S. Korea: 'Artificial quake' near N. Korean nuke test site

[webfact]

S. Korea: 'Artificial quake' near N. Korean nuke test site
FOSTER KLUG, Associated Press
KIM TONG-HYUNG, Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials detected an "artificial earthquake" near North Korea's main nuclear test site Wednesday, a strong indication that nuclear-armed Pyongyang had conducted its fourth atomic test. North Korea said it planned an "important announcement" later Wednesday.

A confirmed test would mark another big step toward Pyongyang's goal of building a warhead that can be mounted on a missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the magnitude of the seismic activity at 5.1 on its website. An official from the Korea Metrological Administration, South Korea's weather agency, said it believed the earthquake was caused artificially based on their analysis of the seismic waves and that it originated 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kilju, the northeastern area where North Korea's main nuclear test site is located. The country conducted all three previous atomic detonations there.

South Korean government officials couldn't immediately confirm whether a nuclear blast or natural earthquake had taken place.

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013.

Another test would further North Korea's international isolation by prompting a push for new, tougher sanctions at the United Nations and worsening Pyongyang's already bad ties with Washington and its neighbors.

Pyongyang is thought to have a handful of crude nuclear weapons. The United States and its allies worry about North Korean nuclear tests because each new blast brings the country closer to perfecting its nuclear arsenal.

Since the elevation of young leader Kim Jong Un in 2011, North Korea has ramped up angry rhetoric against the leaders of allies Washington and Seoul and the U.S.-South Korean annual military drills it considers invasion preparation.
___

AP writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this story from Seoul.



-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-06

[webfact]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - NKorea plans "important announcement" hours after "artificial quake" detected near nuke test site.

[daveAustin]

Bush et al should have gone into NK and let Saddam be. Result: no Kims, no ISIS.

[webfact]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea says it has conducted a successful hydrogen bomb test, a surprise announcement.

[webfact]

North Korea says it conducted successful hydrogen bomb test
FOSTER KLUG, Associated Press
KIM TONG-HYUNG, Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test, a defiant and surprising move that, if confirmed, would put Pyongyang a big step closer toward improving its still-limited nuclear arsenal.

A television anchor read a typically propaganda-heavy statement on state TV that said North Korea had tested a "miniaturized" hydrogen bomb, elevating the country's "nuclear might to the next level" and providing it with a weapon to defend against the United States and its other enemies.

The statement said the test was a "perfect success."

The test, if confirmed by outside experts, will lead to a strong push for new, tougher sanctions at the United Nations and further worsen already abysmal relations between Pyongyang and its neighbors.

North Korean nuclear tests worry Washington and others because each new blast is seen as pushing North Korea's scientists and engineers closer to their goal of an arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States.

While a hydrogen bomb is much more powerful than an atomic bomb, it is also much harder to make. In a hydrogen bomb, radiation from a nuclear fission explosion sets off a fusion reaction responsible for a powerful blast and radioactivity.

North Korea is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs and has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range missile to eventually carry smaller versions of those bombs. After several failures, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012.

Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. The U.N. called the 2012 launch a banned test of ballistic missile technology.

Some analysts say the North hasn't likely achieved the technology needed to manufacture a miniaturized warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the U.S. But there is a growing debate on just how far the North has advanced in its secretive nuclear and missile programs.

In the first indication of a possible test, the U.S. Geological Survey measured an earthquake Wednesday morning with a magnitude of 5.1. An official from the Korea Metrological Administration, South Korea's weather agency, said the agency believed the earthquake was caused artificially based on an analysis of the seismic waves and because it originated 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kilju, the northeastern area where North Korea's main nuclear test site is located. The country conducted all three previous atomic detonations there.

The test is a surprise, both in its purported type and its timing.

North Korea hadn't conducted an atomic explosion since early 2013, and leader Kim Jong Un did not mention the country's nuclear weapons in his New Year's speech. Outside analysts speculated that Kim was worried about deteriorating ties with China, the North's last major ally, which has shown signs of greater frustration at provocations and a possible willingness to allow strong U.N. sanctions.

