HONG KONG, April 26 (Yonhap) -- The United States is prepared to take action if the sinking of a South Korean warship is linked to North Korea, a senior U.S. diplomat said Monday. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell did not elaborate, but U.S. officials have expressed support for further United Nations sanctions, as proposed by South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan.
North Korea is already under sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests last year.
| Those worked so well, too ... |
"We will diagnose the cause of the tragic incident and address the issue accordingly," Campbell said, referring to the March 26 sinking of the 1,200-ton corvette Cheonan, which killed 40 South Korean sailors and left six others missing near the Korean maritime border. "We express thoughts and prayers to the Korean people."
| That's about all Bambi is going to give them ... |
"We are also gratified South Korea has asked us to work closely with them. I believe the multinational working relationships are excellent," the senior diplomat said. "We are still (in the middle) of the investigation, and no formal conclusion has been reached. We will as we move forward."
The U.S. has sent 14 military and civilian investigators to help probe the cause of the sinking, part of a team that includes South Korea, Australia and Sweden.
Campbell also said he has asked China to play a role. "We explained our role in taking recovery efforts and encouraged China to play a responsible role," he said to reporters here after the speech. "China expressed deep concerns for the loss of life and the tragedy. I think they are watching carefully in terms of how this process is playing out."
The South simply isn't willing to go to war with the North. It's that simple. They'll figure out that the Norks put a torpedo into Cheonan and then go to the UN. When the UN fails -- as usual -- they'll shrug. The Norks will then stage another provocation, and the South will shrug that off as well.
The South doesn't want a war. It wouldn't lose, but they'd take a large number of civilian casualties. And if you win, the prize is -- North Korea. It would take a generation to integrate the north, assuming the Chinese would let them do it.
No, this will happen again. The South won't go to war to defend their country, not over something like the sinking of one of their naval ships. |
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