Some Perspective On North Korean Imminent Strike Claims
A ROK Drop favorite, the reporter and author Andrew Salmon offers some perspective about claims of an imminent strike on North Korea:
Two weeks ago, I dined with a rather interesting visitor to Seoul. An ex-military officer, he assesses geopolitical risk for a global bank, and had been put in touch with your columnist by a mutual acquaintance. We compared notes on various peninsula-related matters.
He told me that several multinational banks and companies were quietly dusting off and reviewing plans to evacuate expatriates from South Korea in the event of a crisis. This raised my eyebrows. I live at ground zero ― central Seoul ― but had sensed no unusual tension.
These concerns, the gentleman explained, stem not from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ― a largely predictable quantity ― but from neophyte US President Donald Trump. Some fear that the mercurial POTUS is mulling military action against the North ― fears buttressed by his secretary of state’s comments that “all options” are on the table.
Our dinner took place prior to Trump’s warning that the U.S. would deal with North Korea independently of China, and before the U.S. Navy devastated a Syrian air base with a cruise missile barrage.
Since then, doom merchants have gone ballistic and media pundits are suffering from a near-terminal attack of the vapors.
“Trump wants war to divert attention from domestic failings!” quaver some. “The Syrian strike is a work-up for a North Korea operation!” simper others. “If Trump hits North Korea, Kim will invade South Korea, and/or retaliate with nukes!” gasp yet others. Even my mother (!) called from the UK to warn me.
Let’s calm down, man up and take account. [Korea Times]
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You can read the rest at the link, but basically Salmon discusses that what is new here is the Trump factor; everything else has happened before with out a war starting. However, if a strike does happen North Korea’s reaction will likely be less than expected because if they to too far it could lead to regime change.
GI were you on 0 sleep where you posted this? Your follow-up commentary reads like a man who let his phone do the spell-check’ing. 😛
@smokes, no more like half a sleep. 😉
Thanks I fixed the typos.
The timing of the Carl Vinson probably has KJU seeing red … because 15 April is Kim Il Sung’s 105th birthday and 25 April is the 85th anniversary of KPA Foundation Day. North Korea traditionally has big celebrations on the anniversary of big events when the anniversary ends in a 5 or zero. I’m sure there was something special planned – like maybe a nuclear bomb test. But now for the first time pretty much since he took over North Korea, KJU has to really and truly worry that setting off a nuclear bomb might lead to something bad happening. In some respects, Trump is beating KJU at his own game.
Who blinks first? I seriously doubt it will Trump.
When you absolutely, positively want to f*ck sh*t up, accept no substitute: MOAB
http://m.wafb.com/wafb/db_383294/contentdetail.htm
There are different kinds of messages. Sternly worded letters from the UN, or…
Is Fatty getting the message?
US President Donald Trump backs away from labeling China a currency manipulator
http://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/us-president-donald-trump-backs-away-from-labeling-china-a-currency-manipulator/626159/
@guitard Interesting that you mention the significance that the month of April has in nK. A strike on Pyongyang on April 15th or on April 25th would be a crushing blow to Kim’s ability to make war. Strike during the parade when everyone in the regime is in attendance…Boom!… No more Kim regime. Oh, but then there’s all those messy civilian casualties… oh well, spoils of war! Hehehehe (he said facetiously).
As for Salmon’s comments, it is unlikely that we would see “Fatty” Kim on the front lines leading his troops to victory over the U.S. imperialist aggressors like his grandfather was (cynical smile here). He’s likely going to hold up in one of his many safe bunkers until the shooting stops.
Trump recently discovered that expecting China to fix North Korea problem is “not so easy.”
🙄
JoeC, you shame yourself by promoting such nonsense.
Trump has been president for not even 100 days… yet your article complains about what he has not gotten done and makes fun of him because he seems to be learning on the job.
What is the point of such yellow “journalism”?
Sidenote: If Obama had been held to the same standard, that same format of article could have been accurately written about him 7.9 years into his administration.
JoeC was either secretly replaced by Trollgers Crystals or went full LGF….