The size of Wednesday's quake is bigger than seismic activity reported in previous atomic bomb tests. Yonhap news agency reported that quake monitoring agencies detected magnitudes of seismic activity of 3.7 in 2006; 4.5 in 2009 and 4.9 in 2013.

After the North's third atomic test, in February 2013, Pyongyang launched a campaign of bellicose rhetoric that included threats to launch a nuclear attack on the United States and Seoul. North Korea claimed in 2013 that it had scrapped the 1953 armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War. Pyongyang has also restarted a plutonium nuclear reactor shuttered after a 2007 nuclear deal that later fell apart.

Since the elevation of young leader Kim Jong Un in 2011, North Korea has ramped up angry rhetoric against the leaders of allies Washington and Seoul and the U.S.-South Korean annual military drills it considers invasion preparation.
___

AP writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this story from Seoul.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-06

[trogers]

Have successfully fed their own people?

[Lukecan]

Thailand should conduct a nuclear test too.

[webfact]

North Korea claims hydrogen bomb test



SEOUL: -- North Korea claims to have carried out its first successful test of a miniaturised hydrogen nuclear device.

The announcement on North Korean state television followed the detection of a 5.1 magnitude earthquake at the Punggye-ri site in the north of the isolated country. It’s where Pyongyang has conducted nuclear tests in the past. Several international monitoring agencies recorded seismic activity in the area including the United States Geological Survey.

North Korea which is under UN sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes has so far conducted three tests. The last was in 2013 raising fears that the ultimate aim is to produce a device small enough to fit on a long range missile.

In response to the latest suspected nuclear activity South Korean ministers are to hold an emergency meeting while Japan says it will not tolerate North Korea’s nuclear testing . The UN Security Council is expected to meet to discuss North Korea’s test later today ( Wednesday Jan 6)

North Korea nuclear tests
2006 First test based on plutonium.
2009 Second test said to have been more powerful than the first. Also carried out underground although no details of location.
2013 Third underground test – seismic activity detected near Punggze-ri test site.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-06

[webfact]

NEW YORK (AP) - UN Security Council has tentatively set an emergency meeting after North Korea's H-bomb test .

[webfact]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korean spy agency tells lawmaker that North Korea may have tested A-bomb, not H-bomb.

[klauskunkel]

Have successfully fed their own people?

successfully irradiated a part of their country, instead

[daveAustin]

Have successfully fed their own people?

successfully irradiated a part of their country, instead

The tests are a long way underground.

[Wilsonandson]

He's a fat ugly brute. Much prefer his sister. Let's hope he drops dead from a heart attack and his sister is the next leader.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed. Just a little too graphic.

[Doc46]

Cause the US is worried,,,They are scared that Little Brother Korea is gonna become Big Brother instead of them.

[ggt]

I suspect they extract hydrogen gas from their leaders aasss...as his mouth spues forth hot air only...(OMG...the N. Korean KGB will be tracking me down now)...and Obama has confiscated my guns...

[Dumbastheycome]

Hmmm. The thot plickens. And I feel so much more secure...NOT!

[connda]

More likely they had a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, and decided to run a psy-op and call it a hydrogen bomb. And even if they did, with the pathetic ICBM program, they'd have to ship the bomb to it's target in a cargo container. Lol

[Publicus]

This one put Xi Jinping and the CCP Boyz in Beijing as a deer in headlights. CCP had no clue.

CCP absolutely positively do not want a nuclear Korean peninsula and worry that Japan too is on pins and needles about it. US Navy has an Aegis anti-missile cruiser 24/7 in the East Sea between N Korea and Japan to provide some comfort to Tokyo, which has Patriot anti-missile batteries visibly emplaced outside strategic buildings in the capital.

Xi Jinping can have the CCP work as part of the UN P5+1 to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran but Xi is absolutely helpless and useless in stopping or reducing Kim's nuclear program. Xi can't get the moribund Six Party Talks back from out of the hospice Kim put them in after taking power. Kim just last year sent a handwritten note (in invisible ink) to Xi promising to restart the talks, which have since then become embalmed.

