US and North Korea showdown

[Followers4christ]

First of all thanks Followers4christ for the collection of articles. It's always nice to not have to google everything for hours tacking down events I've neglected to follow.

Grace and peace,
Mark

No problem in this thread I will keep everyone informed of what's going on between North Korea and the US. Plus it's nice to get everyone's thoughts on the situation.

 

[Followers4christ]

(CNN)US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "begging for war" as she urged the UN Security Council to adopt the strongest sanctions measures possible to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Speaking at a Security Council emergency meeting, Haley said North Korea's sixth nuclear test was a clear sign that "the time for half measures" from the UN had to end.

"Enough is enough," Haley said. "We have taken an incremental approach, and despite the best of intentions, it has not worked."

Haley: Kim Jong Un 'begging for war' - CNNPolitics

North Korea on Friday called U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley a "political prostitute" and derided her as "crazily swishing her skirt" after she said the rogue regime was "begging for war."

The state-run Korean Central News Agency described Haley’s comments to the UN Sunday as a “hysteric fit.”

“Nikki should be careful with her tongue though she might be a blind fool,” KCNA said. “The U.S. administration will have to pay a dear price for her tongue-lashing."

North Korea warns US will pay for 'political prostitute' Nikki Haley's 'hysteric fit'

The single mountain under which North Korea most likely conducted its five most recent nuclear bomb tests, including the latest and most powerful on Sunday, could be at risk of collapsing, a Chinese scientist said.

Another test might cause the whole mountain to cave in on itself, leaving only a hole from which radiation could escape and drift across the region, including China, he said.

"We call it 'taking the roof off'. If the mountain collapses and the hole is exposed, it will let out many bad things."

North Korea's nuclear test site at risk of imploding, Chinese scientist says

(CNN)North Korea has warned the United States that it will pay a "due price" if harsh sanctions against the country are agreed at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on state media that if the US "does rig up the illegal and unlawful 'resolution'" it would respond in kind.

"The DPRK is ready and willing to use any form of ultimate means," the statement said, referring to the country by its acronym.

"The forthcoming measures to be taken by the DPRK will cause the US the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history."

North Korea: Pyongyang vows 'suffering' ahead of sanctions vote - CNN

(CNN)The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea on Monday --- a move that comes just one week after the rogue nation carried out its sixth and largest nuclear test.

The resolution is designed to accomplish six major goals: cap North Korea's oil imports, ban textile exports, end additional overseas laborer contracts, suppress smuggling efforts, stop joint ventures with other nations and sanction designated North Korean government entities, according to a US official familiar with negotiations.

"Today, we are saying the world will never accept a nuclear armed North Korea, and today the Security Council is saying that if the North Korean regime does not halt its nuclear program, we will act to stop it ourselves," US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said following the vote on Monday.

UN passes fresh sanctions on North Korea - CNNPolitics

 

[Followers4christ]

President Trump took to the floor of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday and, in his maiden speech there, called the leader of North Korea "Rocket Man," decried "loser terrorists" and said certain parts of the world are "in fact, going to hell."

But Trump's perhaps oddly chosen colloquialisms masked what was a pretty astounding escalation of his rhetoric when it comes to North Korea. Just to be clear: The president of the United States threatened to wipe a country of 25 million people off the map.

"Now North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life," Trump said. He later added: "The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself."

Analysis | Why Trump’s threat to ‘totally destroy’ North Korea is extraordinary — even for him

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Sunday that if diplomacy fails to rein in North Korea’s threatening behavior , Defense Secretary James Mattis “will take care of it.”

“We wanted to be responsible and go through all diplomatic means to get their attention first. If that doesn’t work, General Mattis will take care of it,” Haley said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“If North Korea keeps on with this reckless behavior, the United States has to defend itself or defend its allies in anyway, North Korea will be destroyed, and we know that and none of us want that. None of us want war,” she added.

https://www.google.com/amp/nypost.c...e-care-of-north-korea-if-diplomacy-fails/amp/

(Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday it aims to reach an "equilibrium" of military force with the United States, which earlier signaled its patience for diplomacy is wearing thin after Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan for the second time in under a month.

