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[webfact]

North Korea warns of "merciless" strikes as U.S. carrier joins S.Korea drills

By James Pearson

REUTERS

 

U.S. Navy personnel prepare to launch an F18 fighter jet on the deck of USS Carl Vinson during a FONOPS (Freedom of Navigation Operation Patrol) in South China Sea, March 3, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea warned the United States on Tuesday of "merciless" attacks if an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson, which is joining South Korean forces for exercises, infringes on its sovereignty or dignity.

 

North Korea, which has alarmed its neighbours with two nuclear tests and a string of missile launches since last year, said the arrival of the U.S. strike group was part of a "reckless scheme" to attack it.

 

"If they infringe on the DPRK's sovereignty and dignity even a bit, its army will launch merciless ultra-precision strikes from ground, air, sea and underwater," the North's state news agency KCNA said.

 

North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

 

"On March 11 alone, many enemy carrier-based aircraft flew along a course near territorial air and waters of the DPRK to stage drills of dropping bombs and making surprise attacks on the ground targets of its army," KCNA said.

 

A U.S. Navy spokesman said the Carl Vinson was on a regular, scheduled deployment to the region during which it would take part in exercises with the forces of ally South Korea.

 

Last week, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan in response to annual U.S.-South Korea military drills, which the North sees as preparation for war.

 

The murder in Malaysia last month of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother has added to a sense of urgency to efforts to handle North Korea.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to make his first visit to South Korea on Friday.

 

Last week, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said President Donald Trump's administration was re-evaluating its North Korea strategy and "all options are on the table".

 

CHINESE OPPOSITION

 

Compounding regional tension, China is vehemently opposed to the deployment in South Korea of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system.

 

The United States and South Korea say the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system is for defence against North Korea, but China fears its powerful radar can probe deep into its territory and compromise its security.

 

The United States began to deploy the system a week ago, a day after North Korea launched its latest four missile tests.

 

South Korean and U.S. troops began the large-scale joint drills, which are billed as defensive in nature, on March 1.

 

The exercise last year involved about 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans. South Korea has said this year's exercise would be of a similar scale.

 

The United States has also started to deploy "Gray Eagle" attack drones to South Korea, a U.S. military spokesman said on Monday.

 

China says the exercises do nothing to ease tension. Last week, it called on North Korea to stop its weapons tests and for South Korea and the United States to stop their drills.

 

A state-run Chinese newspaper said the USS Carl Vinson was taking part in a simulation of a preemptive strike against North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities.

 

The drills sent the North "an explicit radical threat", to which it could not be expected to remain indifferent, the influential Global Times said. North and South Korea were "equally hysterical", it said.

 

"The U.S. and South Korea often accuse China of being uncooperative, but the reality is they are uncooperative over China's mediation," it said, referring to complaints that China does not do enough to rein in old ally North Korea.

 

(Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Robert Birsel and Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-14

[rijb]

If North Korea doesn't cool it, Trump will unleash a merciless barrage of Twitter attacks.  They will bring NK to their knees. 

[trogers]

What do they say about a barking dog?

[Srikcir]

If only Trump would ask the Russians to hack North Korea missile launch systems - seems the only way to get things done.

[boomerangutang]

China is mostly spooked by a N.Korea going to war for the following reasons, 

 

#1  doesn't want hordes of refugees fleeing crossing the Yalu River into China

2. economic problems - not as many goods shipped and sold to N.Korea

3. N.Korea getting absorbed by S.Korea. A unified Korea would at first be a basket case (in the north). It might take 10 years for Northerners to get over the psychic shock of freedom.  But a unified Korea would be a strong ally of the US and Europe, and would lessen China's influence in the region. 

[phantomfiddler]

C,mon U.S.A., the challenge is on ! I can,t wait for the little fat boy to fire some more missiles into the Japanese Sea. It,s gonna be like skeet shooting :)

[Krataiboy]

Stands the clock at five to three

And is their radium for tea?

[hawker9000]

It would be a crime against national sovereignty to take this psychopath out, but 'no problem with his having nukes...

 

Yeah, ok...