All the while Kim has successfully invited Vlad the Putin to visit Pyongyang as a statement to Xi that the good old days between the Kims and the CCP are gone forever. Xi and Washington are immensely displeased that Putin has joined with Kim. Washington has lost faith in Xi to deliver on Pyongyang. Seoul and also Tokyo are wondering what Xi and CCP might be good for if not to exercise some leverage on and control over Pyongyang.

Kim snubbed Xi's invitation to the September 7th grand military parade to celebrate WW2 (Kim surely knows anyway as everyone else knows the fraud of CCP claims it routed the Japanese and won the war). No consolation Kim didn't go to Moscow either to celebrate its parade in May.

Kim froze CCP out right after taking office by ordering the execution of his pro-Beijing uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was Number Two in his father's ruling party and government. Xi has also failed to stop its "all weather friend" Pakistan helping develop Kim's nuclear program.

Tits on a bull this Xi Jinping guy.

[Publicus]

 

Cause the US is worried,,,They are scared that Little Brother Korea is gonna become Big Brother instead of them.

 

Xi Jinping and the CCP are the big loser in this. Kim flipped 'em a roller long ago. It's Xi and the CCP that are supposed to have leverage and direct influence over Kim and Co. Instead Kim turned Xi and the CCP into little baby brother.

Xi and Hu Jintao before him have been beating their heads against the wall for their inability to get Kim and his father before him to adopt Deng Xiaoping reforms to develop North Korea. No dice.

US has influence in Seoul, CCP has zero influence in Pyongyang.

[Publicus]

 

I suspect they extract hydrogen gas from their leaders aasss...as his mouth spues forth hot air only...(OMG...the N. Korean KGB will be tracking me down now)...and Obama has confiscated my guns...

 

Kim has confiscated Xi's manhood.

[tonbridgebrit]

This one put Xi Jinping and the CCP Boyz in Beijing as a deer in headlights. CCP had no clue.

CCP absolutely positively do not want a nuclear Korean peninsula and worry that Japan too is on pins and needles about it. US Navy has an Aegis anti-missile cruiser 24/7 in the East Sea between N Korea and Japan to provide some comfort to Tokyo, which has Patriot anti-missile batteries visibly emplaced outside strategic buildings in the capital.

Xi Jinping can have the CCP work as part of the UN P5+1 to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran but Xi is absolutely helpless and useless in stopping or reducing Kim's nuclear program. Xi can't get the moribund Six Party Talks back from out of the hospice Kim put them in after taking power. Kim just last year sent a handwritten note (in invisible ink) to Xi promising to restart the talks, which have since then become embalmed.

All the while Kim has successfully invited Vlad the Putin to visit Pyongyang as a statement to Xi that the good old days between the Kims and the CCP are gone forever. Xi and Washington are immensely displeased that Putin has joined with Kim. Washington has lost faith in Xi to deliver on Pyongyang. Seoul and also Tokyo are wondering what Xi and CCP might be good for if not to exercise some leverage on and control over Pyongyang.

Kim snubbed Xi's invitation to the September 7th grand military parade to celebrate WW2 (Kim surely knows anyway as everyone else knows the fraud of CCP claims it routed the Japanese and won the war). No consolation Kim didn't go to Moscow either to celebrate its parade in May.

Kim froze CCP out right after taking office by ordering the execution of his pro-Beijing uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was Number Two in his father's ruling party and government. Xi has also failed to stop its "all weather friend" Pakistan helping develop Kim's nuclear program.

Tits on a bull this Xi Jinping guy.

Publicus, can you stop making yourself look ridiculous with all this talk ??

Okay, North Korea is doing this, and South Korea and Japan are getting pretty scared. Any talk of how the USA is going to come to Japan or South Korea's help with whatever missiles is total NONSENSE !

