North Korea threatens full scale war if rocket is intercepted

Tom0 · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:04

Big problems for the parties involved if NK kicks off.

int · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:05

What would they do if their rocket exploded on the ground due to technical failure?

Strife212 · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:05

Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam

All guerilla wars though. In a standard millitary campaign the NK army would be ruined totally within a month.

GreenMint · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:05

Also, add to that NK are far from sane in some situations, they just enjoy making these threats once in a while to remind us they are still around, and within weeks they are forgotten until thier next little strop.

MonkeyNews · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:14

'War, war is stupid and people are stupid' - Is Boy George really our last hope for an ambassador for peace on this thread?

"andy" · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:18

Strife212 said:
Laughable. If they actually went to war against the US, Japan and South Korea they would be utterly crushed. No one would help them.

dont china still have problems with all 3 ?

theleg · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:21

TimBrad said:
Also, add to that NK are far from sane in some situations, they just enjoy making these threats once in a while to remind us they are still around, and within weeks they are forgotten until thier next little strop.

if the US stopped threatening them then maybe things could calm down.

theleg · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:26

Amp34 said:
Numbers win, always have and always will, technology evens it out a bit but if you have 5 million soldiers against 2-300k I know who I would bet on. (2-300k being the real maximum the US would probably be able to deploy).

Just look at Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam and even as far back as Isandwana) for proof. The US could not really worsen the lives of the North Koreans any more than they (and NK's leadership) already have (embargos) and i'm sure the NK people wouldn't enjoy US soldiers on their turf.

I would be inclined to say the only people who could take NK would be the chinese, they have technology, and more importantly man power and much less care for the number of dead they would have.

South Korea also has a very large, and more importantly, a very advanced military. Its almost at the point where the South can take the North without the help of the US...nuclear weapons not included.

manveruppd · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:32

strudey said:
Indeed. I don't think China would be too happy about the Allies occupying a neighbouring state! Not too happy at all. I hope this doesn't happen, war kills people.

That wouldn't happen, if anything kicked off China would have 2 million troops occupying Pyongyang before the US could even mobilise.

Von Smallhausen · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:33

Amp34 said:
Numbers win, always have and always will, technology evens it out a bit but if you have 5 million soldiers against 2-300k I know who I would bet on. (2-300k being the real maximum the US would probably be able to deploy).

Just look at Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam and even as far back as Isandwana) for proof. The US could not really worsen the lives of the North Koreans any more than they (and NK's leadership) already have (embargos) and i'm sure the NK people wouldn't enjoy US soldiers on their turf.

I would be inclined to say the only people who could take NK would be the chinese, they have technology, and more importantly man power and much less care for the number of dead they would have.

I can't agree with you there.

Tactical strikes on key NK installations by aircraft the NK's cannot even see on radar would render them like a duck with one leg before they have even started. That is before you take into account ECM, radar jamming and cruise missile strikes from submarines and warships.

NK could be rendered almost impotent before ground troops were even considered.

I notice that you give Isandlwana as an example as numbers winning. Was it not the day before that just over 100 British soldiers defeated over 4000 Zulus ?

Sankari · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:37

Balddog said:
if the US stopped threatening them then maybe things could calm down.

LOL.

The reverse is true. NK deliberately provokes other nations and cries foul when they respond with diplomatic rhetoric.

Brinkmanship is their stock in trade. Nobody is threatening NK.

theleg · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:42

Evangelion said:
LOL.

The reverse is true. NK deliberately provokes other nations and cries foul when they respond with diplomatic rhetoric.

Brinkmanship is their stock in trade. Nobody is threatening NK.

Deliberately provokes?

They were just preparing their satellite launch and then the US makes a statement saying they will blow it out of the sky if it even HEADS toward their territory...Thats before NK even said anything.

Monkey Puzzle · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:55

Le_Petit_Lapin said:
What are they going to do? Throw some rocks at foreigners?

Balddog said:
and then ten thousand+ fortified artillery pieces that are pointed at the 20 odd million people in seoul right now.

yeah...rocks.

Balddog said:
the issue is what they can do in asia..obviously they cannot strike at the US...but they can strike at South Korea and Japan...and the US assets in both those countries. Not to mention that if a war does kick off, they dont need to bring their soldiers anywhere, the US will come to them.

