He must be ronery...

Wonder if the South Koreans are still as keen to have US troops leave now.

Typical North Korea: "Look, I'm evil too! Really, really evil!"

Did lil Kim just die?

Just let them know Obama isn't taking any 3 am calls for the next 30 hours. He's still got about another $100 million of our money to spend congratulating himself.

Has anybody seen Areck Bardwin?

Present!

re: #7 Racer X

Funny.

MATT DAMON! must be advising them.

Maybe after the Joint Chiefs weigh in he will allow his whole Cabinet to weigh in.
Then he'll want to hear from the Senate and House.
AND he'll poll us about what we'd all like to see.
THEN, if there still is a South Korea...

re: #6 Chicken Kiev

Has anybody seen Areck Bardwin?

He's a pussy, isn't he?

re: #6 Chicken Kiev

Has anybody seen Areck Bardwin?

He is at a F.A.G. meeting with mat damon.

hold on .. its gonna be his first day. Hasnt he saved the world already?

Is this that international test Joe Biden was talking about?

re: #14 SemperHunden

Is this that international test Joe Biden was talking about?

No, no. This is an open-book quiz.

Nice to know ya', South Korea!

re: #5 JammieWearingFool

Just let them know Obama isn't taking any 3 am calls for the next 30 hours. He's still got about another $100 million of our money to spend congratulating himself.

lol

A can not shake the image of the hostages being released from Iran 21 minutes after President Ronald W. Reagan took office.

Arrreckk where are you?.

re: #16 MandyManners

Nice to know ya', South Korea!

Never. The world is against Kim, or whoever's playing him these days.

re: #14 SemperHunden

Is this that international test Joe Biden was talking about?

North Korea wants to be first at bat.

Kim Il Jong smells a wimp in the WH.

/and the games begin...

Il is just positioning N Korea for some stimulus money

Not to worry, Barakkk has Bush's number on speed dial.

War?

How can that be? The Great One will be crowned tomorrow, this must be some kind of mis-understanding...waiter, bring some more patte over here.

re: #20 Cognito

whoever's playing him these days.

Nice.

This is a test.

If The One™ gives up SK, then China will move on Taiwan. If no response there, then expect Russia to move on Ukraine. Next Iran and Israel go at it.

Zero has got to take stand on day one and say "oh yeah, well fuck you too" to NK. And lob over a few greeting cards.

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to trash the nuclear arsenal..."
--Barack Obama

re: #24 Perfectsense

Not to worry, Barakkk has Bush's Soros' number on speed dial.

/ that's how I see it.

Is this what President Bush is using to postpone the inauguration?

Every time they threaten war, it means they want something. Probably food to feed their starving population, and fuel to heat the homes of the communist elite.

re: #27 Racer X

This is a test.

If The One™ gives up SK.

We can all put our No. 2 pencils down here. This won't happen.

re: #29 pink freud

/ that's how I see it.

I don't see how Soros can buy off the North Koreans.

re: #27 Racer X

This is a test.

If The One™ gives up SK, then China will move on Taiwan. If no response there, then expect Russia to move on Ukraine. Next Iran and Israel go at it.

Zero has got to take stand on day one and say "oh yeah, well fuck you too" to NK. And lob over a few greeting cards.

It really is a dangerous world!

/moonbat clue bat

re: #28 CIA Reject

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to trash the nuclear arsenal anti-missile system ..."
--Barack Obama

FIFY

As I said earlier about this:

Two long-running staples of MSM defeatist propaganda have become "conventional wisdom" in non-military circles, even managing to insinuate themselves into groups that should know better.

1. South Korea has no hope of defending itself without American intervention on a massive scale.
2.American troops there are simply a "tripwire" or even a "speed bump" in the way of a North Korean blitzkrieg.

This is very far from the truth. The South Korean (ROK) forces are almost as numerous as their North Korean enemies and a great deal better trained and equipped. Otoh, North Korean doctrine, tactics, and even much of their equipment, are relics from the Stalin era. The ROK army is the fourth largest in the world, btw, and is larger than the US Army.

I advise anyone tempted by the pro-Nork media's defeatist propaganda to research the facts themselves before joining the leftist surrender lobby in advocating defeat by default. The links above are a good starting point.

re: #33 MandyManners

I don't see how Soros can buy off the North Koreans.

He can't. Nor does he want to...

Wait. North Korea is even smaller than Iran. What harm could they do with a nuke?

