US tracks North Korean Ship
 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military is tracking a North Korean ship believed to be carrying illicit weapons or technology, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.The ship, the Kang Nam, is a North Korean-flagged ship, according to two senior U.S. officials, and is currently in the Pacific.North Korea has warned that any effort to stop one of its ships would be considered an act of war.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapc...hip/index.html

How big of a threat do you think this is? It seems like North Korea keeps pushing this further and further. CNN is reporting that it is suspected that they've counterfeited large amounts of US money to get around any embargos.

I am sure this is related to the situation with North Korea and a potential missile aimed (that wouldn't reach) towards Hawaii for the dates July 4-8.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...DuyRwD98SSVOO1

Seriously, what the hell is North Korea thinking, anything they do that hits Japan is going to cause problems not with just the USA.

They're smoking the same stuff Iran is smoking. Any nuclear attack by them against any of our allies would mean huge (possibly total) destruction of them. I still think this is politicians grandstanding in front of their people; the leaders of those countries are smart enough to know what awaits them if they use nuclear weapons. Unfortunately the citizens of those countries live in a state completely sheltered from news and conversations in the world around them, and they know no better than what their leaders tell them (maybe Iranians know a little more, but not a lot)...thereby making grandstanding very appealing to the leaders. They're just trying to show off and secure their power in their own countries and regions.

When I was reading that the information was provided by the Japanese I had a moment where I thought "60+ years ago who would have thought Japan would be helping us prevent an attack on Hawaii?" and "Who thought we'd have two Koreas and one wouldn't be our ally?" Furthermore with the historical issues between Japan and Korea(s) one might think Japan is the real target.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union I am continually confused as to how North Korea can still function (same with Cuba) without the support of the USSR.

ETA: I realize China gives North Korea support, but they've even cut back (they strengthened the border because so many North Koreans were escaping to defect to China) and as much as China likes to be communist and control their people, I think even China is getting a bit fed up with North Korean actions on the global level. If China seems like an awesome place to live with all their regulations, obviously North Korea is really unpleasant.

I seriously wish all those crazy ppl would just disappear.

North Korea keeps pushing and pushing, and it doesn't seem like anyone is doing anything about it except giving speeches on how all of that isn't cool with the rest of the world.

I don't think anyone will even do anything until N. Korea actually fires a f'ing missile or something that hurts ppl.

I kind of agree with this. I mean, I think you're right, but I think in North Korea 's case, they have a history of selling their weapons and technology to other nations, so they might be looking for buyers, and I think that is a good part of the threat, not that the People's Democratic Republic would attack, but that some terrorist organization or other rogue state with less to loose might attack, if not directly on U.S. soil, then at an embassy or one of our Allies' embassies.

Are all the liberals from Hawaii still against a missile defense system?

Well, crap.
 

Yipes. No bueno.

North Korea gives threats of war

Point of fact... we're still officially at war with North Korea, right? Never signed a treaty or ceasefire? So wouldn't a declaration of war be somewhat unnecessary?

I have no idea of this exact point, but it would be kind of superfluous compared to the "Bombing -> Bombing -> Bombing -> Bombing -> Japan in ruins -> Thanks Ronald Reagan!" sequence an actual war with North Korea would entail.

i don't believe so. did we declare or did they recently?

No, I think our official status since 1950 is that we're still officially at war.

We signed an armistice in 1953, pretty much agreeing we're not fighting a war, but we didn't agree the war was over.

People said a history degree was useless ;)

i thought a truce was called like 3 years later

We're going to be spreading ourselves way too thin if we get into a war with North Korea. If we do go to war with them, a draft would follow.

I have a feeling a war with North Korea would most likely be the following: bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb.

Evidently, North Korea test-fired 4 short-range missiles. At what point does this become a true cause for concern for our homeland's safety? Are they just flexing their muscles, or what? (I wish I weren't so ignorant about this. I've never been politically/militarily savvy.)

I think it's a concern, to some level, right now - but I also think national leaders don't want to start some sort of "OMG WE'RE GOING TO GET BOMBED!" panic by the general population.

I can see that. Still, if we're going to get bombed, I'd rather hear about it from our nation's leaders than from Matt Lauer, after the fact, on the Today show.

One thing alot of people don't realize is that is very hard to construct a intercontinental ballistic missile. The only two countries that have ever managed it were the USA and the USSR. That being said I'm really worried about our troops in South Korea and Japan. Those are the two largest bases outside of the united states and iraq.

Agreed, and not just because Matt Lauer annoys the heck out of me.

I think it's a difficult position for the government, and a difficult line to walk. They don't want to incite some sort of panic around the country, or have people ignoring heightened safety measures (the way people do when the terror level colors changes) but at the same time they don't want to keep things lax.

I'm certainly no expert in national security, but I'd assume we would notice some significant changes to public safety if there were an imminent threat of attack. We may not see all the changes (what with behind-the-scenes national security actions and confidential measures), but I think we'd see some differences.

Only an armistice... technically a state of war still exists between NoKo and SoKo.

Chonger must have a massive death wish or a severe case of 'Lackanukie' disease... he can vaporize Seoul and other major cities at the expense of rendering everything south of the Yalu river and north of the 38th parallel uninhabitable for the next million years. Well, maybe they'll build a Wal-Mart in what used to be Pyongyang!

And with the ensuing nuclear ice age, we'd have an instant cure for global warming.

Sounds like a win-win.

Don't forget the Chinese... the Froggies and Brits also have sub-launched nuke missiles as well.

The unfortunate thing is that until we counter with a massive buildup of troops (and we can't right now, especially with our commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan) to tell Da Chonger to take a flying f*** with a rolling doughnut I'm afraid our troops in Korea are relegated to 'speedbump' status. And the Japanese will really exercise their 'self-defense force' status if attacked.

Sounds like Da Chonger is suffering from cocaine-induced delusions of grandeur like Tony Montana...:D

Exactimundo... MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) just doesn't work.

Well, it can work if the parties involved are basically sane.

which ones are you talking about? if not they are nuts/insane/wacko/dodo's/ or anything you wish to call them. it will take many countrys to put checks on them. the two main are china and russia and I hope obama can work things out with russia. I think the jewish state can take care of Iran when it comes to push and shove.
this little piss ant country one of the poorest is trying to dictate world policy and destruction. tell the peole to get out as the country will be annhiliated. america/usa cannot do it alone.

ps, america is cutting back in Iraq. so there are more troops available!

I'm not counting on China or Russia doing ANYTHING about North Korea. Same goes for the French, who apparently have been hinting that they might strike first (hands in the air for those of you who will believe it when you see it!). They don't really *like* North Korea, but they don't really *hate* it either. I think Japan, if provoked more, could very well make a case for a preemptive strike if it felt it was needed to defend itself. Sound familiar?

It wasn't in the news much, but out here in Washington state an announcement was made a week or two ago that a second port is being built at our nuclear sub base, which is already home to half of our country's nuclear subs. Coincidence?