Washington right now is panicking because their puppet government in Saudi Arabia is losing the plot, yes, Saudi Arabia is getting far too big for it's boots by executing the Shia cleric. Washington is concentrating on the MIDDLE EAST, not the FAR EAST, it's getting ready to defend Saudi Arabia from whatever war with Iran. Correct, Washington is going to defend Saudi Arabia, not because they love the Arabs there. It's because the US wants to defend the oil in Saudi Arabia, and because the government of Saudi Arabia is a puppet of Washington.

Back to Korea. The best way for Washington to handle this, is to talk to Kim, and give him a huge amount of food aid, and barrels of oil. Oil is now at 35 USD a barrel, about one hundred million barrels of crude oil, West Texas Intermediate, spread over the next six months, will probably be enough to keep Kim quite for the time being. I don't think Kim cares if it's West Texas Intermediate or Brent Crude.

Washington has to do something to stop Kim improving his nukes. If Washington doesn't, well, what on earth is the point of the US soldiers in South Korea and Japan ? Kim's improving nukes makes the US military presence in these countries more and more useless. After all, American soldiers in South Korea and Japan can do nothing to stop a nuke getting to America, let alone Japan and South Korea. Actually, what is the point of American soldiers in South Korea and Japan ? Are they really there to defend Japan and South Korea ? Are they actually there because America feels better about having a military presence in the Far East ?

Washington should have flooded North Korea with aid ages ago, that would have probably halted North Korea's nuke programme. Another idea would have been George Bush invading North Korea and not Iraq. But far more sensible would have been Barak Obama flooding North Korea with aid, starting from 2009.

I really wonder, has Washington got any brain cells at all ?

[tonbridgebrit]

Cause the US is worried,,,They are scared that Little Brother Korea is gonna become Big Brother instead of them.

As more and more people get nukes, well, Washington is shi____ bricks. Washington's attempts to control planet earth are failing due to nukes making more and more countries more 'equal'. Actually, it wasn't the case anyway of Washington being that successfull at taking over and controlling other countries when fewer countries had nukes in previous decades.

[tonbridgebrit]

Bush et al should have gone into NK and let Saddam be. Result: no Kims, no ISIS.

Nah, there's no oil in North Korea. If there was, the Americans would have invaded it, assumimg Russia and China would let them.

[Traveling Sailor]

Have successfully fed their own people?

successfully irradiated a part of their country, instead

The tests are a long way underground.

True. but this is the 4th test, isn't it?. How many will it take before the earth decides to react? Wouldn't it be karmic if a real earthquake happened and flattened the capitol.

[Publicus]

This one put Xi Jinping and the CCP Boyz in Beijing as a deer in headlights. CCP had no clue.

CCP absolutely positively do not want a nuclear Korean peninsula and worry that Japan too is on pins and needles about it. US Navy has an Aegis anti-missile cruiser 24/7 in the East Sea between N Korea and Japan to provide some comfort to Tokyo, which has Patriot anti-missile batteries visibly emplaced outside strategic buildings in the capital.

Xi Jinping can have the CCP work as part of the UN P5+1 to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran but Xi is absolutely helpless and useless in stopping or reducing Kim's nuclear program. Xi can't get the moribund Six Party Talks back from out of the hospice Kim put them in after taking power. Kim just last year sent a handwritten note (in invisible ink) to Xi promising to restart the talks, which have since then become embalmed.

All the while Kim has successfully invited Vlad the Putin to visit Pyongyang as a statement to Xi that the good old days between the Kims and the CCP are gone forever. Xi and Washington are immensely displeased that Putin has joined with Kim. Washington has lost faith in Xi to deliver on Pyongyang. Seoul and also Tokyo are wondering what Xi and CCP might be good for if not to exercise some leverage on and control over Pyongyang.

Kim snubbed Xi's invitation to the September 7th grand military parade to celebrate WW2 (Kim surely knows anyway as everyone else knows the fraud of CCP claims it routed the Japanese and won the war). No consolation Kim didn't go to Moscow either to celebrate its parade in May.

Kim froze CCP out right after taking office by ordering the execution of his pro-Beijing uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was Number Two in his father's ruling party and government. Xi has also failed to stop its "all weather friend" Pakistan helping develop Kim's nuclear program.

Tits on a bull this Xi Jinping guy.