/BHO

Time to throw Korea under the bus.

Tactically insignificant.

Strategically unimportant.

Let Beijing and Seoul deal with this clown.

re: #33 MandyManners

I don't see how Soros can buy off the North Koreans.

Porn, lots of porn and maybe a new set of Ping golf clubs.

re: #32 Cognito

We can all put our No. 2 pencils down here. This won't happen.

And we will forever remind you of this assurance if he throws SK to the wolves.

news reports from the city formally known as Soul.

The North Koreans can definitely be bought. The question is whether we're ready to pay their price. I'd bet that Obama tries to buy them, as did Clinton and Bush.

re: #39 experiencedtraveller

Um...don't warheads ride in on a bus?

Well there was no open conflict on the Korean peninsula, and the people voted for Change. What do you expect?

re: #36 Shiplord Kirel

the ROK troops are some of the fiercest fighters in the World.

re: #44 Macker

Um...don't warheads ride in on a bus?

Different kind of "bus"...

re: #27 Racer X

This is a test.

If The One™ gives up SK, then China will move on Taiwan. If no response there, then expect Russia to move on Ukraine. Next Iran and Israel go at it.

Zero has got to take stand on day one and say "oh yeah, well fuck you too" to NK. And lob over a few greeting cards.

Sounds the Big Dogs are throwing their Chihuahua into the pit to see how Obama's team reacts. They are testing the waters.

re: #46 jcw46

the ROK troops are some of the fiercest fighters in the World.

Which is a good thing because if they need to fight the Norks they won't be getting any help from BO...

Well, at least we're safe. BO's aura can repel any missile.
/

re: #39 experiencedtraveller

Time to throw Korea under the bus.

Tactically insignificant.

Strategically unimportant.

Let Beijing and Seoul deal with this clown.

But we have all this hegemony stockpiled...

re: #44 Macker

Um...don't warheads ride in on a bus?

We control the sea. This dog and pony show is wasting our time.

re: #48 Maximu§

Sounds the Big Dogs are throwing their Chihuahua into the pit to see how Obama's team reacts. They are testing the waters.

Exactly. Botch this one, Bambi, and its going to be a hell of a ride. You up to it?

ROK army is very good but Soul is with in range of thousands of dug in guns.

re: #32 Cognito

We can all put our No. 2 pencils down here. This won't happen.

You seem awfully certain of that. Lil' Kim have some character trait you know about that we do not? Because he seems like quite the asshole to do just that (invade SK).

re: #18 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

This is the polar opposite in more ways than one, isn't it?

Good Morning, Mr. President!

re: #49 CIA Reject

Which is a good thing because if they need to fight the Norks they won't be getting any help from BO...

I think Japan may have some influence with BO concerning that.

re: #36 Shiplord Kirel

There's a possibly apochryphal tale of the Norks testing Bill Clinton early on - and he told them something very much like, "Fuck with us and it will take a thousand years before anybody figures out where North Korea used to be." Just about the only story of old Bubba that I admire.

re: #54 yochanan

ROK army is very good but Soul is with in range of thousands of dug in guns.

Always remember, we had 53,000 killed in three years during the Korean War, 58,000 in 10 years in Vietnam.

Seoul was conquered by the Norks in days in 1950...

re: #55 Racer X

You seem awfully certain of that. Lil' Kim have some character trait you know about that we do not? Because he seems like quite the asshole to do just that (invade SK).

Naw, he thinks Barry will support SK...

Obama can't vote Present anymore.

re: #51 Noam Sayin'

But we have all this hegemony stockpiled...

My only concern is the memory and honor of the 50,000 Americans who died defending South Korea.

But the show must go on and this ain't our fight.

re: #58 jcw46

I think Japan may have some influence with BO concerning that.

Why? Frankly, short of "humanitarian relief" missions I don't see BO using the US military for anything.

re: #64 CIA Reject
Exactly. Meals-on-wheels.

re: #63 experiencedtraveller

My only concern is the memory and honor of the 50,000 Americans who died defending South Korea.

But the show must go on and this ain't our fight.

Errr, yes it is...

We have a defense treaty with SK and the cease fire agreement from 1953 has our name all over it.

Lets not forget where the Chinese got their Missile Guidance systems from and then passed them along to NK.

re: #65 Ay, Caramba

Exactly. Meals-on-wheels.

