North Korea vows to continue missile tests

[blackheart]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/new...H-DEFENCE.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-C2-AlsoToday-3

N.Korea vows to continue missile tests
Thu Jul 6, 2006 6:02 AM BST170

By Jon Herskovitz

SEOUL (Reuters) - A defiant North Korea acknowledged for the first time on Thursday that it had launched a missile, vowed to carry out more tests and threatened to use force if the international community tried to stop it.

Pyongyang's statement came as the United States and Japan closed ranks in the face of a U.N. Security Council split over whether to slap sanctions on North Korea over the volley of missiles it fired off on Wednesday.

"The successful missile test was part of a regular military exercise conducted by our military to boost our self-defence," Yonhap news agency quoted a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying on KRT state television.

"If anyone tries to discuss the rights and wrongs about (future tests) and apply pressure, we will be forced to take physical actions of a different nature."

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W. Bush, speaking by telephone, agreed to work together for a U.N. resolution demanding that nations halt funds and technology that could be used for Pyongyang's missile programme.

Their call, reported by Japan's Kyodo news agency, came after Russia and China opposed slapping sanctions on North Korea -- echoing the split among the U.N. Security Council's veto-wielding members over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

North Korea launched at least six missiles from its east coast early on Wednesday. As the international community fumed, the reclusive Stalinist state launched a seventh some 12 hours later, Japanese and South Korean officials said.

The missiles included a long-range Taepodong-2, which some experts had said could hit Alaska. U.S. officials said it flew for only about 40 seconds before splashing into the sea west of Japan.

More posturing, or something else?

 

[Azadre]

Isn't it obivious already? DPRK has declared war: war against the Sea of Japan!

 

[skadistic]

Why dont we use this as a test for our anti-missle missles?

 

[Esckey]

North Korea: Well we're just going to test our missiles by shooting them into the Sea of Japan, and if you happen to ge tin our way its your fault

America: Oh ya? Well we're just going to test out Anit-Missile misslil in the Sea of Japan, and if your missiles get in the way of ours its your fault

 

[ffman]

Why dont we use this as a test for our anti-missle missles?

Korea threatened nuclear war if we do that.....

 

[skadistic]

Korea threatened nuclear war if we do that.....

Right so we should be able to shot that down too. I mean come on NK is preaty lame. I don't think thay have the doodads to do it for one and the only nations to worry about are SK and Nippon.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Right so we should be able to shot that down too. I mean come on NK is preaty lame. I don't think thay have the doodads to do it for one and the only nations to worry about are SK and Nippon.

And, as has been mentioned before, the fishermen in the Sea of Japan.

 

[Sidhe]

Isn't it obivious already? DPRK has declared war: war against the Sea of Japan!

You are flippant, but if they can hit the sea of Japan first attempt with such deadly accuracy, then nowhere is safe

Do we have Aegis cruisers around Atlantis?

 

[Tulkas12]

Why dont we use this as a test for our anti-missle missles?

Because failure would be embarassing. WE should tomahawk their missile sight though, this would put them in thier place and call their bluff.

 

[Sidhe]

Because failure would be embarassing. WE should tomahawk their missile sight though, this would put them in thier place and call their bluff.

Youa are oddly agressive towards a failed missile test, they made themselves look pretty stupid,what would you suggest had they hit their target, invasion?

 

[Tulkas12]

Youa are oddly agressive towards a failed missile test, they made themselves look pretty stupid,what would you suggest had they hit their target, invasion?

What target? The Pacific ocean? They are playing games, I'm calling their bluff and putting them back where they belong. If I thought invasion wouldn't cost millions of lives I would advocate it, but seeing as waiting this dictatorship out might work, I'm for waiting.

 

[Sidhe]

What target? The Pacific ocean? They are playing games, I'm calling their bluff and putting them back where they belong. If I thought invasion wouldn't cost millions of lives I would advocate it, but seeing as waiting this dictatorship out might work, I'm for waiting.

Yeah the North Korea thread about another war persuaded me that it would be a waste of time too.

I think they called there own bluff though That was one damp squib of a posturing technique , at least Irans missile was vaguely on target, and these guys are leaps and bounds behind Korea in missile technology. I think though that a direct attack might escalate the situation where none exists ATM, it may well make N Korea drive heavilly to perfect there lack lustre technology, I don't think anyone wants Kim in control of a viable arsenal, wait and see is my advice for now. N.Korea shows no sign of military agression other than in posturing tactics to make the west afeared, techniques that have failed so far. To me currently it seems more like defensive posturing, if it becomes more direct I'd begin to worry.

 

[ffman]

What does everyone think of the possibility that the 'failed' missile was purposedly detonated mid-launch (to attempt to fool us all)? I noticed that a person mentioned this on another message board....it's not out of question.