Publicus, can you stop making yourself look ridiculous with all this talk ??

Okay, North Korea is doing this, and South Korea and Japan are getting pretty scared. Any talk of how the USA is going to come to Japan or South Korea's help with whatever missiles is total NONSENSE !

Washington right now is panicking because their puppet government in Saudi Arabia is losing the plot, yes, Saudi Arabia is getting far too big for it's boots by executing the Shia cleric. Washington is concentrating on the MIDDLE EAST, not the FAR EAST, it's getting ready to defend Saudi Arabia from whatever war with Iran. Correct, Washington is going to defend Saudi Arabia, not because they love the Arabs there. It's because the US wants to defend the oil in Saudi Arabia, and because the government of Saudi Arabia is a puppet of Washington.

Back to Korea. The best way for Washington to handle this, is to talk to Kim, and give him a huge amount of food aid, and barrels of oil. Oil is now at 35 USD a barrel, about one hundred million barrels of crude oil, West Texas Intermediate, spread over the next six months, will probably be enough to keep Kim quite for the time being. I don't think Kim cares if it's West Texas Intermediate or Brent Crude.

Washington has to do something to stop Kim improving his nukes. If Washington doesn't, well, what on earth is the point of the US soldiers in South Korea and Japan ? Kim's improving nukes makes the US military presence in these countries more and more useless. After all, American soldiers in South Korea and Japan can do nothing to stop a nuke getting to America, let alone Japan and South Korea. Actually, what is the point of American soldiers in South Korea and Japan ? Are they really there to defend Japan and South Korea ? Are they actually there because America feels better about having a military presence in the Far East ?

Washington should have flooded North Korea with aid ages ago, that would have probably halted North Korea's nuke programme. Another idea would have been George Bush invading North Korea and not Iraq. But far more sensible would have been Barak Obama flooding North Korea with aid, starting from 2009.

I really wonder, has Washington got any brain cells at all ?

The best way for Washington to handle this, is to talk to Kim, and give him a huge amount of food aid, and barrels of oil.

Yes, of course Mr. Chamberlain. You were right at Munich and you are of course right again. As always. Maybe we should give Mr. Kin a banquet and a toast besides. Kiss his arse.

Kim getting nuclear weapons is equally about the CCP in Beijing, if not more than anything else. He neutralises the CCP nuclear arsenal, as small as it is in the CCP China and regardless. Novices in international geostrategic politics and military affairs have no clue of this reality.

Kim is presently more of a menace to the CCP which he hates, than he is to the USA. While Kim is not a direct threat to USA unless and until he gets an ICBM delivery system that can reach US from N Korea, he is in fact a present threat to CCP, S Korea, Japan and the immediate region in general.

SecDef Ashton Carter is right. In 2006 he and his mentor former SecDef Wm Perry wrote in the NYT advocating a conventional US missile strike against Kim's nuclear program (only) as it was then. Should have been done. Now that Carter is SecDef it may yet be done (not likely before next year if so). CCP would howl in obligatory noises but not privately object or take any significant action as a consequence.

No invasion of N Korea has ever been necessary, wise or prudent. Besides being lunacy to even consider nevermind to do, invading N Korea is a fool's argument born of looking into the neocon rear view mirror at Iraq. Remember, objects in the rear view mirror may appear to be smaller than they are, i.e., distorted.

Even Hitler said as he prepared to invade the Soviet Union, one never knows what's going to happen once anyone kicks in the door of war cause all one sees at that point is a dark space. Herr Hitler did stride into the dark space and he subsequently disappeared. As did Mr. Chamberlain himself who disappeared because the draft from the kicked in door sucked in his piece of paper with Chamberlain still gripping it.

Your piece of paper is yellow, streaked, crumpled. It was blank to begin with.

[tonbridgebrit]

This one put Xi Jinping and the CCP Boyz in Beijing as a deer in headlights. CCP had no clue.