Which is the perfect excuse for downsizing it. If all the military does is provide "Meals-on-Wheels" then why does it have to be so big? Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy of moonbat "logic".

re: #66 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

If the constitution doesn't mean much to BO why would some treaty a bunch of white guys signed 50 years ago matter?

Timing is very interesting on this.

NorKor ain't got no wind in the sails.

That's huge, we'll have to wait and see what happens.
Wasn't this Obama guy suppose to bring peace?

I smell a sit-down without pre-conditions.

I don't think Korea is our fight anymore. The South Koreans are surely strong enough to fight off NK.

Obama to North Korea "what do you want?"
Obama to the world "give it to them"

re: #54 yochanan

ROK army is very good but Soul is with in range of thousands of dug in guns.

That's a myth, accepted as fact through tireless repetition. It is more than 50km from the demarcation line to the center of Seoul. Most of North Korea's ancient guns will not reach even the northern suburbs. Even the small number that could reach that far would have to be deployed within a few km. of allied troops dug in along the border. US and ROK artillery and airpower have zeroed in on every square meter of the relevant terrain.
Remember the bluff the media tried to run in the Gulf War: Saddam Hussein's invincible battle-hardened million man army? This is the same kind of media strategy, but this time it is not aimed at forcing surrender, but at extorting more money and concessions from the ROK, Japan, and the US.

re: #69 Ay, Caramba

If the constitution doesn't mean much to BO why would some treaty a bunch of white guys signed 50 years ago matter?

No argument from me there... I was reacting to the fellow who said this wasn't our fight.

It is... that doesn't mean Barry will honor it.

But we still have troops on the DMZ, no? Kinda forces the issue.

Before the last of the old guys in the NorK camarilla die they may want to pull everything down. Seoul is within 35 miles of the DMZ, that is conventional artillery range. They can kill up to 200,000 civilians in 20 minutes with conventional weapons and no effective notice. That is reality and compare it to the pretend human rights crisis in Gaza.

re: #73 sngnsgt

I smell a sit-down without pre-conditions.

DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING!

I think you have hit it on the head. Lil Kim wants to be the first world leader to have direct, no pre-condition, talks with the new administration. And, like a fool, BO will give them to him.

Lil Kim will gain tremendous "street cred" by being the first dictator to humiliate the new POTUS.

And BO will think it's all just grand...

FOOL!

re: #77 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

I hope to god that those troops aren't ordered to follow UN rules. Don't shoot even if the innocent are getting killed. Just observe from a safe distance.

re: #60 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

Always remember, we had 53,000 killed in three years during the Korean War, 58,000 in 10 years in Vietnam.

Seoul was conquered by the Norks in days in 1950...

South Korea had no air force, no tanks or anti-tank weapons and fewer than 100,000 troops in 1950. Things had changed quite a bit by 1953, let alone in the years since.

We said it, sadly. A weak US pres is an excuse for every bully to tyrannize his own playground.

Looks like Hillary will be getting a 3AM phone call in the not so distant future.

Remember the FLIGHT OF DEEP SEA 129.

This incident, a year after the Pueblo incident, was rumored to have been deliberately set up as a birthday present from young Kim Jong Il to his father, the current NORK dictator.

I was stationed in that squadron a couple of years before that, and occasioinally flew as an aircrewman in that same plane, on that very mission. We just didn't get caught in their crosshairs.

Don't underestimate the treachery of the NORK's.
.

re: #76 Shiplord Kirel

That's a myth, accepted as fact through tireless repetition. It is more than 50km from the demarcation line to the center of Seoul. Most of North Korea's ancient guns will not reach even the northern suburbs. Even the small number that could reach that far would have to be deployed within a few km. of allied troops dug in along the border. US and ROK artillery and airpower have zeroed in on every square meter of the relevant terrain.
Remember the bluff the media tried to run in the Gulf War: Saddam Hussein's invincible battle-hardened million man army? This is the same kind of media strategy, but this time it is not aimed at forcing surrender, but at extorting more money and concessions from the ROK, Japan, and the US.

I am confident that in a war the US and ROK would shatter the Nork military and then face the problem of feeding them. The threat to civilians during the first hours is real.

re: #78 lifeofthemind

Before the last of the old guys in the NorK camarilla die they may want to pull everything down. Seoul is within 35 miles of the DMZ, that is conventional artillery range. They can kill up to 200,000 civilians in 20 minutes with conventional weapons and no effective notice. That is reality and compare it to the pretend human rights crisis in Gaza.

