it is being reported by the associated pressthat ***an is deciding whether or not to attack north koreas missle sites. i really dont know what they are thinking because they do not have the military to battle north korea. no missle batteries except ground troop launching capability. even their airforce cannot invade a country. but this is going to get crazy before its said and done.
__________________
HOYT TRYKON/ BOWTECH GAURDIAN
COPPER JOHN DEAD NUTS
TROPHY TAKER FALL AWAY REST
ALPIN SOFT LOC QUIVER
RAGE BROAD HEADS
Cocuments and SettingsOwnerMy DocumentsMy PicturesSaddambike.gif
***an mulling action over N.Korea missiles [/align][/align][/align]
By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer[/align][/align][/align][/align]***an said Monday it was considering whether a pre-emptive strike on the North's missile bases would violate its constitution, suggesting it could take stronger action against the reclusive regime if the U.N. Security Council rejects its resolution calling for sanctions.[/align][/align]***an was badly rattled by North Korea's missile tests last week and several government officials openly discussed whether the country ought to take steps to better defend itself, including setting up the legal framework to allow Tokyo to launch a pre-emptive strike against Northern missile sites.[/align][/align]"If we accept that there is no other option to prevent an attack ... there is the view that attacking the launch base of the guided missiles is within the constitutional right of self-defense. We need to deepen discussion," Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said.[/align][/align]***an's constitution currently bars the use of military force in settling international disputes and prohibits ***an from maintaining a military for warfare. Tokyo, however, has interpreted that to mean it can have armed troops to protect itself, allowing the existence of its 240,000-strong Self-Defense Forces.[/align][/align]Despite resistance from China and Russia, ***an has pushed for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would prohibit nations from procuring missiles or missile-related "items, materials goods and technology" from North Korea. A vote was possible in New York later Monday.[/align][/align]"It's important for the international community to express a strong will in response to the North Korean missile launches," Abe said. "This resolution is an effective way of expressing that."[/align][/align]China and Russia, both nations with veto power on the council, have voiced opposition to the measure. Kyodo News agency reported Monday, citing unnamed Chinese diplomatic sources, that China may use its veto on the Security Council to block the resolution.[/align][/align]The United States, Britain and France have expressed support for the proposal, while ***anese Foreign Minister Taro Aso has said there is a possibility that Russia will abstain.[/align][/align]South Korea, not a council member, has not publicly taken a position on the resolution, but on Sunday Seoul rebuked ***an for its outspoken criticism of the tests.[/align][/align]"There is no reason to fuss over this from the break of dawn like ***an, but every reason to do the opposite," a statement from President Roh Moo-hyun's office said, suggesting that Tokyo was contributing to tensions on the Korean Peninsula.[/align][/align]Meanwhile, a Chinese delegation including the country's top nuclear envoy "” Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei "” arrived in North Korea on Monday, officially to attend celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of a friendship treaty between the North and China.[/align][/align]The U.S. is urging Beijing to push its communist ally back into six-party nuclear disarmament talks, but the Chinese government has not said whether Wu would bring up the negotiations. A ministry spokeswoman said last week that China was "making assiduous efforts" in pushing for the talks to resume.[/align][/align]Talks have been deadlocked since November because of a boycott by Pyongyang in protest of a crackdown by Washington on the regime's alleged money-laundering and other financial crimes.[/align][/align]Beijing has suggested an informal gathering of the six nations, which could allow the North to technically stand by its boycott, but at the same time meet with the other five parties "” South Korea, China, the U.S., ***an and Russia. The U.S. has backed the idea and said Washington could meet with the North on the sidelines of such a meeting.[/align][/align]In Tokyo, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill met with Aso on Monday as part of a tour through the region to coordinate strategy on North Korea. Hill has emphasized the need for countries involved to present a united front.[/align][/align]"We want to make it very clear that we all speak in one voice on this provocative action by the North Koreans to launch missiles in all shapes and sizes," Hill said. "We want to make it clear to North Korea that what it did was really unacceptable."[/align]___[/align]Associated Press writer Audra Ang contributed to this report in Beijing.[/align][/align][/align][/align]
it is being reported by the associated pressÂ*that ***an is deciding whether or not to attack north koreas missle sites. i really dont know what they are thinking because they do not have the military to battle north korea. no missle batteries except ground troop launching capability. even their airforce cannot invade a country. but this is going to get crazy before its said and done.
***an is just posturing. I can't imagine that their Constitution (at least the way I read it) would allow for a unilateral attack.
Besides, wouldn't it provoke NK into sending over nukes if they really do have them?
I found it amusing that, in one report, ***an stated that their planes could launch a long range attack on the N. Korean missile sites, but that "it would be suicide." They didn't seem to have any problem with that in the past.
I was interested to hear that ***an does have a 240K "security force." That's much much more than I thought they had. How big is the N. Korean army?
__________________
"Shoot him again....his soul is still dancing"
According to my friend who spent 3 years in South Korea during the late 90's, the North Korean Army numbered over 1,000,000 combat ready troops. Given their countries lack of resources, who knows if that number is accurate. I do not believe that they could invade anyone besides South Korea, given the number of ships and planes needed to move an invasion force over the ocean. The scary scenario is that ***an will think the US will back their play. This would probably draw the Chinese into the mix, resulting in WWIII.
__________________
Future DNC Message - From this point, all illegal aliens will be referred to Unregistered Democrats.
As a Foreign Service Officer I served 3 tours of duty totalling 9 years in ***an in the 1980s and early 1990s. Back in the 1980s the controversy is ***an was if the Russians invaded the northern island of Hokkaido do the ***anese Self-Defense have the right to resist or must they simply surrender so as not to violate the ***anese Constitution which renounces war as an instrument of international policy.
I have to say that I find it astounding that a senior ***anese Government official wouldpublicly even broach the subject of a pre-emptive attack on another sovereign nation. It is true that ***an does not now have the capability to carry out an offensive military operation but given ***an's advanced technology, industrial capability and financial resources the only thing that keeps them from acquiring such a capability is their own decision not to pursue it. If ***an decides it needs an offensive military capability, including the development of nuclear weapons, I do not think it would take them very long to achieve it. This could result in a fundamental change in***an's relationship with the other countries of East Asia. It would also affect the United States since we have a security treaty with ***an in addition to our extensive political, economic and commercial relations.
***an attacking north korea
ocuments and SettingsOwnerMy DocumentsMy PicturesSaddambike.gif