"Our final goal is to establish the equilibrium of real force with the U.S. and make the U.S. rulers dare not talk about military option," North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying by the state news agency, KCNA.

North Korea says seeking military 'equilibrium' with U.S.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hinted that the United States still had military options left for dealing with North Korea, but did not elaborate when asked for details Monday.

Most experts think a military strike on North Korea would invite a devastating response from Pyongyang. The city of Seoul, South Korea, home to 25 million, is well within artillery range of the North, which would most likely use conventional artillery munitions and chemical weapons.

But according to Mattis, the Pentagon has a few tricks up its sleeve that wouldn't involve the decimation of Seoul.

Mattis hints at secret 'kinetic' military options for North Korea

The state news agency KCNA, quoting the foreign ministry statement, said the economic restrictions -- which US officials estimate could deny the impoverished state more than $2 billion in revenue -- were an "act of hostility to physically exterminate the people of" North Korea.

"The increased moves of the US and its vassal forces to impose sanctions and pressure on the DPRK will only increase our pace towards the ultimate completion of the state nuclear force," it said, referring to the country by the initials of its official name.

'Vicious' Sanctions Will Only Speed Up Nuclear Programme: North Korea

 

[Followers4christ]

The U.S. flew bombers and fighter jets along the North Korean coast Saturday to send a message about the "military options" open to America in dealing with Kim Jong Un's regime, the Pentagonsaid.

U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam and F-15 fighter jets from Okinawa, Japan, joined in the exercise which was in international airspace to the east of North Korea.

"This is the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) any U.S. fighter or bomber aircraft have flown off North Korea's coast in the 21st century, underscoring the seriousness with which we take DPRK's reckless behavior," Chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea..

US flies bombers off North Korean coast to send message on 'military options'

North Korea's foreign minister called U.S. President Donald Trump "a mentally deranged person full of megalomania" and promised a strike on the American mainland was "inevitable" in a blistering speech to the United Nations General Assembly Saturday.

North Korea has said it intends to build a missile capable of striking all parts of the United States with a nuclear bomb. Trump has said he won't allow it, although the U.S. so far has not used military force to impede the North's progress.

North Korea says strike on US is 'inevitable' as Pentagon flies bombers off coast

 

[miamited]

Hi all,

Well, Jesus said there would be wars and rumors of war. Seems he was right again. This is just another evidence to lay on the pile of evidence already established. When Donald 'ducky' Trump was running I always saw him as one of the people that God would use to help fulfill His prophecies of the latter days. While they aren't outright fighting wars, our leader has now begun a war with sports teams, the media, other nations, most everyone in our own country. He is a man whose mantra is to divide and conquer.

There is really no reason why the President of the United States should resort to kindergarten name calling, but that's who he is. Throughout his entire life and continuing through his campaign he was infamous for name calling against his detractors and those he sought to put down for their ideals. The man truly has a yuge predilection for calling people names that he is against or feels that are against him. It's classic kindergarten behavior. He is abusive and thinks nothing of throwing in foul language to punctuate his distaste for those who don't agree with the Trumpian way.

Sadly, his actions are building up those who are prone to the same kinds of actions. He gets the greatest roar from his supporters in his public appearances when he resorts to this name calling and denigrating. Hopefully we can make it through this presidency without too much damage, but it's looking less and less likely.

God bless you all,
In Christ, ted

 

[Dawnhammer]

US forces can't even secure Afghanistan. If US wrecks NK they will be responsible for 25 million brainwashed , hungry and uneducated peasants with huge weapons arsenal playing hide and seek on jungles and mountains.

If you think Iraq was a black hole for military spending you haven't seen anything yet. Military-industrial complex would love this war.

 

[miamited]

US forces can't even secure Afghanistan. If US wrecks NK they will be responsible for 25 million brainwashed , hungry and uneducated peasants with huge weapons arsenal playing hide and seek on jungles and mountains.