That's the thing to watch out for... Dear Leader wants to "finish" the war before he dies... and he doesn't have much time left.

re: #77 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

No argument from me there... I was reacting to the fellow who said this wasn't our fight.

It is... that doesn't mean Barry will honor it.

But we still have troops on the DMZ, no? Kinda forces the issue.

And we had Marines in Beirut. Sadly, not every commander is up to Truman's standard.

Well of course bho may be capable of some supreme blindness to the consequences but I believe he's got a good sense of self-preservation and if Japan puts some pressure on and someone tells him the truth of what would be if he does nothing, I think he'll realize that he can't vote present on this one. Best for him to get them talking right away, you know send jimmah over there to give kim a bj or whatnot. Then just wait cause this bi-polar little putz in NorK does this repeatedly but hasn't got the balls to go all the way. (btw; we don't know the situation in NorK. It's harder than Iran to get agents in or coopt natives. The Chicoms have them of course but they're not sharing the product with US)

As for the American soldiers not being a trip-wire, well that's not media hype, that's actual doctrine. Even if they'd like to ignore it, NO president can let 50,000 troops be slaughtered and sit back and do nothing.

Send some food in by parachute so it gets to the peasants.

re: #66 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

Errr, yes it is...

We have a defense treaty with SK and the cease fire agreement from 1953 has our name all over it.

With all due respect we can 'defend' SK from Minot. Now is the time for the diplomatic feint. Pull out of SK. Let SK defend itself. China and SK are substantial trading partners.

Lay the cards down. The house built on cards will fall.

re: #81 Shiplord Kirel

South Korea had no air force, no tanks or anti-tank weapons and fewer than 100,000 troops in 1950. Things had changed quite a bit by 1953, let alone in the years since.

OK, our guys won't be in the Pusan Perimeter wondering if they'll make the last boat out... they'll get the rug pulled out from under them nearer the DMZ instead,

/somehow that doesn't make me feel better.

re: #85 lifeofthemind

I am confident that in a war the US and ROK would shatter the Nork military and then face the problem of feeding them. The threat to civilians during the first hours is real.

Of course it's real, but defeatist hysteria invariably asserts that Nork forces could literally destroy Seoul and a large part of its population in a matter of hours. It is a propaganda bluff. What we are likely to see is much more akin to what Sderot and other Israeli towns have faced than it is to Dresden or Stalingrad. It would only be for hours rather than months on end, though.

Lets send Hillary over...I'm sure the KPA will quake in their boots when she steps off the plane.

re: #90 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

OK, our guys won't be in the Pusan Perimeter wondering if they'll make the last boat out... they'll get the rug pulled out from under them nearer the DMZ instead,

/somehow that doesn't make me feel better.

Obama can't order the ROKs to surrender, they will destroy the Norks in combat.

re: #89 experiencedtraveller

With all due respect we can 'defend' SK from Minot. Now is the time for the diplomatic feint. Pull out of SK. Let SK defend itself. China and SK are substantial trading partners.

Lay the cards down. The house built on cards will fall.

Barry isn't up to that level of game. Our pullout signals weakness. No, we must stand the line. There is no Clinton "War from 16,000" alternative here that doesn't tell the rest of the world we are a paper tiger (just like Osama said).

Same song
Umpteenth verse.
How many times have they done this? I lose count.
It's the north korean monkey rattling cage bars when no one pays attention to it at the world zoo.
China would absolutely bitch-slap the NKs if they made a serious move in this direction.

I'm sure BO will ride on the front lines like Alexander the Great and save the day. At least that is what will be written in the public school text books.

re: #89 experiencedtraveller

With all due respect we can 'defend' SK from Minot. Now is the time for the diplomatic feint. Pull out of SK. Let SK defend itself. China and SK are substantial trading partners.

Lay the cards down. The house built on cards will fall.

That makes sense.

North Korea is merely living up to its inclusion in the asses of evil.

re: #96 Ay, Caramba

I'm sure BO will ride on the front lines like Alexander the Great and save the day. At least that is what will be written in the public school text books.

Won't be hard... front line being in Seattle and all. :-)

The figures quoted on battle deaths in the war can be a bit misleading, as according to the Pentagon, ca. 20.000 worldwide non-hostile military deaths were mistakenly added to the figures. Even so I find it very shocking that our armed forces had close to 20,000 non-battle deaths worldwide. Can anyone shed any light on this?

