North Korea Threatens War If Japan Tries to Shoot Down Missile

[tekisui]

Source; Bloomberg

March 31 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea’s government vowed to wage war against Japan if Japanese defense forces try to shoot down a missile that the communist nation says will carry a communications satellite.

“Should Japan dare recklessly to intercept the DPRK’s satellite, its army will consider this as the start of Japan’s war of reinvasion more than six decades after the Second World War,” the official Korean Central News Agency said today in an e-mailed statement. North Korea is also known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered his forces on March 27 to shoot down any North Korean object entering his country’s airspace and deployed guided-missile units around Tokyo. Japan, along with the U.S., China, South Korea and Russia want to forestall North Korea’s plans to launch what the government in Pyongyang calls a “peaceful” satellite, and refocus on joint efforts to end its nuclear program.

North Korea accuses Japan of using the missile launch, scheduled to take place between April 4 and 8, as a pretext to build its own nuclear arsenal. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on March 29 called the launch “a mask” for development of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aGpv_BfW0I9Y&refer=asia

[firefox28]

1. Will Obama risk a third war/Fourth war

Three wars dominate the American Presidency now--the economic crisis, Iraq and Afghanistan. Will he risk an Asian War?

[babylonsister]

2. Obama, as popular as he might be, doesn't equal Japan. What a question. nt

[Marrah_G]

6. I believe he is talking about the fact that we would have to go to Japan's aid

They have very little military and have a security arrangement with the US which I believe came about after WW2.

[babylonsister]

10. And NK is rustling their wings to see what they can get away with, imo.

We can't afford to go to Japan's aid. And NK is repeating a pattern I've seen before.

They'll settle down, I hope.

[Marrah_G]

14. We may not be able to afford to, but we are obligated to defend them.

They did not rebuild their military and in return we promised to protect them.

[tekisui]

3. This isn't Obama's call. This is Japan protecting themselves.

[Marrah_G]

9. Anything that pulls Japan into a war pulls the US into a war.

[tekisui]

13. I understand that. But, I don't think that any American President

would tell Japan or any other ally they cannot defend themselves.

[Marrah_G]

15. No but any good president wouold do whatever they could to avoid it coming to war.

[blondeatlast]

17. President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton welcome your suggestions.

Me? I got nuthin' since we don't have diplomatic relations with NK.

[blondeatlast]

5. WTF has President Obama got to do with this? Besides, if NK gets aggressive

the world witll unite in opposition.

[Marrah_G]

7. America is obligated to come to the aid of Japan if they are attacked.

It is part of a security arrangement in place since the end of WW2.

They don't rebuild their military and we defend them if necessary.

[blondeatlast]

12. Perhaps, but it isn't Obama's call. The question reads very clearly...

"Will OBAMA risk..."

Not to mention, I'm reasonably certain there are ways to play around that issue without actually violating the agreement.

[Occam Bandage]

19. Yep. Obama will order Japan to respond aggressively to Korea's provocation.

Because Obama controls that kind of stuff.

[blondeatlast]

20. Y;know, my freezer door handle fell off in my hands this morning.

Don't even pretend he isn't responsible for that.

[babylonsister]

4. NK is a bit bellicose, no?

They are holding two journalists from Gore's station, fer crying out loud, for what? Hostile acts?


NKorea says 2 US journalists will stand trial


JEAN H. LEE | March 30, 2009 03:32 PM EST | AP


SEOUL, South Korea — Two American journalists detained at North Korea's border with China earlier this month will be indicted and tried for illegal entry and hostile acts, Pyongyang's state-run news agency said Tuesday.

The Korean Central News Agency report did not say when a trial might take place, but said moves to indict the Americans are under way as the investigation continues.

"The illegal entry of U.S. reporters into the DPRK and their suspected hostile acts have been confirmed by evidence and their statements," the report said, referring to the country by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling, reporters for former Vice President Al Gore's San Francisco-based Current TV media venture, were detained by North Korean border guards March 17.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090330/as-nk... /

[blondeatlast]

8. NK is itching for a confrontation and the world will largely unite in opposition to NK.

I really, really fear for those journalists--and we don't have diplomatic relations with NK.

:scared:

[tekisui]

11. A lot of chest thumping from them.

I'm not sure if it is a plea to be noticed or something more serious. One interesting thing is I wonder how much time Kim Jong Il has left, and if someone else has started making calls.

[babylonsister]

16. Eww, there's a thought.

Imagine if he was the pacifist. :scared:

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. What war?

Korea knows that Japan has no offensive military - the Japanese Defense Force will defend Japan, but is not going to invade anyone.

So if Japan does shoot down the missile, N Korea will bluster and threaten, and demand restitution for the satellite (which was probably not put on the missile in the first place), and Japan will pay them X millions and that will end it.

Korea will NOT follow through with an attack on Japan because it KNOWS that we will help defend Japan. They will NOT launch any nukes, because they KNOW that our return strike will absolutely destroy their nation.

N Korea is NOT a threat.