If you think Iraq was a black hole for military spending you haven't seen anything yet. Military-industrial complex would love this war.

Hi dawnhammer,

Yes, a good war and cut the tax base down to an average of 15-25% tax rate and we're likely to break the national debt clock mechanism. Much like high winds of a hurricane often break the weather speed indicators, this piling on of more and more debt at a faster rate may well break the clock. We're now $1 trillion in debt more than when Donald 'ducky' Trump took over. Just imagine what it's going to be like when he cuts everyone's taxes. Add a good war to that and the wheels will be spinning.

Recently I've seen a lot of talk about the yuge transportation and security costs that the new administration has been piling on the treasury, too. Seems that a lot of underlings have been using our private jet fleet for fairly routine travel that used to be handled by commercial airlines. The small jet costs about $25,000/hr to operate vs. just a few hundred or thousand dollars for private airline ticketing.

Ahh, to live the life of the rich and famous. Nothing spells disaster for a nation more than some bourgeois attitude of the leadership.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

 

[Dawnhammer]

Seems that a lot of underlings have been using our private jet fleet for fairly routine travel that used to be handled by commercial airlines.

These costs in themselves are meaningless on the scope we are talking about.

The decision to occupy Iraq has cost around 1.1 trillion dollars so far.

Financial cost of the Iraq War - Wikipedia

Ditto for Afghanistan

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallm...ment-in-afghanistan-infographic/#4ddbd69b1ee3

Imagine what two trillion dollars would have gained in infrastructure, education or healthcare.....

 

[hedrick]

I agree that conquering NK is a bad idea, but the parallel with Iraq isn't so accurate. Iraq is ungovernable. It's a mess of warring tribes. NK is not. The damages after the kind of attack we'd have to make would be horrific, but if we actually took out their government it could get annexed by SK. Much like W Germany taking over E Germany. Very costly, but more hopeful in the long run than Iraq.

The problem with that scenario is that China would find a unified Korea unacceptable. There's a pretty good chance that China would try to take over NK, and maybe even SK. That's the real danger.

 

[Dawnhammer]

The problem with that scenario is that China would find a unified Korea unacceptable. There's a pretty good chance that China would try to take over NK, and maybe even SK. That's the real danger.

Let South Korea unify the country afterwards while removing US military from the peninsula making Korea a free agent.

The new Korea would be decades in reconstructing their country (especially after all the war damage) and no threat while China wouldn't have to suffer political embarrassments and destabilizing influence in the area.

Wonder why China hasn't proposed this yet.

 

[miamited]

Let South Korea unify the country afterwards while removing US military from the peninsula making Korea a free agent.

The new Korea would be decades in reconstructing their country (especially after all the war damage) and no threat while China wouldn't have to suffer political embarrassments and destabilizing influence in the area.

Wonder why China hasn't proposed this yet.

Hi dawnhammer,

I imagine the simple answer is that China is a communist style of government, much like N. Korea. I can't imagine they'd be too overjoyed if S. Korea were to be the catalyst in establishing a new nation. S. Korea is a more democratic form of governance.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

 

[Waterwerx]

I might be, the subject matter is interesting, up until recently I was just giving it a passing glance here and there. I've been tracking the situation with the Trump administration, that now seems trite in comparison. That last H-Bomb test in North Korea triggered an earthquake. This sounds remarkably similar to nuclear war:

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. (Rev. 6:13-15)
​

I'm not making any predictions here but for the first time in a long time, I can see this happening.

While North Korea could become a problem, I don't see it escalating and causing a world war. The next world war will be started as a result of materialism:
Ezekiel 38-39
Joel 2
Jeremiah 6
Jeremiah 50-51
( Jeremiah 6:22-24 and Jeremiah 50:41-43 are connected in the general timing of their events)

Point in fact: The two Koreas will never be united under a western-friendly democracy. China would go to war to prevent this from happening. The US lost its best opportunity back in 1951 when we held air superiority and China didn't have nuclear weapons.