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Pentagon says a clerical error mistakenly added more than 20,000 noncombatant deaths to the toll of U.S. dead in the Korean War, Time Magazine reported on Sunday.

The Pentagon has revised the number of U.S. soldiers killed during the war from 54,246 to 36,940, the magazine said.

The higher figure has been quoted since shortly after both sides declared a truce in 1953.

Time said the Pentagon blamed the error on a government clerk, who mistakenly added the 20,617 nonbattlefield military deaths that occurred worldwide during the three-year conflict to the more than 33,000 U.S. battlefield fatalities.

But only 3,275 of those nonbattlefield deaths occurred in Korea, the Pentagon said, and most of them were from accidents or disease.

US Death Toll Korean War Revised Downwards

obama has portrayed himself as a hopey changey new age weakling.
of course thugs will crawl out of the woodwork to see how far they can push him.
damn, these people, in charge now, are so stupid.
foolish and naive.
their blind arrogance is dangerous to our very survival.

re: #96 Ay, Caramba

Bet'cha that HRC hops on this horse and rides it for all it's worth.
Bet BHO doesn't say do a whole lot.

re: #100 JHW

The figures quoted on battle deaths in the war can be a bit misleading, as according to the Pentagon, ca. 20.000 worldwide non-hostile military deaths were mistakenly added to the figures. Even so I find it very shocking that our armed forces had close to 20,000 non-battle deaths worldwide. Can anyone shed any light on this?

US Death Toll Korean War Revised Downwards

First I've heard of this revision... I'll go look.

What is curious to me is, what will Kim Il feed his troops to fight with, his good will?
Read a book a month and a half ago:
Escaping North Korea by Mike Kim. A native-born Chicagoan that got trained in California to go over to the China/N. Korean border to rescue N. Koreans-assisting them in China. What a book!
That young man is a hero of mine.

re: #100 JHW

Even so I find it very shocking that our armed forces had close to 20,000 non-battle deaths worldwide. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Higher training tempo during wartime leads to more accidental deaths?

re: #103 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

Here's another source, Korean War Educator

re: #5 JammieWearingFool

Just let them know Obama isn't taking any 3 am calls for the next 30 hours. He's still got about another $100 million of our money to spend congratulating himself.

50 million of ours, 50 million of his and at least the local economy will come out ahead with 700 million or more spent by the Obama fans.

re: #14 SemperHunden

Is this that international test Joe Biden was talking about?

Perhaps, I think he'll be glad he kept Gates.

re: #76 Shiplord Kirel

That's a myth, accepted as fact through tireless repetition. It is more than 50km from the demarcation line to the center of Seoul. Most of North Korea's ancient guns will not reach even the northern suburbs. Even the small number that could reach that far would have to be deployed within a few km. of allied troops dug in along the border. US and ROK artillery and airpower have zeroed in on every square meter of the relevant terrain.
Remember the bluff the media tried to run in the Gulf War: Saddam Hussein's invincible battle-hardened million man army? This is the same kind of media strategy, but this time it is not aimed at forcing surrender, but at extorting more money and concessions from the ROK, Japan, and the US.

Indeed. Even the Nor Kor arty round range is 10 miles. Well below the Nato range. And even pitiful compared to USA rocket assisted rounds.
[Link: www.globalsecurity.org...]

Some history lessons seem to be in order.
The Inmun Gun, the North Korean army, forced the mostly American UN forces back into the Pusan perimeter largely because the unprepared and under-equipped ROK army had been largely destroyed, and most of the country occupied, before US forces could arrive in strength. There were no US troops in South Korea at the time of the northern invasion in June 1950.
After a few weeks of hard fighting around Pusan, allied troops outflanked the Norks with the Inchon landing. The Inmun Gun was virtually wiped out by late October, 1950, and it was North Korea, not the South, that was overrun. The war would have ended right there if the Chinese communists had not intervened.
See This Kind of War by TR Fehrenbach or Wikipedia

Btw, the TV icon MASH is a work of fiction in every respect. The war it portrays never happened.

re: #104 claspur

Doesn't he take all the aid he gets and use it for his army instead of the population? That's one reason why they're starving in the dark, I thought.

President-elect Obama, tomorrow at noon will this problem be above your pay grade?

