<paulmd@efn.org> wrote in message
news:1150613017.623269.237220@r2g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

bendotnet wrote:

ANYBODY CARE?

<google makes me trim down the number of groups in a crosspost>

1) We've already been to war with North Korea.

2) It would have been a better idea BEFORE the dammed second gulf war
broke the bugdet. AND the desire to go to war again (still).

3) There is something comical about repeatedly telling the most
isolated country on earth that they're in danger of becoming isolated.

4) Despite being geneticly identical to the South Koreans, The North
Koreans are on average at least six inches shorter, and are often in
very poor health due to persistant famine and lack of medical care.
Much worse that Iraq ever was.

5) If they're not bluffing, North Korea really does have nukes, AND is
crazy enough to use them. The first part is questionable, the second is
not.


There are several things that would make a hypothetical war easier.

1) No allies, even China is fed up with them.

2) Korean have a real army, they will fight like one. Which is good. No
Roadside bombs and crap like that. At least not initally.

3) I suspect that the North Koreans are thorughly fed up with their
govenrnment.

4) They're not muslim. No help from al Qaeda or clones. Any insurgency
would have to be home grown. It would take longer to develop, if it
occurrs. If an invasion were to be accompanied by a massive
humanitarian effort, it may not develop at all.

5) Despite most illusions to the contrary, North Korea is NOT
inpenetrable to human intelligence. There are a large number RECENT of
Korth Korean "illegal immigrants" living in China, Mongolia, and South
Korea. It IS possible to sneak them out. Therefor it must be possible
to sneak people IN as well.


There are also a few things to make it harder.

1) Soeul is currently, if politely held hostage and has been for
decades. The Massive milatary presence along the DMZ has plenty mortars
capable of shelling the city. No doubt an American invasion would
trigger it. Checkmate.

2) Lots and lots of South Koreans have relatives North of the boarder.

3) South Korea would oppose the invasion, for the first two reasons.

4) North Korea has many undergroud faciliies dug into mountains
Especially near the DMZ, they are top notch tunnellers. Some things
would be VERY tough to bomb.

5) Their air force, and good landing facilities, and stationary anti
aircraft missle sites would be dead meat. So would roads capable of
handling large vehicles. Off road sucks and is SLOW, it also beats up
vehicles, no matter how rugged, and in mountain terrain may be
impossible in some parts. The choices on moving are, go slow and save
the vechicles, and be very vunerable to attack, or push them to their
limits, and risk break down, roll overs, and the works and still be
vunerable to attack since FAST off road isn't really that fast anyway.
The ground transport works slightly in their favor because of their
familiarity with alternate routes and methods of transport. Americans
perfer to drag large and heavy equipment wherever we go.


6) China again. Wildcard, they may help North Korea, though unlikely
this time. But dragging in China has disasterous consequences. Worth
considering.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=103631

N Korea readies missile test

(Agencies)

North Korea appears to have completed pumping liquid fuel into a long-range
ballistic missile, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday in a
dispatch from Washington.

In Pyongyang residents were told to hoist flags and turn on radios for a
government announcement this afternoon. North Korea was likely to claim it
had launched a space shot, the lie it broadcast on its last missile test.

The South Korean report, quoting multiple diplomatic sources and monitored
in Seoul, said the fuel injection into the Taepodong-2 missile may have been
completed.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Sunday it will be inevitable for the
United Nations Security Council to consider imposing sanctions on North
Korea if Pyongyang conducts a missile test.

Mr Aso, who made the remarks during a television program, later told
reporters that Japan will seek an immediate convening of the UN Security
Council if North Korea goes ahead with a test-firing of a Taepodong-2
long-range ballistic missile.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=103631

paulmd@efn.org wrote:

bendotnet wrote:

ANYBODY CARE?

<google makes me trim down the number of groups in a crosspost>

1) We've already been to war with North Korea.

2) It would have been a better idea BEFORE the dammed second gulf war
broke the bugdet. AND the desire to go to war again (still).

3) There is something comical about repeatedly telling the most
isolated country on earth that they're in danger of becoming isolated.

4) Despite being geneticly identical to the South Koreans, The North
Koreans are on average at least six inches shorter, and are often in
very poor health due to persistant famine and lack of medical care.
Much worse that Iraq ever was.

5) If they're not bluffing, North Korea really does have nukes, AND is
crazy enough to use them. The first part is questionable, the second is
not.

[...]

I believe that's why we broke out of the ABM treaty - in order to
deploy an anti-icbm system that should be enough to counter any north
korean threat.

..Which means that, yes, US analysts considered that the totalitarian
north korean rulers were possibly crazy enough to launch.

..And which means that the north koreans would be toasted terminally in
response.

So it looks like a mutually assured destruction (overwhelmingly north
korean destruction) stance will be followed. Not war. In spite of any
handy domestic political rhetoric that may suggest otherwise.