 

[mark kennedy]

While North Korea could become a problem, I don't see it escalating and causing a world war. The next world war will be started as a result of materialism:
Ezekiel 38-39
Joel 2
Jeremiah 6
Jeremiah 50-51
( Jeremiah 6:22-24 and Jeremiah 50:41-43 are connected in the general timing of their events)

Point in fact: The two Koreas will never be united under a western-friendly democracy. China would go to war to prevent this from happening. The US lost its best opportunity back in 1951 when we held air superiority and China didn't have nuclear weapons.

China thinks we are encircling them, looking at the map, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan...I see their point. We have seen Pakistan and India acquire nukes only to have Pakistan sell Iran and N. Korea the tools, material and technology they needed to start their own programs. One thing leads to another, Iran won't use them but N. Korea just wants an excuse. The thing that threatens a global catastrophe is the cascade effect, when countries keep jumping in trying to help and things spiral out of control. Meanwhile Trump is playing twitter troll with a psycho who has nukes.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

We won't be talking about this in another week or two

 

[Followers4christ]

We won't be talking about this in another week or two

Let’s hope not. But this thread started on Aug 2nd after everything started happening and it’s now September 28 with no sign of things cooling down at the moment.

 

[gideon123]

I believe that Kim Jong-In qualifies as "psychotic". We are talking about a man who murdered his half-brother in an international airport (another country) using nerve toxins. We are talking about a man who sent a harmless American college student back to his parents in a brain-dead condition, screaming, deaf and blind. Do you think there is anything that will 'satisfy' Kim Jong-Un? I don't believe he will be satisfied until he owns the most powerful weapon on the planet. And if he does get it - he will use it for blackmail against everyone.

Since 1945 we have tried to stop madmen and psychotic people from getting control of nuclear weapons. Now a psychotic dictator does have them. You cannot ignore this, you cannot put your head in the sand, it won't go away if you live in denial. No amount of appeasement will work.

Just watch what Kim Jong-Un does next. He will do whatever shocks the world the most, and creates the greatest fear. He has NO boundaries.

The world is on the precipice of a real and major war. The lives of millions of people, esp. in S. Korea and Japan are at stake. I don't see this as WW3. But the devastation on the Korean peninsula will be huge, if war happens.

We need to be praying sincerely. And we should be praying for N. Korea as well - Christ told us to pray for our enemies. Those people have no voice and no control under Kim Jong-Un ... but they stand to lose everything.

Only God knows the outcome.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

I believe that Kim Jong-In qualifies as "psychotic". We are talking about a man who murdered his half-brother in an international airport (another country) using nerve toxins. We are talking about a man who sent a harmless American college student back to his parents in a brain-dead condition, screaming, deaf and blind. Do you think there is anything that will 'satisfy' Kim Jong-Un? I don't believe he will be satisfied until he owns the most powerful weapon on the planet. And if he does get it - he will use it for blackmail against everyone.

Since 1945 we have tried to stop madmen and psychotic people from getting control of nuclear weapons. Now a psychotic dictator does have them. You cannot ignore this, you cannot put your head in the sand, it won't go away if you live in denial. No amount of appeasement will work.

Just watch what Kim Jong-Un does next. He will do whatever shocks the world the most, and creates the greatest fear. He has NO boundaries.

The world is on the precipice of a real and major war. The lives of millions of people, esp. in S. Korea and Japan are at stake. I don't see this as WW3. But the devastation on the Korean peninsula will be huge, if war happens.

We need to be praying sincerely. And we should be praying for N. Korea as well - Christ told us to pray for our enemies. Those people have no voice and no control under Kim Jong-Un ... but they stand to lose everything.

Only God knows the outcome.

Aside from killing his half-brother it's like you just described Trump! Trump doesn't have a half-brother which is why he probably the only reason he didn't kill his half-brother.

How many harmless Guatemalan and Mexican children did Trump send back, including ones who were sick? Watch, Trump will do something else to shock the world.