I certainly hope not.
I will say a prayer that you have it within you to do this job. I will pray that you don't f__k up. We're sort of counting on you and you can't fake it any more

Great planning by the north

re: #106 JHW

OK... I stand corrected. While I couldn't find the DOD source for the revision, it does appear all over the place and is consistent, so unless they are all quoting the same MSM source.

33,000. Still huge.

re: #103 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

That is absolutely true. The revision occurred a while ago when an actual count was made.

re: #114 Vet_Missing_Parts (1LT, Ret)

One of the reasons I remembered this, the VFW ran an article devoted to this subject, in it's magazine saluting Korean War vets, a few years ago.

Why was the first thing that came to mind was the song by the Doors: 'This is the end, my only friend The end'?

(the end of our ability to stand tall and be the beacon of freedom...Obama will have us cowtowing and marching in lockstep with Europe before long)

And the second was, 'school is out for summer,school is out for EVER'? (NOW comes the real edumacation Barry. Welcome to our nightmare)

SK could win a conventional war with the North about a quickly as we defeated Sadam. They also know that in the aftermath, the NK warlords would make Taliban look like reasonable human beings, and the starvation would be extensive, and now public. There is no end-game with an acceptable outcome, so everyone waits for Dear Leader to die and hopes for an internal collapse with minimum external carnage. Hope and Change won't cut it in this one, when it comes.

re: #111 tradewind

From NK refugees he'd interviewed 2-3 of the four years Mike Kim worked there, alot of the regular army were underfed, many said that they felt most would lay down and not fight.
His elite inner-circle troops are another story though.
That country is abhorant. Really should look at that book.

re: #119 claspur

I saw a documentary on NK about 2 years ago. There were reported cases of cannibalism. Most of the U.N. food never got to the poor but instead was sold on the black market.

Are there any real-time, or at last fairly recent, satellite views of the world?

re: #120 Ay, Caramba

I actually came to tears while reading the book in three or four differant parts...so sad and maddening.

re: #110 Shiplord Kirel

MASH was nothing but a sham trying to pillory the Vietnam war, the movie and especially the TV series because of its star Alan Alda.

re: #121 Timbre

Are there any real-time, or at last fairly recent, satellite views of the world?

Nothing any of us are cleared to see.

At least I would think no one here is cleared for such stuff. ;)

Wow, chould this have anything to with the world's new found love for us, I mean like wow, don't they fear "the one?"? Oh my! how could this be? /// &/

Seems to me I read somewhere vower the NK has tunnels under some reservoir, and has it mined to blow should war come, the flood would end up wiping out quite a bit of the infastructure in the area. This would supposedly give them an advantage in the short term unless they try something really stupic and launch a missle with one of their underpowered nukes, that I read on another site tonight they may have recieved from Pakistan...

re: #119 claspur

I used to fly a Seoul layover, and when we were on approach, it was completely eerie to see the total darkness... nada, nothing.. on the other side of the DMZ while we threaded the needle on the way into the Seoul , which looked as lit up as Las Vegas. The pilots always told us that if we strayed even a small way while descending that we could be shot down... I never knew if they were really serious, but I always thought it was a creepy approach, and always being a night one didn't help.

re: #127 Iron Fist

Guesss Madeline NotAllThatBright's dancing wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. But you'd think that after Roger Clinton hit some guitar licks, that would have done it.

#re 80
I know of two soldiers who were in the Balkans
a Brit and Dutch guy who saw exactly that.
They were so pissed off that they couldn't do anything.
The Brit was just about crying..sick sick sick what he saw !
The UN asked a family member to join them as security
in a medical camp in a not so nice place.
He and the others asked told them of their concerns re the camp
('but we'll give you a blue beret and a 9mm pistol 'said the UN man)
and then the guys told the UN man to get "f***ed".
A week later the camp was over run and everyone killed.
UN...bah!

re: #20 Cognito

Never. The world is against Kim, or whoever's playing him these days.

Yeah, sure. The world is also against Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. That's going well too.

'what? North Korea? Who cares? That's a little country.' - Barack Obama

Obama: epic fail in 3... 2... 1...

