NKorea threatens to harm US if attacked

[Intrepidation]

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea boasted of being a "proud nuclear power" and threatened Monday to harm the U.S. if attacked as tensions mounted over a possible crackdown on exports of suspected missile parts from the North.

President Barack Obama said the U.S. is ready to cope with "any contingencies" involving North Korea and vowed not to "reward belligerence and provocation."

South Korea's YTN news network reported Sunday that a U.S. Navy destroyer tailing a North Korean ship suspected of carrying missiles and related parts was headed toward Myanmar in what could be the first test of new U.N. sanctions against the North over its recent nuclear test.

The sanctions — punishment for an underground nuclear test North Korea conducted May 25 — firm up an earlier arms embargo against North Korea and authorize ship searches in an attempt to thwart the regime's nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions.

On Monday, North Korea's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper called it "nonsense" to say the country is a threat to the U.S., and instead claimed Washington was the one threatening the North. The paper also warned in a commentary that the country is prepared to strike back if attacked.

"As long as our country has become a proud nuclear power, the U.S. should take a correct look at whom it is dealing with," the editorial said. "It would be a grave mistake for the U.S. to think it can remain unhurt if it ignites the fuse of war on the Korean peninsula."

The Rodong Sinmun also denounced Obama's recent pledge to defend and protect South Korea — even promising to keep Seoul "under the U.S. nuclear umbrella" — as an attempt to attack the North with atomic bombs. Obama made the commitment in a joint statement after a summit last week with South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak.

North Korea calls its nuclear program a deterrent against the U.S., which Pyongyang routinely accuses of plotting to topple the communist regime. The U.S., which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, has said it has no such intentions, and has no nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.

Obama said the U.S. is prepared for any North Korean provocation, including the regime's reported threat to test-launch a long-range missile toward Hawaii.

Japanese media have reported that the North Koreans appear to be preparing for a long-range test planned sometime around July 4, the Independence Day holiday. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered additional protections for Hawaii as a precaution.

"This administration — and our military — is fully prepared for any contingencies," Obama said Friday during an interview with CBS News' "The Early Show" to be broadcast Monday.

"I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals," Obama said. "But I want ... to give assurances to the American people that the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted in terms of what might happen."

A North Korean cargo ship, the Kang Nam, is expected to travel to Myanmar via Singapore, YTN said, citing an unidentified intelligence source in South Korea.

Myanmar's military government, which faces an arms embargo from the United States and the European Union, reportedly has bought weapons from the North in the past.

Two U.S. officials said Thursday that the U.S. military had begun tracking the ship, which left a North Korean port on Wednesday.

One official said it was uncertain what the Kang Nam was carrying but that it had been involved in weapons proliferation before. Both spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence.

A senior U.S. military official told The Associated Press on Friday that a Navy ship, the USS John S. McCain, is relatively close to the North Korean vessel but had no orders to intercept it under the Security Council resolution and had not requested that authority. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The U.S. ship, a guided missile destroyer, is named after the grandfather and father of former U.S. presidential candidate Sen. John McCain. Both were admirals.

McCain said Sunday that the U.S. should board the Kang Nam even without North Korean permission if hard evidence shows it is carrying missiles or other cargo in violation of U.N. resolutions.

"I think we should board it. It's going to contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to rogue nations that pose a direct threat to the United States," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090622/ap_on_..._koreas_nuclear

[Z-06]

Typical brinkmanship.

[siegen]

So dumb.

[eldiablobanshee]

I can not what to see if they really shot a missile at obamas old neighborhood.

[FAPTurbo]

If North Korea does send a missile towards Hawaii, wouldn't it be intercepted by the States' missile defense shield? Kim Jong Il is probably looking to see how far Obama is willing to go.

Team America - I'm So Ronery

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[capriceman]

wouldn't it be intercepted by the States' missile defense shield?

