Top U.S. general: North Korea 'would use WMD' to save regime

[webfact]

Top U.S. general: North Korea 'would use WMD' to save regime
By Ryan Browne

Washington (CNN)The top U.S. military commander in South Korea said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would use a weapon of mass destruction if he thought the fate of his rule was at stake.

If he "thought his regime were challenged he states that he would use WMD," Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday.

Scaparrotti said that tensions on the Korean Peninsula were at their highest level in more than 20 years.

Full story: http://us.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/north-korea-wmd/index.html


-- CNN 2016-02-24

[khwaibah]

Never no doubt in my mind.

[NeverSure]

Don't worry. We have Obama to take care of these things.

[robblok]

Don't worry. We have Obama to take care of these things.

Thrump would have just nuked the whole peninsula saying let god sort them out.

[canathai8]

Kim Jong Un abuses women (the unwilling ones hand-picked for him from high school get raped no doubt)

That in itself makes him an utter loser and waste of skin, never mind all the stuff we already know about this human reptile in bright red silk pyjamas, head as round as the bloody sun..

But he's a fascinating individual (IMHO), Numero Uno - several horse lengths ahead of The Donald mind you, both rounding the bend for the home stretch - in their own "aborted" way..

[pitrevie]

Don't worry. We have Obama to take care of these things.

Since Bush was the expert in what to do with regimes that had WMD do remind us what he did re North Korea to remove this threat.

In addition perhaps you could also suggest what Obama should be doing that he isn't already.

Edited February 24, 2016 by pitrevie

[lovelomsak]

The General says this so it must be true. Sounds like same things we get from Thai government when they give opinions of what world leaders think of whats going on in Thailand. No proof just he says so believe it.I would suggest war monger.

[Andaman Al]

Sounds like what the previous Commander in Chief said about Hussein a few years back.

[aRobotnamedWAR]

But will N koreans kill their leader to save their people? thats the billion dollar question.

[tomwct]

Don't worry. We have Obama to take care of these things.

Thrump would have just nuked the whole peninsula saying let god sort them out.

Sure, Obama and Kerry are Cowards! Obama would call up his buddy Mooney at the UN! Mooney would plead with N. Korea to act

like a real country! What a Joke!!!!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Don't worry. We have Obama to take care of these things.

Yes, you need another Bush to go in and start another illegal war that you can't finish as if the US hasn't screwed up enough of the world with their half ass attempts at invading countries.

Enough of your narrow minded war mongering.

If you can't see how the republican war machine isn't working (except in making the super rich even richer) then there is just no explaining it to you.

If ignorance is bliss then you must be ecstatic!!!

[sanukjim]

Never no doubt in my mind.

Yes,As a stupid leader He would do a very stupid thing even though his military regime along with him would be wiped out.Just to prove a point.

[Publicus]

 

The General says this so it must be true. Sounds like same things we get from Thai government when they give opinions of what world leaders think of whats going on in Thailand. No proof just he says so believe it.I would suggest war monger.

You're thinking of the tank commander General George Patton who in World War II kicked German ass across Europe and got relieved of his command of the 3rd Army because he wanted to continue into Soviet Russia till the last CCCP was toast. That guy.

Or maybe you're thinking of MacArthur who got fired because he wanted to nuke China back in 1953.

That was then, this is now and you haven't any idea of the education, training, world view US military commanders get well before their first star. Just as in the high profile instances of Generals Patton and MacArthur, a four-star and a five-star, US generals and admirals get shipped out to the old soldiers home if they are sure we haven't fought long enough or hard enough, or that we haven't fought enough enemies, or that we're going to get wiped out if we don't attack right now. That was the flawed and contrary mindset of Bush-Cheney-McCain.

This guy is a four-star general in command of the US Eighth Army in S Korea, the US Seventh Air Force and its commanding general, and of all the South Korean armed forces and its commanders. It's been so of the US-UN Korea Command since the Korean Conflict began in 1950. The command is one of awesome power to include strategic and tactical nuclear weapons, so it comes with a great responsibility and the highest military level of trust/confidence.

The US supreme commander in S Korea opposite the Kim Regime is always a battle accomplished nail spitting and severe kicker of ass but he is also one who is a responsible well disciplined commander in a highly sensitive place and position, role, and he is well aware of it.

The US general has intelligence people here do not have. Or appreciate.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Publicus

[NovaBlue05]

I don't doubt 'lil Kim might panic and do something really stupid. Doesn't the West have the wherewithal to infiltrate these rogue regimes and just terminate the protagonist without any messy fireworks?