 

[Winner]

The best thing would be to ignore them. Simply pretend they don't even exist. If they continue to test their missiles, OK, fine, their problem. The other countries would cut all trade and communications with DPRK, totally isolate them and don't talk to them. If they want to be a pariah state, let them.

They say that any sanctions would be considered as an act of war. I think they're bluffing, but in case they're not, US, ROK and Japan should be prepared to pre-emptively destroy DPRK's military capacities positioned along the demilitarized line as well as their nuclear and missile development facilities. If they were be so crazy to start a war, they must be assured that they would be destroyed.

 

[Tulkas12]

Yeah the North Korea thread about another war persuaded me that it would be a waste of time too.

I think they called there own bluff though That was one damp squib of a posturing technique , at least Irans missile was vaguely on target, and these guys are leaps and bounds behind Korea in missile technology. I think though that a direct attack might escalate the situation where none exists ATM, it may well make N Korea drive heavilly to perfect there lack lustre technology, I don't think anyone wants Kim in control of a viable arsenal, wait and see is my advice for now. N.Korea shows no sign of military agression other than in posturing tactics to make the west afeared, techniques that have failed so far. To me currently it seems more like defensive posturing, if it becomes more direct I'd begin to worry.

One learns alot more from failures then they learn from a success. I know it would be aggressive and the US is not in any such position to make a strike. I just feel that we have to stop him here, before his deterent is filled out, its bad enough that he could put millions of artillery shells (now potentially nuclear) into south korea in minutes. It would be much worse if he's able to isolate the US in a battle of deterents when we are trying to wait him out to die.

 

[Tulkas12]

The best thing would be to ignore them. Simply pretend they don't even exist. If they continue to test their missiles, OK, fine, their problem. The other countries would cut all trade and communications with DPRK, totally isolate them and don't talk to them. If they want to be a pariah state, let them.

They say that any sanctions would be considered as an act of war. I think they're bluffing, but in case they're not, US, ROK and Japan should be prepared to pre-emptively destroy DPRK's military capacities positioned along the demilitarized line as well as their nuclear and missile development facilities. If they were be so crazy to start a war, they must be assured that they would be destroyed.

They have pretty strong allies in Russia and China, they are impossible to just ignore.

 

[Sidhe]

They say that any sanctions would be considered as an act of war. I think they're bluffing, but in case they're not, US, ROK and Japan should be prepared to pre-emptively destroy DPRK's military capacities positioned along the demilitarized line as well as their nuclear and missile development facilities. If they were be so crazy to start a war, they must be assured that they would be destroyed.

I think Winner has hit the nail on the head, it is not in their interest to go too far, they know they are not exactly surrounded by allies and would never come off well in an outright war. The cost to both sides would be atrocious, for now it's a badly played hand of poker, a bluff we can afford to ignore for now. The stakes are too high and N korea will fold before it gets to the point where it's making bluffs it can't sustain, Kim Il Jong does not strike me as unpredictable or mad.

IMO like Iran appears to be ATM, it will soon be forgotten, if I'm wrong then Tulkas is right and maybe we shouldn't have sat back, but there's too little in the pot at the moment to risk blowing the opposition out of the equation this early. Let them posture, but keep an eye on their body language.

 

[Tulkas12]

I think Winner has hit the nail on the head, it is not in their interest to go too far, they know they are not exactly surrounded by allies and would never come off well in an outright war. The cost to both sides would be atrocious, for now it's a badly played hand of poker, a bluff we can afford to ignore for now. The stakes are too high and N korea will fold before it gets to the point where it's making bluffs it can't sustain, Kim Il Jong does not strike me as unpredictable or mad.

IMO like Iran appears to be ATM, it will soon be forgotten, if I'm wrong then Tulkas is right and maybe we shouldn't have sat back, but there's too little in the pot at the moment to risk blowing the opposition out of the equation this early. Let them posture, but keep an eye on their body language.

I'll agree with this in principle, but he is manuevering for a reason. His want to isolate talks between the US and him are serious. He wants stabilty for his regime and it shouldn't be allowed imo.

 

[Sidhe]

I'll agree with this in principle, but he is manuevering for a reason. His want to isolate talks between the US and him are serious. He wants stabilty for his regime and it shouldn't be allowed imo.

I think Iraq has shown that sometimes instability regardless of the nature of the regime is sometimes the greater of two evils. Although this is a bad example as I'm still undecided as to Iraqs merits.

I think a stable regime is not the devil you think, stability means peace. I must admit I'm not fully behind letting him make his plays without recriminations, it reminds me of England and Hitler, but for now it seems a wiser cause of action, stirring things up is not the best tactic IMO at least for now. Watch and wait, let's see how this thing plays out before we launch preemptive strikes.

 

[no human choice]

i don't see why people have a problem with north korea.