This is going to be fun to watch - in a very sick sort of way. :-(

A brief point. Given the lack of appearances of the N.K. Leader Kim and rumors of regarding his health a serious question as to who is actually in control of N.K. right now may be in order. It is not unknown during a transition (especially if some military leaders do not want to turn N.K. over to Kim's youngest and most favored son by wife number three) for a crisis to be created in order to benefit a given political faction (Also other sons by Kim's other wives may be jockeying for position--this is the biological nature of polygamy, who will be the new Alpha male?--see the Macedonians prior to and including Alexander the Great's coming to the throne for a rather bloody example). Given the hair-trigger nature of the DMZ, the fact that NK and SK (and by extension its ally the USA) are still in a state of war, and a leader of the free world who ran on a platform of "soft power" (not exactly a diplomatic formula respected by the N. Koreans) is completely untested this is a situation fraught with danger of miscalculation by all parties involved. While militarily N.K.'s army cannot stand up to the armed forces of ROK and the United States (save for the use of an atomic or nuclear weapon--God forbid) it is doubtful China would allow N.K. to be completely overrun (as was the case in 1950). Even if China did allow N.K. to fall the impact of a shooting war on the Pennisula would be catastrophic for the Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong markets sending another economic shockwave across the global economy. This is a serious problem and hopefully Team Obama is paying serious attention to it for all our sakes.

gird your loins!

All our allies are going to be watching this. In fact, this is probably what this is all about. Our enemies are going to push our allies right off the bat to see what the 'new boss' will do. When he Carterizes the whole issue, all hell will break loose. If people thought we were hated around the world before, they ain't seen nothin' yet.

The biggest problem with facing NK infantry is that when you shoot them, they don't fall down. This is because they're so skinny, most of the bullets miss. You have to take your time and aim for the buttons.

Of course, any NK rush can easily be halted by an airdrop of Twinkies.

In Military Circles this is called "The Twinkie Defense".

Why is anyone surprised?
North Korea has been rattling its sabre since 1953 and the South Koreans don't look like they are going to do anything about it. In fact, a recent report suggested they are happy with the status quo.
Kim Jong-Il, before he was incapacitated, was happy to deal with Obama. Now, whoever is running the place will get their wish.

[Link: picasaweb.google.com...]

Never seen conservative Jews anti-Zionist.

re: #36 Shiplord Kirel

Thanks for pointing this stuff out before I had to Shiplord. Even assuming no external support for SK, the ROK would wipe the floor with the DPRK. SK has a larger population, a MUCH larger economy, and a much better trained and equipped military. The only thing that could be considered an advantage to the North is that they have a larger standing army. Which, is hardly an advantage at all after the first week of fighting.

From another angle, the Korean war ended in a stalemate because the Chinese backed NK while we backed the South. Does anyone here think China would back NK this time around? Hardly, they would love to see the US roll in and have to deal with that mess.

Now, Kim Jung Il my be a little kooky, but he's not Ahmadinejad. He's not prone to suicidal, apocalyptic fantasies. He just wants to stay in charge, and he knows making a little noise often scares the South, or Japan, or the US, into making concessions.

Now, the current president of SK, Mung Bak Lee, has ended the Sunshine policy, and is very anti-NK, pro-US. Unfortunately, he's also overly authoritarian, and recently had a financial blogger arrested, and SK generally doesn't like him anymore. His approval rating is in the toilet. NK may be hoping that he's been weakened enough politically that the North can force SK to a more conciliatory stance.

re: #14 SemperHunden

Is this that international test Joe Biden was talking about?

And remember, Biden said we wouldn't like his response.

I am getting a little forgetful

just who gave them the nuclear reactor anyway ?

re: #123 FurryOldGuyJeans

MASH was nothing but a sham trying to pillory the Vietnam war, the movie and especially the TV series because of its star Alan Alda.

indeed
and we used to watch 60 Minutes back in the day
and think we were really onto something special

it's sad how long the propagandizing has been going on

and how finally, the dumbing down of America has finally born fruit
Barack Hussein 0bama

I think our enemies are going to trip over themselves to be the first to cause trouble for our new presidon't.

B. Hussien hasn't got a clue, damn, are we in f**king trouble.

The Crusader artillery system nixed by Rumsfeld might have been useful right about now. It was to be operational in 2008.

Apparently, the Norks didn't get the Hope-and-Change memo. Do they not know history is officially in the making over here, and the world is supposed to love and respect us? I mean, hell, Beyonce is gonna sing and everything. This is some important stuff we have going on.

Maybe Obama can talk them to death. Better yet, send Rev. Wright and Rev. Warren over there to spread da love.

I think this scenario is commonly referred to as The Acid Test.

I think the death or of Lil Kim some other power struggle in the coming year could trigger a crisis. In a hot war, The ROKs can handle themselves, and if Japan got into the act, we could clean house, even checking the Chinee if they got squirrelly.