[tonbridgebrit]

 

The General says this so it must be true. Sounds like same things we get from Thai government when they give opinions of what world leaders think of whats going on in Thailand. No proof just he says so believe it.I would suggest war monger.

You're thinking of the tank commander General George Patton who in World War II kicked German ass across Europe and got relieved of his command of the 3rd Army because he wanted to continue into Soviet Russia till the last CCCP was toast. That guy.

Or maybe you're thinking of MacArthur who got fired because he wanted to nuke China back in 1953.

That was then, this is now and you haven't any idea of the education, training, world view US military commanders get well before their first star. Just as in the high profile instances of Generals Patton and MacArthur, a four-star and a five-star, US generals and admirals get shipped out to the old soldiers home if they are sure we haven't fought long enough or hard enough, or that we haven't fought enough enemies, or that we're going to get wiped out if we don't attack right now. That was the flawed and contrary mindset of Bush-Cheney-McCain.

This guy is a four-star general in command of the US Eighth Army in S Korea and also of all the South Korean armed forces and its commanders. It's been so of the US-UN Korean Command since the Korean Conflict began in 1950.

The US supreme commander in S Korea is always a battle accomplished nail chewing kicker of ass but he is also one who is a responsible well disciplined commander in a highly sensitive place and position, role, and he is well aware of it.

The US general has intelligence people here do not have. Or appreciate.

Publicus, did Patten actually want to declare war on Russia straight after Germany had surrendered ? He was a good general, but what a nutcase !

Did MacArthur get fired because he wanted to nuke China back in 1953 ? Well, I'm so happy America did fire him. Just goes to show, soldiers should fight wars, and once the war is over, well, they should be given pensions and retired, they MUST NOT be allowed to carry out decisions like "what war are we going to fight next ?".

Okay, this soldier today, has come out and made this comment. As a soldier, he knows how to control his men, and kill people. Obviously, he doesn't know how to handle the media, bearing in mind that he has handed out this type of comment. Making a comment about WMD and how the 'enemy' might use them will always be an own-goal when spoken by any American, or any military person anywhere.

Yes, it will take decades for us to forget about how 'Saddam the Arab' had some WMD, and how this was one of the reasons why Saddam had to be removed, and his country invaded. The attack and invasion of Iraq was a mistake, lets not allow the same mistake twice.

And that's whats so silly and dangerous for this soldier today, to come out with this comment. It's a comment that causes people in the general public to fear Kim (North Korea Kim, not South Korea Kim), it causes people to support an attack on Kim.

Now, we all know that would be a stupid and crazy thing to do, right ? Attacking Kim will actually mean that Kim is going to be removed. I have no doubt, American and South Korean soldiers combined, they WILL BEAT North Korea, yes they will. But that's not the problem, the problem is what happens AFTER Kim has gone ?

( It's a bit like Iraq, remove Saddam, that's the good and easy bit, it's what they do AFTER Saddam has gone, that's the problem).

And in North Korea's case, do the South Korean government, do they really want the North to have no Kim, and re-unfy with them ?

I suggest it's best for Washington and South Korea to prop up Kim's regime. Go and tell Kim, "we give you rice and oil for free". You need to have a reason as to why you're giving stuff to him ? Well, tell the world that it s being given to stop Kim building a nuke. That sounds a good enough reason.

The REAL reason for giving oil and rice to Kim, is to stop Kim's regime from collapsing. The South Korean government needs to have Kim to carry on. As for Washington, Washington also needs Kim to carry on. After all, Kim is America's reason as to why America should have it's military bases in Korea.

And why does America need it's military bases in Korea ? Why, Publicus ? I think it's because, yes, MacArthur was mad to want to nuke China. BUT, America still wants to have miliary bases in the Far East, near China. Just in case Taiwan declares independance, and America needs to invade China, well, those US army bases in Korea and Japan will be handy.

[elgordo38]

Never no doubt in my mind.

Yes,As a stupid leader He would do a very stupid thing even though his military regime along with him would be wiped out.Just to prove a point.

Start a war a go out in a blaze of glory or starve to death. If starvation the little fat boy would be the last man left standing. I do not know if chess is his favorite game but he sure has a lot of pieces on the board to play with.

Edited February 24, 2016 by elgordo38

[Khon Kaen Dave]

He's mmaaad,mmaaad i tell ya.