We are not on precipice of a real and major war. I 100% guarantee you that there will be no war with North Korea other than the verbal battle between the two moron leaders of each country. If I knew you I would bet money with you on that. $1000 or more.

But you probably wouldn't even take the bet because deep down you know that's not going to happen.

 

[gideon123]

Previous reader ... you have assumed that I am a "trump supporter" because of the things I wrote. Please read my commentary again. At no time did I comment on American politics. I am a Christian and an independent. The views I expressed have nothing to do with 'political opinions'.

I do not bet money on news events, sporting events, or anything else. I suggest that you don't either. That is a sin. If you are fortunate to have $1,000 in "spare cash", I encourage you to give it to a worthy cause ... perhaps the starving families in Africa, or the disenfranchised poor in Central America. They are both good causes.

Observe what happens in the future. The future is in God's hands.
I encourage all Christians to pray - that is also what Jesus told us to do.
The degree of complacency in the world - is astonishingly high.

 

[Followers4christ]

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un ordered his engineers on Tuesday to launch the country’s new intercontinental ballistic missile with "courage" a day ahead of the flight test where it demonstrated its reach deep into the U.S. mainland.

State television on Wednesday broadcast a photo of Kim's signed order where he wrote: "Test launch is approved. Taking place at the daybreak of Nov. 29! Fire with courage for the party and country!"

North Korea’s state television said that the nuclear-capable intercontinental-ballistic missile that was launched earlier is “significantly more” powerful than the previous weapon and puts the entire United States in its crosshairs.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un ordered missile launch, saying, ‘Fire with courage’

Kim Jong Un's latest ballistic missile test flew 10 times higher than the International Space Station and twice as high as any satellite in low-earth orbit, according to South Korea's military.

Although analysts were scrambling Wednesday to learn what they could about the North Korean launch, Pyongyang said it had tested a new type of missile, named the Hwasong-15.

Dictator Kim's secretive state claimed it was carrying a "super-large heavy warhead" that was capable of striking the entire U.S. mainland. But analysts say that based on the current evidence it's hard to prove or debunk the Pyongyang's claim that it can now hit faraway American targets such as New York or Washington, D.C.

North Korea's missile went 10 times higher than the space station

North Korea pushed President Donald Trump closer to a set of excruciating choices with its most potent missile test yet, which shattered a two-month calm in Northeast Asia and set nerves in Washington back on edge.

Trump, who earlier this year warned he would rain "fire and fury" on the isolated state if it continued to threaten the US or its allies, was relatively muted in responding to Kim Jong Un's latest provocation.

"I will only tell you that we will take care of it. ... It is a situation that we will handle," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump confronts perilous North Korean test - CNNPolitics

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, warned against a potential conflict with North Korea "if things don't change."

"If we have to go to war to stop this, we will," Graham told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday. "If there's a war with North Korea it will be because North Korea brought it on itself, and we're headed to a war if things don't change."

Graham on North Korea: 'We're headed to a war if things don't change' - CNNPolitics

SEOUL — The United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency meeting Wednesday, after North Korea claimed to have achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state by successfully launching a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking “the whole mainland of the U.S.”

The leaders of South Korea and Japan agreed to seek additional U.N. sanctions against the reclusive nation in a 20 minute phone call following the launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM on Wednesday.

"President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to further intensify their countries' cooperation to put stronger pressure and sanctions against North Korea, noting they can no longer tolerate North Korea's threats to security," Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan told reporters, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/11/29/north-korea-icbm/904317001/

 

[Followers4christ]

Let South Korea unify the country afterwards while removing US military from the peninsula making Korea a free agent.

The new Korea would be decades in reconstructing their country (especially after all the war damage) and no threat while China wouldn't have to suffer political embarrassments and destabilizing influence in the area.

Wonder why China hasn't proposed this yet.

I agree we should pull our military from South Korea but only after we destroy the North's nuclear capabilities and government. So we can unify North and South Korea. If we do that we do not have to worry about an attack.