CCP absolutely positively do not want a nuclear Korean peninsula and worry that Japan too is on pins and needles about it. US Navy has an Aegis anti-missile cruiser 24/7 in the East Sea between N Korea and Japan to provide some comfort to Tokyo, which has Patriot anti-missile batteries visibly emplaced outside strategic buildings in the capital.

Xi Jinping can have the CCP work as part of the UN P5+1 to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran but Xi is absolutely helpless and useless in stopping or reducing Kim's nuclear program. Xi can't get the moribund Six Party Talks back from out of the hospice Kim put them in after taking power. Kim just last year sent a handwritten note (in invisible ink) to Xi promising to restart the talks, which have since then become embalmed.

All the while Kim has successfully invited Vlad the Putin to visit Pyongyang as a statement to Xi that the good old days between the Kims and the CCP are gone forever. Xi and Washington are immensely displeased that Putin has joined with Kim. Washington has lost faith in Xi to deliver on Pyongyang. Seoul and also Tokyo are wondering what Xi and CCP might be good for if not to exercise some leverage on and control over Pyongyang.

Kim snubbed Xi's invitation to the September 7th grand military parade to celebrate WW2 (Kim surely knows anyway as everyone else knows the fraud of CCP claims it routed the Japanese and won the war). No consolation Kim didn't go to Moscow either to celebrate its parade in May.

Kim froze CCP out right after taking office by ordering the execution of his pro-Beijing uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was Number Two in his father's ruling party and government. Xi has also failed to stop its "all weather friend" Pakistan helping develop Kim's nuclear program.

Tits on a bull this Xi Jinping guy.

Publicus, can you stop making yourself look ridiculous with all this talk ??

Okay, North Korea is doing this, and South Korea and Japan are getting pretty scared. Any talk of how the USA is going to come to Japan or South Korea's help with whatever missiles is total NONSENSE !

Washington right now is panicking because their puppet government in Saudi Arabia is losing the plot, yes, Saudi Arabia is getting far too big for it's boots by executing the Shia cleric. Washington is concentrating on the MIDDLE EAST, not the FAR EAST, it's getting ready to defend Saudi Arabia from whatever war with Iran. Correct, Washington is going to defend Saudi Arabia, not because they love the Arabs there. It's because the US wants to defend the oil in Saudi Arabia, and because the government of Saudi Arabia is a puppet of Washington.

Back to Korea. The best way for Washington to handle this, is to talk to Kim, and give him a huge amount of food aid, and barrels of oil. Oil is now at 35 USD a barrel, about one hundred million barrels of crude oil, West Texas Intermediate, spread over the next six months, will probably be enough to keep Kim quite for the time being. I don't think Kim cares if it's West Texas Intermediate or Brent Crude.

Washington has to do something to stop Kim improving his nukes. If Washington doesn't, well, what on earth is the point of the US soldiers in South Korea and Japan ? Kim's improving nukes makes the US military presence in these countries more and more useless. After all, American soldiers in South Korea and Japan can do nothing to stop a nuke getting to America, let alone Japan and South Korea. Actually, what is the point of American soldiers in South Korea and Japan ? Are they really there to defend Japan and South Korea ? Are they actually there because America feels better about having a military presence in the Far East ?

Washington should have flooded North Korea with aid ages ago, that would have probably halted North Korea's nuke programme. Another idea would have been George Bush invading North Korea and not Iraq. But far more sensible would have been Barak Obama flooding North Korea with aid, starting from 2009.

I really wonder, has Washington got any brain cells at all ?

The best way for Washington to handle this, is to talk to Kim, and give him a huge amount of food aid, and barrels of oil.

Yes, of course Mr. Chamberlain. You were right at Munich and you are of course right again. As always. Maybe we should give Mr. Kin a banquet and a toast besides. Kiss his arse.

Kim getting nuclear weapons is equally about the CCP in Beijing, if not more than anything else. He neutralises the CCP nuclear arsenal, as small as it is in the CCP China and regardless. Novices in international geostrategic politics and military affairs have no clue of this reality.

Kim is presently more of a menace to the CCP which he hates, than he is to the USA. While Kim is not a direct threat to USA unless and until he gets an ICBM delivery system that can reach US from N Korea, he is in fact a present threat to CCP, S Korea, Japan and the immediate region in general.

