Trump said Japan should have shot down overflying North Korea missiles

[highplainsdem]

Source: Japan Times

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump has said Japan should have shot down the North Korean missiles that flew over the country before landing in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year, diplomatic sources have said, despite the difficulties and potential ramifications of doing so.

The revelation ame as Trump was set to arrive in Japan on Sunday, at the start of five-nation trip to Asia. Threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile development will be high on the agenda in Trump’s talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday.

Trump questioned Japan’s decision not to shoot down the missiles when he met or spoke by phone with leaders from Southeast Asian countries over recent months to discuss how to respond to the threats from North Korea, the sources said.

The U.S. president said he could not understand why a country of samurai warriors did not shoot down the missiles, the sources said.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/11/05/national/politics-diplomacy/trump-said-japan-shot-overflying-north-korea-missiles/#.Wf5rH1tSzX4

[dalton99a]

1. Dumb fuck

[riversedge]

3. Trump didn't seem to understand why we had nukes if we did not use them either!!

[Kleveland]

2. That shit costs money asshole!

They were aimed for the ocean, why bother you dimwitted fuckwad?

[thesquanderer]

8. Money doesn't matter to someone who doesn't pay his bills. (n/t)

[Docreed2003]

4. What a dangerously stupid individual..

[rusty quoin]

11. Oh yeah.

[GP6971]

5. Dotard is all about violence

whether be international or domestic. And he doesn't understand shit about other country's history or values.

[Sam McGee]

6. I give up.

There is no cure for stupid. None. And no need to sit here and hope for a cure. You just cannot cure stupid. Stupid is permanent and bone deep.

[thecrow]

17. When he is not taking the bait, he is making it

and then he takes that.
Absolutely no understanding of how civilized countries work.

Welcome to DU , Sam!

[Angry Dragon]

7. I wonder also---

I wonder how the grandson of a whore broker got to be president??

perhaps that explains it---the STD's that grandpa picked up got inherited to Donnie

[left-of-center2012]

9. Japanese English news said this past week ...

Trump will golf with Japanese Prime MInister Abe.

"They golfed together once before,
but the winner and score were kept secret."

Guess that means Trump lost?

[.99center]

10. Trump to troops in Japan on foes who have underestimated US...

Jim Acosta‏Verified account @Acosta

Trump to troops in Japan on foes who have underestimated US: "it was not pleasant for them."

Link to tweet

[dflprincess]

12. I suppose we should be thankful that he didn't ask

why Godzilla didn't just pluck them from the sky.

[Henhouse]

23. lol - n/t

[SummerSnow]

29. LOL.. I hope he tweets this

[dflprincess]

39. LOL

[KY_EnviroGuy]

13. Dotard's Missile Lesson 101

I'm sure Japan's military leaders told him why. tRump is throwing rotten red meat at his base.

Some arm-chair guesses:
1. Danger of debris falling on populated areas form two missiles.
2. Japan and US experts may want to observe full trajectory.
3. Better odds of recovering usable missile debris from the ocean for study of NK technology.
4. Avoiding risk of NK knee-jerk reaction and starting full-blown war.

[coolsandy]

22. How about avoiding a miss?

[KY_EnviroGuy]

27. Good point.

That could have been embarrassing for Japan and the US as well, since we probably furnished or participated in the technology. I see in Post #24 below that it's been stated as such officially by Japan, among other reasons I hadn't thought of.

[Irish_Dem]

26. You would be a better president than the Orange Squirrel. nt

[KY_EnviroGuy]

28. LOL, Irish, in some very basic ways - yes.

Even at 70-YO, I still have a little common sense and reasoning left and try to think things through before running my mouth.

I was also raised better than to insult my neighbors!

[Irish_Dem]

30. Smart, common sense, polite, reasonable. Basic traits our president doesn't have.

Maybe you could take over on the weekends when the Orange One is golfing.
Or whatever it is he does on the weekends.