It has maybe a 07% chance of actually working though. Its like Regan's star wars program... NK would be stupid to start a war. US can not afford to start a war and has no interest in doing so. If NK wants to be recognized as a power then they need to man up and ask for help. No one will respect you if all you does is flex your military while your civilians starve to death and clean water is as valuable as gold. Even if they launch a nuke at us we can't nuke them back because its area next to china and South Korea. The fallout will affect them. however the safe but costly way is to user laser guided bombs on known targets and Fuel air bomb civilians. Yes its inhumane and against all moral rights but its effective and US should have air Superiority. A Land invasion will happen as well but it will be a very tragic one. The US has a horrible army (Im sorry its true) We excel in Air and naval and strategy which allows us to be victorious. the NK has a outstanding infantry and will be willing to die. If something does happen It won't be pretty and I will pray for all in a Strike zone. No one should have to die for this idiot.

[Chevy Nick]

The US has a horrible army (Im sorry its true)

What? I can't believe I missed this little gem. You're telling me that you think the North Korean Army is better than the US Army? The US Army is battle hardened from the last 7 years of combat, North Korea hasn't done anything in 55 years. The US Army is more experienced, better trained, and has a huge technological advantage.

[Satty]

The US Army is stretched thin from the last 7 years of combat

fixed

[loki]

the title sounds like a cold war threat... nothing new. Russia drained itself dry building up arms.... we've built an empire of bases and alliances potentialy we could crush any 1 country (though not china, maybe not india) if we concetrated our forces...

truth is, we have no reason, or power, yet, to interfere with N.K. even though we already do.

[Chevy Nick]

fixed

I year ago I would have heartily agreed with the 'stretched thin' comment, but thanks to this recession, recruiting and retention have never been better. That, plus the fact that we are drawing down in Iraq, puts us back into a healthier posture.

[loki]

I year ago I would have heartily agreed with the 'stretched thin' comment, but thanks to this recession, recruiting and retention have never been better. That, plus the fact that we are drawing down in Iraq, puts us back into a healthier posture.

"drawing down"....we'll still have "noncombat troops" there, which if other countries are any indicator, we'll have them there for another 40+ years or just assume "as long as possible".

[capriceman]

What? I can't believe I missed this little gem. You're telling me that you think the North Korean Army is better than the US Army? The US Army is battle hardened from the last 7 years of combat, North Korea hasn't done anything in 55 years. The US Army is more experienced, better trained, and has a huge technological advantage.

I will give you the tech and experienced but the United states lack training in critical areas like urban and jungle combat. We still have a rolling hills and light forest training with a couple of sessions in a urban facility. NK will have troops focused on taking lives and fighting a offensive war. they have no goals of going home. The US fights a defensive war and to capture strongholds. They also want to end the war and go home. The biggest mistake in war is to underestimate the enemy. its better to overestimate. It will be a difficult fight and we will win but it wont be a walk in the park.

[capriceman]

"drawing down"....we'll still have "noncombat troops" there, which if other countries are any indicator, we'll have them there for another 40+ years or just assume "as long as possible".

You are correct!

[Oracle of Delphi]

If they do, just NUKE their a$$ ...

[Drew Dowdell]

I see a reduction in our nuclear arms stockpile if NK attacks.

[capriceman]

it cant happen though. We cant nuke NK for so many reasons.

[loki]

it cant happen though. We cant nuke NK for so many reasons.

Fall-out.... would it most likely fall on our "allies" ?

obviously our president doesn't mind continuing past ideas of foreign policy i.e.; go in, take over, nation-build... just like many presidents before him.

public sentiment would be a huge downer if that happened... even if something happened over here, truly, from NK.

[PurdueGuy]

We don't need nukes to level much of such a small country... have you seen how big some of our non-nuke bombs are these days? Now imagine that coupled with the concept of carpet bombing... (not that that would fly in the world today outside of a situation like a long drawn out world war.) But yeah, there's no need to use nukes with some of the other weapons we have, which have much lower political and environmental baggage...