There are several unresolved issues between the Norks and Japan and ROK. Little things, like oh,,,abducted Japanese civilians, and clandestine commando raids on the ROK. Bilateral talks almost guarantee we will be forced to pressure these third parties to drop their claims in order to win concessions. Concessions that will, in the end, not be met. Thats why Bush has been so resistant to bilateral negotiations. He realized that it might lead to a situation where we would be forced to throw an ally under the bus. The Japanese and Koreans need only look under Barry's magic bus to see where their future lies. But this shouldn't bother the average Democrat, after all, to them, they all look the same, right?

People heaped scorn on Bush's "Axis of Evil." Look for that same Axis to assert it's power now that he's leaving. Iran ought to escalate it's saver-rattling any minute now.

More potential fun: Hillary is already acting as though she's President, issuing foreign policy statements and directing pointed comments at certain states without so much as a nod toward her new boss. Look for this schism within our own government to widen, given the personalities involved. And look for our enemies to exploit the hell out of it and play off the adolescent, inexperienced crew assembled to deal with it.

Toss Putin into the mix, and things look even more interesting. And frightening.

Apparently, the Norks didn't get the Hope-and-Change memo.

Another pity. The all-but-certain death or disablement of Pumpkin Boy represents a clear opportunity to reform NK that will now, apparently, be utterly wasted. Within just a few weeks, I suspect we'll be confronting a brand-new dictator there, as bad or worse than Kimmy.

I am currently in ROK and sure hope this does not ignite, that being said BHO had better put up. The NORKs will not tolerate his "present" vote, and me and the team are some of the pawns.

Actually If you check the armed forces of both countries N&S Korea, although the strike from N.Korea will be devasting, S.Korea's response and counter-attack would be overwhelming, even without U.S aid. Or in other words N.Korea is able to start a war, but not survive it. A Nuke from N.Korea (if it actually managed to detonate) though would of course be a catastrophe for both, but the S.Koreans would soon over-run the North.

So much for unification and world peace.

What? What problem? He just wants a bailout. Everyone's getting a bailout and he wants his. He's not going to war with South Korea, nothing could be further from his mind. Obama's giving away the store. He's putting his hand out.

re: #110 Shiplord Kirel

Btw, the TV icon MASH is a work of fiction in every respect. The war it portrays never happened.

Definitely agree with you assessment of the Koran War, however MASH was meant to be a criticism of the Vietnam War. Thats why it seems to have nothing to do with the Korean conflict it had no intention of portraying it.

re: #152 mdaspinall

Actually If you check the armed forces of both countries N&S Korea, although the strike from N.Korea will be devasting, S.Korea's response and counter-attack would be overwhelming, even without U.S aid. Or in other words N.Korea is able to start a war, but not survive it. A Nuke from N.Korea (if it actually managed to detonate) though would of course be a catastrophe for both, but the S.Koreans would soon over-run the North.

Indeed. If anyone is interested in a bit of an exercise, look up a comparison of the standing militaries of the two nations. North Korea has an advantage in sheer manpower, but South Korea's military is current, with more modern equipment of just about every type (especially in terms of air force and armor). North Korea's advantage in numbers is big, but not big enough to counter the advantages provided by a modern, well trained army like South Korea's. . .certainly not in a convential war.

I'm so saddened that Pres. Bush was not able to liberate the millions held hostage in North Korea. I believe that the left does not want them liberated in part because they have been essentially forced to remain an agrarian society. Liberation would only bring development - the lefts big bug a boo - unless they through the unions are behind the development.

This threat by the North Koreans is only the beginning. Our enemies know Democrats are spineless and with The Obamessiah they have the wimp in power they wanted. Iran, Syria and North Korea are going to start pushing now in ways they never would have dared to with a Republican in the White House.

Interesting times ahead, folks. I hope Obama proves me wrong, that he's not the spineless weenie I believe he is.

re: #92 Maximu§

Lets send Hillary over...I'm sure the KPA will quake in their boots when she steps off the plane.

Provided she can survive the heavy sniper fire on the tarmac.

Well, I'm sure we can talk this out with them and come to an agreement.

Nationwide buyer's remorse in 5-4-3

If it comes to war, will Ban ki Moon want the South Korean Armed Forces to fight with both hands tied behind their backs, the way he expects the Israelis to fight?

I wonder.

How scary... I just hope this can be handled well :(