[hawker9000]

Obama and his devoted wingnuts (more than a few right here...) remain committed, much like an addiction to drugs, to the "weakness is a strength" doctrine. Sure has worked with the Chinese in the S China Sea, hasn't it? (Boy did I call that one right! SAM alrdy there; fighters on the way.) What to do? Duh. Deploy more troops, more aircraft, and most important (and obvious) - deploy additional BMD, land and ship based. Let the psycho rant - he's a child in a fat man's body.

[jerojero]

Yes, for sure. Just like the irrefutable evidence Iraq had WMD's before George War-monger Bush invaded.

[Jingthing]

Yes, for sure. Just like the irrefutable evidence Iraq had WMD's before George War-monger Bush invaded.

One thing is not another. Totally irrelevant.

[jerojero]

Yes, for sure. Just like the irrefutable evidence Iraq had WMD's before George War-monger Bush invaded.

One thing is not another. Totally irrelevant.

..... Perhaps, or maybe not. A senior Govt official telling the public what a remote foreign nation will or will not do? Sounds eerily similar to prewar George W. Govt saying that Sadam HAD and will use WMD's.

[Jingthing]

So North Korea doesn't have a nuclear weapons program.

[baboon]

Kim Jong Un abuses women (the unwilling ones hand-picked for him from high school get raped no doubt)

That in itself makes him an utter loser and waste of skin, never mind all the stuff we already know about this human reptile in bright red silk pyjamas, head as round as the bloody sun..

But he's a fascinating individual (IMHO), Numero Uno - several horse lengths ahead of The Donald mind you, both rounding the bend for the home stretch - in their own "aborted" way..

Kim Jong UN is respected worldwide for his statesmanship and contributions to world peace unmatched by any other politician in the past 100 years.

[321Rich]

South Korea needs to stop wasting time and effort by dropping leaflets over the north. Instead start dropping loaded rifles with ammo and instructions on how to shoot the little child ruler. The unification problem will solved itself.

[happy Joe]

It is true that since the case of WMD in Iraq the sensational statements of a general American have no more importance than a fart of my grandmother.

Furthermore it should be understood that China supports North Korea. China, which does not want to live with neighbor under US obedience. I hope the world will not let result in a new conflict with the sole objective of maintaining US leadership

[LukKrueng]

Seems like the US of A starts perpetration of another stupid invasion....

[Orac]

Surely there must be a point where any country would use, or at least threaten the use, of WMDs if they possessed them otherwise what is the point of having them in the first place.

[tonbridgebrit]

Seems like the US of A starts perpetration of another stupid invasion....

Washington is not that stupid, they won't make the same mistake as thirteen years ago.

Invading Kim, and removing him is the easy bit. They know that what happens AFTER Kim has gone is the real problem. Best to just leave Kim there, and actually prop him up with free rice and crude oil. The government of South Korea, truth is, they don't actually want to bail out North Korea once Kim has gone. It cost West Germany loads to subsdise Eastern Germany after they re-unified.

[Publicus]

It is true that since the case of WMD in Iraq the sensational statements of a general American have no more importance than a fart of my grandmother.

Furthermore it should be understood that China supports North Korea. China, which does not want to live with neighbor under US obedience. I hope the world will not let result in a new conflict with the sole objective of maintaining US leadership

Generals in the GW Bush and his Dick Cheney administration said very little publicly during the lead-up to Rumsfeld's invasion of Iraq.

Generals in the Bush administration kept their mouths shut and did as they had been ordered which is what for better and for worse generals are supposed to do.

Colin Powell at the time was SecState, not JCS chairman as he'd been during the first Bush administration, which had used Powell publicly as the puppet he always was going back to his White House dayze with Saint Ronnie. Starting with his dayze in the White House with Ronnie, Powell got star after star as if they were for free and falling from the sky. Same as Gen Hague with Nixon and Ford.

Reagan, Bush and Bush had what are known as "political generals." One-star guys who get into the White House or the SecDef office to brownie up and get more stars.

GHW Bush however knew he had to put a general's general Norman Schwarzkopf "Stormin Norman" in charge in the Gulf War cause Washington needed a real general in the field who could kick ass and take names, which is what Gen. Schwarzkopf did until he was ordered by GHW Bush to stop short of Baghdad. Gen Schwarzkopf nonetheless blew away Saddam's entire army in a 100-hour ground war.