[Flaleftist]

14. moron

To borrow from a proverb: Every problem looks like a nail to a Trump, because the only tool the fucking moron can think of is a hammer.

[Skittles]

15. Skittles says Trump should STFU

HE IS SUCH A FUCKING MORON

[Maeve]

33. Skittles is right on both counts

Some one needs a good ass-kicking

[Tactical Peek]

16. Japan has a letter from a doctor

. . . saying they have a bone spur and are exempt.

[keithbvadu2]

18. If Japan could do it, then surely we could as well. Why didn't Trump do it?

[truthisfreedom]

19. the comic insult president strikes again.

but nobody's laughing.

[Judi Lynn]

20. He's the last person in the world who is worth hearing, and he won't shut the #### up. n/t

[sandensea]

44. You could almost swear he WANTS a nuclear conflagration.

But we all know Cheeto's much too ethical to be gunning for a war in order to save his presidency. *sarcasm thingy*

[C Moon]

21. I love the comments here. :D!!!

[Henhouse]

24. Trump claims that missile defense work 97% of the time

The guy with the nuclear codes truly believes that Japan/US has a missile defense system that really works. We do NOT. This is terrifying.

However, the Self-Defense Forces did not try to intercept the missiles, with the government saying the SDF had monitored the rockets from launch and judged they would not land on Japanese territory.

But the altitude and speed of the missiles would have made it very difficult to destroy them in flight, while failure would have been embarrassing for Japan and encouraging to North Korea.

Defense Ministry officials confirmed this view and said there were also legal issues to clear.

[Vinca]

25. He's so mind numbingly stupid. A "country of samurai warriors?" OMG.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

34. Wonder who writes his scripts?

His content seems to come from a small group of stoned freshman College Republicans in a dorm room.

Sorry, that's an insult to "college" and "stoned".

[Soxfan58]

31. Fucking idiot!!!!!!!!

This is what leads us.

[JHB]

32. Silly Trump, samurai don't handle missile defense...

...they leave that to the giant robots with pop idol back-up.

[Paladin]

35. A reference to "samurai warriors"? Really?

What an unending humiliation this man-baby is.

Thanks ever so much for giving him aid and comfort, Donna Brazile.

[Not Ruth]

36. The implication is that a country can legally shoot down overflying missiles

I am not sure that you are allowed to do that unless you have declared a no fly zone, otherwise you could shoot down anything, including commercial airlines.

[7962]

38. I can't see how one can equate an airliner to a weapon in a situation like this.

I'm sure airliners fly over Iran all the time. I doubt they'd take it very well if a missile flew over

[Not Ruth]

40. Missiles can fly higher

Same concept as shooting missiles into international waters a few miles off a country’s beaches, you can fire missiles above them too.

[7962]

37. if there was a 90%+ chance of success, I'd agree. Shoot the damn thing down

the only reason NOT to is if it failed, it wouldn't look good.
Would WE accept a missile being fired over the US? No. Would any other major country? Doubtful
How is Japan supposed to KNOW if its a "test" or an attack

[Not Ruth]

41. We might have to accept missiles flying above the US, unless we ban them

https://www.quora.com/At-what-distance-above-ground-does-a-countrys-airspace-cease-to-be-sovereign-airspace

[7962]

42. So are all NK's missiles outside earths atmosphere? That could be a difference.

satellites are flying over everyone all the time probably.
Although if a missile could release warheads from outside the atmosphere, I'd have to go with them being a threat

[Not Ruth]

43. I believe that a ballistic missile, by design, flies primarily in international airspace

With a trajectory much like Hiawatha’s arrow.

This blurb implies that North Korea’s missiles flew “above” Japan’s poorly defined territorial airspace.

https://japantoday.com/category/quote-of-the-day/north-korea-is-currently-sending-its-missiles-high-above-japan's-territorial-airspace.-the-crisis-level-is-low-but-things-could-deteriorate.-schools-can’t-be-left-on-their-own-to-draw-up-countermeasures-to-protect-children’s-lives.-the-education-ministry-