 

 

[Scott]

16 hours ago, Srikcir said:

If only Trump would ask the Russians to hack North Korea missile launch systems - seems the only way to get things done.

Both Russia and China have disputes with Japan.   Russia's are territorial and China's are historical.   I don't know that they mind seeing Japan being tormented.  

[Stargeezr]

North Korea will get the strikes if it tries, to attack the US or south Korea.  Everyone except for Fat Boy knows this, China knows this as well,  they are just waiting for fat boy to make a fatal error before doimg anything for or against him.

Geezer

[Jonmarleesco]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

 

AKA the Demagogic Pillock's Repository of Krackpots.

[Jonmarleesco]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

China says the exercises do nothing to ease tension.

This from the country that is constantly sabre rattling in the South China Sea.

[Berkshire]

Kim Jong-Un has a message for D. Trump....

 

 

[sirmud63]

19 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Kim Jong-Un has a message for D. Trump....

 

 

  . gold , right there . pmsl.

 

[scorecard]

On 3/14/2017 at 1:43 PM, rijb said:

If North Korea doesn't cool it, Trump will unleash a merciless barrage of Twitter attacks.  They will bring NK to their knees. 

 

Well said, but it frightens me he might do something a lot more serious.  

[Grouse]

9 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

AKA the Demagogic Pillock's Repository of Krackpots.

That's no way to speak about the White House! ?

[Peterw42]

Serious question, where does a dirt poor country, that according to the photos on the internet of no lights on etc. get the money to make/buy ballistic missiles and nukes etc. Not to mention the technology and knowledge to operate and maintain that stuff. I come from a supposed first world country, Australia, and we coudnt make a nuke if our life depended on it. 

[Panda13]

11 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Serious question, where does a dirt poor country, that according to the photos on the internet of no lights on etc. get the money to make/buy ballistic missiles and nukes etc. Not to mention the technology and knowledge to operate and maintain that stuff. I come from a supposed first world country, Australia, and we coudnt make a nuke if our life depended on it. 

Oz was selling pig iron to Japan right up until war was declared. Then the Japs dropped a pile of it back on Darwin. They were still letting Jap tourists into Oz till the Pearl Harbour strike, and were going around taking holiday snaps of road signs and sensitive military installations and other useful data. IMHO the NKs are probably doing the same and gettinglots of financial and technical help from anyone with an axe to grind against the West and of course  armament manufacturers who profit, no matter who wins or loses.

[daveAustin]

Serious question, where does a dirt poor country, that according to the photos on the internet of no lights on etc. get the money to make/buy ballistic missiles and nukes etc. Not to mention the technology and knowledge to operate and maintain that stuff. I come from a supposed first world country, Australia, and we coudnt make a nuke if our life depended on it. 

Oz is a first world country? When did this happen? [emoji39]
They spend virtually everything they have on this stuff and have had this goal for decades. What they're doing isn't new and wouldn't be surprised if they had a leg up by Pakistan. It's a self-preservation thing by an egomaniac, his daddy and his granddaddy before him.

By the by, Australia has more uranium ore than anywhere.

[Skeptic7]

On 3/14/2017 at 0:39 PM, hawker9000 said:

It would be a crime against national sovereignty to take this psychopath out, but 'no problem with his having nukes...

 

Yeah, ok...

 

 

Which one??? 

[Briggsy]

On 14/03/2017 at 5:26 PM, boomerangutang said:

China is mostly spooked by a N.Korea going to war for the following reasons, 

 

#1  doesn't want hordes of refugees fleeing crossing the Yalu River into China

2. economic problems - not as many goods shipped and sold to N.Korea

3. N.Korea getting absorbed by S.Korea. A unified Korea would at first be a basket case (in the north). It might take 10 years for Northerners to get over the psychic shock of freedom.  But a unified Korea would be a strong ally of the US and Europe, and would lessen China's influence in the region. 

You missed the big point. U.S. ally, potentially or probably hosting U.S. bases and troops on its border. Unthinkable for China. (Afghanistan doesn't count for geographic reasons).

[JAG]

"Infringing on its sovereignty" is I suppose fair enough, but "infringing on its dignity" -  with that haircut?