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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Hagel: N. Korea nearing 'dangerous line' | |
| 2013-04-11 | |
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel warned Wednesday that North Korea has come very close to a "dangerous line" with its sharp statements iand provocative steps.
He emphasized that North Korea's threats should be ratcheted down and its actions "neutralized." Hagel noted North Korea's young In the event that Pyongyang remains recalcitrant, the U.S. is fully prepared to take any contingency measures, added the Pentagon boss. "The reality is that he (Kim) is unpredictable. That country is unpredictable. If that is the reality that we're dealing with, and it is, you prepare for every contingency," Hagel said. Sitting next to Hagel, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would not provide a detailed assessment of whether Pyongyang has mastered a technology to mount a nuclear bomb onto a missile. "The proximity of the North Koreans to achieving a miniaturization of a nuclear device on a ballistic missile is really a classified matter," he said. "In the absence of concrete evidence to the contrary, we have to assume the worst case. And that's why we're postured as we are today." | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #17 Kim Jong-Un has made a critical mistak here. He has backed himself into a corner - with no easy way out. The West is not going to give him any more handouts as a "payment" for threatening behavior. That optiin is gone. If he reverses his threats, then he loses face - especially amongst the military leadership within N. Korea that does not respect him. His only option is to create some sort of incident. But if he violates the borders with S. Korea, they will retaliate and try to take his head off. It will be surprising if this doesn't go into some sort of conflict - maybe not full-blown war. But conflict somewhere in the Korean peninsula. |
| Posted by: Raider 2013-04-11 22:22 |
| #16 From an intelligence blog and unverified: A friend works for DIA as a contractor in the HUMINT field. They just announced that they are terminating all of the contractors due to downsizing over budget issues. At best they might be rehired in October. Given that there are about 8.5 million contractors now working for the US Government and only 1.5 million civil servants, can the civil servants and active duty military in the Intelligence community pick up the slack? Contractors are doing most of the watch work (12 hr. shifts) which either goes unmanned or most civil servants will have to pick up. |
| Posted by: Knuckles Tojo1876 2013-04-11 17:27 |
| #15 Foxy -- the crew wouldn't HAVE to know what's on board. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2013-04-11 17:11 |
| #14 Roadmap, maybe? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-04-11 15:17 |
| #13 Im just hoping that all of the NORKS minisubs are accounted for . Perhaps they havent figured out how to mount a nuke on a missle . Shoving it in a sub with some deranged brainwashed fanatics is totally feasable , and if they REALLY REALLY wanted to , is the easiest option with biggest chance of success - Then slip in to denial mode - Cheonan . |
| Posted by: Foxy 2013-04-11 14:45 |
| #12 Totalitarian despots generally require crisis or an enemy, or both to divert the truth and bring fear to the masses. The loathsome Kim Jong-un handily provides the current administration with both. When I hear of cretins like Rodman and Jaz-Z visiting rogue regimes with absolutely no comment or follow-up from the White House, I become suspicious. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-04-11 14:40 |
| #11 So now we are in the uncomfortable "posture" of wondering if and when this guy is going to do something and exactly what he will do. But from the looks of things he will do something. Will it be like Pearl Harbor or 9/11 or will it be an unarmed missile that crashes harmlessly into the ocean? We just have to wait and see, huh? I can't help thinking it would be better to do unto him first. At the very least it might be wise to send him a quiet, discreet little note to the effect that if he doesn't stand down we are going the blow the fuck out of his little country. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-04-11 14:09 |
| #10 "And that's why we're postured as we are today" Wake me when we get to Weapons Free. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2013-04-11 12:55 |
| #9 "And that's why we're postured as we are today" With this administration, it's nothing but "posture". |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-04-11 12:43 |
| #8 #6 Pink. Posted by: Nimble Spemble I've been consistently told that's "salmon" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-04-11 11:16 |
| #7 Champ is preparing to cross the Student Loan "Red Line" with the raising of interest rates. Of course the raise only applies to middle-class WASP college student basement dwellers. "The wealthy and the well connected" don't borrow money for Harvard or Princeton. Neither to the "disadvantaged" who attend VIA grants and scholarships. Social Justice marches onward! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-04-11 09:34 |
| #6 Pink. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2013-04-11 09:02 |
| #5 I dare you to cross this line. Oh, then I dare you to cross this line. Ah, then this line. .....(ad infinitium) |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-04-11 08:44 |
| #4 Are they hinting that any "missile test" will be intercepted and shot down? |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2013-04-11 08:34 |
| #3 Puce.... |
| Posted by: Uncle Phester 2013-04-11 08:17 |
| #2 There is no way that North Korea would launch any large scale attack in the spring. It would be absolute suicide. They rely on the army to get the fields tilled and planted for their food crop. If the army is off fighting a war, the country would starve the following winter. They might engage in some sort of spectacular antics but they aren't going to engage in any sort of massive attack in the spring. They would do that after the fall harvest. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2013-04-11 05:19 |
| #1 Is that the RED line, or is it a little dilute on a graduated scale? Maybe a something of a pink line with shades of red? |
| Posted by: Clyde Noodleman9266 2013-04-11 04:13 |