SecDef Ashton Carter is right. In 2006 he and his mentor former SecDef Wm Perry wrote in the NYT advocating a conventional US missile strike against Kim's nuclear program (only) as it was then. Should have been done. Now that Carter is SecDef it may yet be done (not likely before next year if so). CCP would howl in obligatory noises but not privately object or take any significant action as a consequence.

No invasion of N Korea has ever been necessary, wise or prudent. Besides being lunacy to even consider nevermind to do, invading N Korea is a fool's argument born of looking into the neocon rear view mirror at Iraq. Remember, objects in the rear view mirror may appear to be smaller than they are, i.e., distorted.

Even Hitler said as he prepared to invade the Soviet Union, one never knows what's going to happen once anyone kicks in the door of war cause all one sees at that point is a dark space. Herr Hitler did stride into the dark space and he subsequently disappeared. As did Mr. Chamberlain himself who disappeared because the draft from the kicked in door sucked in his piece of paper with Chamberlain still gripping it.

Your piece of paper is yellow, streaked, crumpled. It was blank to begin with.

Publicus, you've decided to bring in Chamberlain. IF the USA had of joined in with Britain and France in 1935 (that's four years BEFORE World War Two started), and the Allies had of invaded Germany then, yes, World War Two would have been very different.

Back to Korea.

"Kim is presently more of a menace to the CCP which he hates, than he is to the USA. While Kim is not a direct threat to USA unless and until he gets an ICBM delivery system that can reach US from N Korea, he is in fact a present threat to CCP, S Korea, Japan and the immediate region in general."

What on earth are you on about ?

Kim's nukes will be pointing at South Korea and maybe Japan, Kim's not interested in having any nukes aimed at Beijing. South Korea and Japan are scared of Kim, China is NOT. Washington has been desperae to stop Kim's nuke programme, Beijing is no way as concerned as Washingon is. Why is Washingon concerned ? It's because Kim getting a nuke means that Washington's military presence in South Korea and Japan will be useless and meaningless. There is no point in US soldiers being in South Korea and Japan once Kim has a nuke. Right now, Kim has not got a nuke, Washington can still claim that the US soldiers in South Korea are there to defend South Korea.

You've turned up here on ThaiVisa to trot out comments that make Beijing look negative, but it's absurd to claim that North Korea is more of a menace to China than it is to America !

So, how do you reckon that Washington should go about trying to stop Kim getting a nuke ?

Look, the food aid and barrels of oil that I suggested, Washington will give this to Kim on condition of a gaurantee to stop the nuke programme. Yes, Washington has got a brain, the deal will involve 'neutral' observers and inspectors to enter into North Korea and check and confirm that no research into nukes is taking place. And then, that's when Washington hand's over some rice and barrels of oil. And give it three months, and then more checks and inspections, and then the next instalment of rice and crude oil will be given. And so on.

It was back in 2003, in Iraq, when Washington decided to give up on the weapons inspectors, and invade Iraq. Well yes, another option is to invade North Korea before Kim gets a nuke. But I really do reckon, Kim's only getting a nuke because he's concerned that America and South Korea are going to attack him, and he's using the issue of his nukes to get food aid and oil.

Handing out rice and oil (in order to stop and dismantle Kim's nukes) will be cheaper and less dangerous than invading North Korea. Washington will still need permission from Beijing and Moscow to invade North Korea before launching an invasion. How to get Moscow to not object to this invasion ?

Well, Washington can go and tell the puppet Saudi Arabian government to reduce the amount of oil that they're putting onto the world market. This will boost oil prices. Yes, we all know that Moscow is in a bit of pain due to the low oil price right now. And how to get Beijing to not object ? Well, Washington will tell Taiwan to NOT declare their independance, that should do it. Beijing has one or two thousand missiles aimed at Taiwan, not nukes though, but Beijing doesn't really want to fire them. All Beijing wants is, is no declaration of independance from Taiwan. I'm pretty sure Washington can arrange that.