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China-Japan-Koreas
Norks stop moving mobile launchers
2013-04-14
SEOUL -- North Korea seemed to stop moving vehicles suspected to be mobile launchers for its medium-range missiles over the past two days, a government source said Saturday, in a sign that Pyongyang's missile launch may not be imminent.

According to intelligence sources, the North had moved two Musudan intermediate missiles, which had been concealed in a shed in the eastern port city of Wonsan, in and out of the facility earlier this week in an apparent bid to interfere with Seoul's intelligence monitoring. Four or five vehicles, suspected of being so-called transporter erector launchers (TEL), were also previously moving around in South Hamgyeong Province.

But a government source said that since Thursday the North has stopped moving the mobile launchers, whose timing comes on the heels of a dialogue proposal by South Korea and the U.S.

"There are no signs that the TELs have been moved in and out of the facility since Thursday or that missile launches are imminent," the government source said. "Situations surrounding the missile launch have not changed."
Posted by:Steve White

#5  It has been suggested that the North Koreans would not initiate a war that would virtually guarantee a response that destroys their nuclear development capabilities. An alternative view is that the new Kim dynasty is apparently willing to accept self-destruction as a way to obtain even more generous peace terms. ItÂ’s a form of calculus not appropriate to the Western mind, but our years in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos should have taught us this is at least possible. This was Ho Chi MinhÂ’s theory — and it worked.
Posted by: Uncle Phester   2013-04-14 20:31  

#4  Today is NOKOR's hallowed "Day of the Sun" - everyone is waiting to see iff NOKOR will launch one or more of its "MUSUDANS" MBMS in geopol-bellicose "celebration"???

In any case, the larger issue is China's desire for unchallenged or unobstructed, "sole" strategic access into WESTPAC + SOPAC via the "First Island Chain". CHINA SEES US MILBASES CLOSE TO CHINA'S SHORES, WHILE SEEING NO CHINESE OR PLA MILBASES CLOSE TO AMERICA'S SHORES.

Notice that the latest NOKOR Crisis has NOT prevented China from violating Japan's 12-mile territorial limit around the disputed Senkakus [China = Diaoyu Islands].

ALSO, ITS CHINA THATS BEEN MOBILIZING MIL ASSETS/FORCES, ACROSS FROM TAIWAN + VIETNAM + NOW SSSSHHHH....CCCCC NORTH KOREA, NOT NORTH KOREA PER SE.

Unless China gets strategic = key or important territorial concessions, or changes its post/anti-US "Manifest Destiny", I DON'T SEE ANY END TO PUDGY'S BRINKMANSHIP. Iff anything, there will be MORE, + WORSE.

IMO this "Musudan" Crisis ala KJU/Pudgy in 2013 is only for starters.

US-VS-CHINESE HEGEMONY IN THE PACIFIC OR ASIA-PACIFIC - since its National, Global Econ is still growing + modernizing, pragmatically the best "NOKOR" = CHINA can hope for is US rollback = surrender? towards 1/2 of the Pacific [East Asia to CENTPAC]???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-04-14 20:30  

#3  So, they have 'em placed where they want 'em....
Posted by: Uncle Phester   2013-04-14 20:17  

#2  Watch the feet, not the hands.
Posted by: Shipman   2013-04-14 08:52  

#1  Out of fuel?
Posted by: Skidmark   2013-04-14 04:46  

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