advocating to do this immediatly, perhaps 2-3 years into the future, by and international force.

All aid to North Korea needs to be cut off when this happens we will finaly see the end of a failed state. Incentives need to be given to Russia and China to prevent them from continuing the life line that is keeping a dying patient alive.



[edit on 12-7-2006 by xpert11]

Sorry about that, i linked the wrong story. I saw this on cnn a few days ago and Japan was contemplating if they had the legal right to take military action against NK. It was being discussed in their courts and governemt.

Thanks for all your opinions, i appreciate them. Please keep them coming.