Retired generals from the Clinton administration were the guys speaking out. They appeared repeatedly on television and wrote extensively in print media to speak against an invasion of Iraq and against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Condoleezza Rice and the other neocons. The Clinton generals were a constant thorn in the side of Bush and his Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld too, as the retired generals from the Clinton years were the guys speaking out -- against an invasion of Iraq.

Generals are supposed to hold their tongues. Failure to do so is what got Gen Patton and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur among a few other less prominent ones their early retirement papers. Once retired however, the old rules are out the window because of Iraq....

Retired generals rising up against Iraq war

April 15, 2006

In a recent "Meet the Press" appearance, retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, a four-star former commander of the Central Command, describes administration behavior that ranged from "true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility" to "lying, incompetence and corruption."

Another Marine, retired Lt. Gen. Greg Newbold, has written in Time magazine that the Iraq war was unnecessary. Finally, Lt. Gen. Bernard Trainor and Michael Gordon have written a history of the invasion of Iraq, Cobra II, which describes a willfully self-deluding planning process.

Retired Major Gen. Paul Eaton, who helped revive the Iraqi army, described Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically" and called for his resignation. Retired Lt. Gen. William Odom, former director of the National Security Agency and now a Yale professor, said in a speech covered by the Providence Journal that America's invasion of Iraq might be the worst strategic mistake in American history.

On CNN, Maj. Gen. John Batiste also called for Rumsfeld's resignation; the Washington Post reported that Batiste, commander of the First Infantry Division in Iraq during 2004-2005 [historically called The Big Red 1 and which had landed first on D-Day June 6, 1944] turned down a third star and a tour in Iraq as the second-ranking U.S. military officer there. He retired rather than continue to work for Rumsfeld.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/opinion/article/Retired-generals-rising-up-against-Iraq-war-1201001.php

The Clinton generals.

Colin Powell was expert at kissing arse of three Republicans CinC in the White House. Smoooooch! Each ten kisses got him another star.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Publicus

[Publicus]

Seems like the US of A starts perpetration of another stupid invasion....

Washington is not that stupid, they won't make the same mistake as thirteen years ago.

Invading Kim, and removing him is the easy bit. They know that what happens AFTER Kim has gone is the real problem. Best to just leave Kim there, and actually prop him up with free rice and crude oil. The government of South Korea, truth is, they don't actually want to bail out North Korea once Kim has gone. It cost West Germany loads to subsdise Eastern Germany after they re-unified.

My repeated requests that you do really try to keep up are not being heeded so you'll have to be brought up to date.

US and CCP leaders have met privately as a matter of state secrets to agree what to do --and to not do-- when North Korea collapses.

It is of a mutually vital importance that Beijing and Washington know what to expect and to proceed according to a mutually understood agreement or understanding. All of which are, again, state secrets for Beijing and Washington. Pyongyang isn't about to bring them up publicly either and neither is Seoul. Seoul has to know what to expect and do also as that too is of a vital importance.

As we know, the Chinese don't go to the bathroom without a five-point plan.....

China's secret plan for North Korea's collapse

May 6, 2014

China has two big plans for what to do if North Korea collapses: first, set up vast refugee camps on the Chinese side of the border to support what would likely be millions of fleeing North Koreans and, second, detain the North Korean leadership in special camps where they can be monitored.

The plans also suggest that China could restrain the North Korean leaders from doing anything irresponsible or making any decision that might hurt China. In other words, China would take control of North Korea's leaders, and by extension the North Korean government.

http://www.vox.com/2014/5/6/5686858/chinas-secret-plan-for-north-koreas-collapse-revealed

It is an absolute position of CCP in Beijing that there never be any US military forces at any border of the CCP China. It was in fact US forces at the Yalu River border of North Korea and CCP China in 1952 that caused Mao Zedong to order the PLA to the Korean Conflict.

US forces in South Korea would remain south of the 38th parallel, same as they are now, regardless of any border changes that might occur between the two Koreas, the DPRK and the ROK. CCP would not move against South Korea. Neither would US forces or Korean forces under US overall command move against North Korea.

It would be Beijing's ball game all the way. If everything went according to understandings and agreements among all the parties involved, there would not need to be any fighting between US or PLA forces. Nor between North Korean and PLA forces. Not either South Korean and PLA.

South Korea would also necessarily set up refugee camps on South Korean territory to place Koreans fleeing the southern regions of the DPRK, to include by sea also.

It's all very hairy and massive but there is an understood plan and end game that consciously excludes war or conflict among everyone that will be affected.

So do try to keep up okay.