N Korea seizes S Korean assets, shuts down border crossing, says WAR imminent

[djones520]

N. Korea would lose such a conflict.  I don't think anyone in the world doubts that.  The issue is we're gonna face is the blood.  I'd say it would be a conservative estimate to say hundreds of thousands would be dead in the first day.  Hundreds to maybe thousands of U.S. Servicemembers in that number.

If N. Korea tries anything, now would be the time to do it.  We've shown the world that we spit on our allies, and cozy up to what has until now been our enemies.  Jong Il might think that if he can deliver a strong enough blow, he'll scare Obama out of the fight, and then he'll have a much better chance at beating the ROK on his own.  Given that are military has faced non-stop heavy deployments for 9 years now, he may feel we can't muster a sufficient response as well.

I would like to think that this won't happen.  As far as I'm aware, Congress still has the authority to declare war, and I doubt even Pelosi and Reid has the balls to tell the American people they won't act against such an unprovoked attack by an actual sovereign nation.

I personally think it's all bluster though.  Between the Pacific Fleet and PACAF, we have enough air assets to cripple their air defenses, and their ground equipment doesn't stand a chance in a prolonged fight with the modern ROK military.

[ColonialMarine0431]

No bets, I just wonder what side he'll be on

No doubt about it. The Purple Lipped Cock Sucker in Chief would sue for peace.

[littlelamb]

No doubt about it. The Purple Lipped Cock Sucker in Chief would sue for peace.

Either that or apologize to them

[GOBUCKS]

North Korea has been saying war is imminent almost daily since 1953.

[NHSparky]

North Korea has been saying war is imminent almost daily since 1953.

Unfortunately, eventually someone is just crazy and ballsy enough to start something.

[Happy Fun Ball]

Agreed.  Any bets on how The Incompetent One scores on this test? 

A solid B+.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I don't think the South has any intention of trying to invade the North, but may conduct some kind of punitive strike or raid if things continue to deteriorate.  The North however is entirely crazy enough to try attacking the South.

I also don't think either the Chinese or Russians really have a burning desire to throw gas on the fire at this point, no matter how weak they perceive Obama to be (Which honestly has got to be 'Pretty damned weak') because the economic consequences for all concerned would drastically outweigh the value of any territorial gains.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I also don't think either the Chinese or Russians really have a burning desire to throw gas on the fire at this point, no matter how weak they perceive Obama to be (Which honestly has got to be 'Pretty damned weak') because the economic consequences for all concerned would drastically outweigh the value of any territorial gains.

Absolutely.

However, that being said, do you think the Chinese would remain idle if the Norks instigated general hostilities?

Whether by war or general collapse, if and when the DPRK goes tits-up the Chinese will have a massive refugee problem, a giant money hole and a Pacific Asian economy trying to contend with the massive humanitarian crisis rather than buying Chinese goods.

Not to mention thoughts of a reunified Korea must give them fits. I can't see them tolerating a US presence on such a peninsula. Perhaps a negotiated US withdrawal from Korea to nearby bases in exchange for promises of Chinese recognition of the reunified Korea.

[DumbAss Tanker]

MSB, I think the Chinese would secretly love to see the Norks get a beatdown and see their current rulers wiped out, as long as it did not involve the South actually moving north and attempting to unify the peninsula under their flag.

[DefiantSix]

MSB, I think the Chinese would secretly love to see the Norks get a beatdown and see their current rulers wiped out, as long as it did not involve the South actually moving north and attempting to unify the peninsula under their flag.

Thus they are as divorced from the reality of the whole action/consequence cycle as any other statist/socialist/marxist.

At least the "American" DUmmies are in good company.

[The Village Idiot]

S Korea raises bow of sunken vessel.

S Korea, US say no military response is coming.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_korea_ship

excerpt

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea on Saturday raised the front half of a warship that exploded and sank a month ago near a contested sea border with North Korea, finding clues that support growing suspicions Pyongyang attacked the vessel.

The 1,200-tonne corvette Cheonan sank in what military officials said was likely a torpedo attack.

Forty-six South Korean sailors were killed in what could be one of the deadliest strikes by Pyongyang on its rival since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The North has denied involvement.

South Korea's president on Friday gave the clearest signal yet Seoul had no plan to launch a revenge attack, calming investors worried that armed conflict would damage the South's rapidly recovering economy.

excerpt

[ColonialMarine0431]

Not to thread hijack, but that's an amazing picture.

[The Village Idiot]

There are a ton of pics from this event at this FR thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2499651/posts




and this pic suggests they did not get hit by their own torpedo. Not that I thought that was a real possibility.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

MSB, I think the Chinese would secretly love to see the Norks get a beatdown and see their current rulers wiped out, as long as it did not involve the South actually moving north and attempting to unify the peninsula under their flag.

I'm trying to imagine a scenario where SoKo dispatches the Norks and DOESN'T try to reunify. What kind of government could replace the DPRK and be acceptable to both SoKo and the ChiComs?

[DumbAss Tanker]

I'm trying to imagine a scenario where SoKo dispatches the Norks and DOESN'T try to reunify. What kind of government could replace the DPRK and be acceptable to both SoKo and the ChiComs?

I expect the Norks will come up missing a submarine in due course.

[ColonialMarine0431]

Judging by the pictures I say that there's no way it was a mine. But I may be wrong. That explosion happened amidships. I suspect either a torpedo or maybe even a boiler room explosion.

[The Village Idiot]

All of its own torpedo's are accounted for now.

SO it wasn't that

[The Village Idiot]

Judging by the pictures I say that there's no way it was a mine. But I may be wrong. That explosion happened amidships. I suspect either a torpedo or maybe even a boiler room explosion.

Nah, I think if there was any chance at all of the boilers exploding we would be hearing that ad naseum from the media.



Wouldn't a boiler room explosion caused metal to be bent outward, at least at the back  of this part of the split ship?

[BlueStateSaint]

FGL, to a neophyte on naval matters such as me, it would seem that a boiler explosion would bend the metal outward . . . but they probably had turbines, so boilers would not be on board, I think. 

I think that DAT's dead on here.  The NoKos will come up missing a couple of subs soon, and the Chinese will silently assent to the sinkings.

[The Village Idiot]

Well, it was China that gave them those fancy new torpedo's with the larger explosives I bet.