All good points. The satellite launch is to test long-range missiles, not a simple test so North Koreans can get MTV and sat-nav. It's not surprising America has objected to it, just as when the USSR launched space rockets it caused panic.

This is standard sabre-rattling by NK imo, but if it came to it the situation would become desperate very very quickly. A real crysis (!). South Korea would be bombed back to the stone age, and any sort of land invasion of North Korea would be incredibly difficult, as it's mountainous and forrested. The terrain's set up such that NK has the upper hand, being able to bombard any troops from the south. It's not likely (to say the least) that China would ever allow American troops to get to North Korea from them. And don't forget in the Korean war western troops were driven south very quickly by a million poorly equipped Chinese troops, similar to NK's standing army.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_People's_Army

Monkey Puzzle · 9 Mar 2009 at 18:58

Von Smallhausen said:
NK could be rendered almost impotent before ground troops were even considered.

But the North Koreans have vast underground facilities. Think of the cost in bunker-busters!

Spuff Monkey · 9 Mar 2009 at 19:02

Sonea Fifer said:
You really think they'll pay any attention to the UN?

Hans Blix: Then let me look around, so I can ease the UN's collective mind. I'm sorry, but the UN must be firm with you. Let me in, or else.
Kim Jong Il: Or else what?
Hans Blix: Or else we will be very angry with you... and we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are.
Kim Jong Il: OK, Hans. I'll show you. Stand to your reft.
Hans Blix: [Moves to the left]
Kim Jong Il: A rittle more.
Hans Blix: [Moves to the left again]
Kim Jong Il: Good.
[Opens up trap, Hans falls in]

Time to send in Team America!

theleg · 9 Mar 2009 at 19:04

Monkey Puzzle said:
All good points. The satellite launch is to test long-range missiles, not a simple test so North Koreans can get MTV and sat-nav. It's not surprising America has objected to it, just as when the USSR launched space rockets it caused panic.

This is standard sabre-rattling by NK imo, but if it came to it the situation would become desperate very very quickly. A real crysis (!). South Korea would be bombed back to the stone age, and any sort of land invasion of North Korea would be incredibly difficult, as it's mountainous and forrested. The terrain's set up such that NK has the upper hand, being able to bombard any troops from the south. It's not likely (to say the least) that China would ever allow American troops to get to North Korea from them. And don't forget in the Korean war western troops were driven south very quickly by a million poorly equipped Chinese troops, similar to NK's standing army.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_People's_Army

Of course..Nobody likes fighting people that can fight back

Theyve gotta object..

I think people overestimate NK...they have a lot of dudes but they are badly equipped, badly trained, badly motivated, badly led and badly fed.

SK has almost as many dudes and they are way beyond the NKs in every aspect..They have also spent 60 years training for this exact scenario. The south will wipe the floor with the north. American troops wont be needed and china wont be as miffed if its SK troops taking pyeongyang. American support + SK on the ground and its game over for lil kim.

SK has like 700k active personnel with several million reservists.

Their gear is superior to the NKs in all branches of the military.

Sankari · 9 Mar 2009 at 19:14

Balddog said:
Deliberately provokes?

Yes, deliberately provokes. Look at their attitude towards SK and their history of sabre rattling over the past 20 years.

They were just preparing their satellite launch and then the US makes a statement saying they will blow it out of the sky if it even HEADS toward their territory...Thats before NK even said anything.

The US did nothing of the kind. The US envoy to NK said that the launch would be "very ill advised" (see the article here). He did not threaten that the US would shoot it down.

In a separate statement, a US military official said: "Should it look like it's not a satellite launch -- that it's something other than a satellite launch -- we'll be ready to respond" (see the article here). Again, this is not a threat to shoot down the satellite. It is a statement that if the satellite turns out to be not a satellite, the US might take action.

Nobody is threatening NK, but NK is threatening just about everyone in the region (and beyond). It will also be in breach of a UN Resolution when this launch takes place.

NK cannot afford a full scale war; she would be utterly obliterated within days.

aayzof · 9 Mar 2009 at 19:22

We're used to North Korean bravado by now. It means nothing. The chances of this escalating into full scale war are remote.

That is not to say the the potential launch is not inflammatory and ill advised.

Mr_White · 9 Mar 2009 at 19:22

Balddog said:
Of course..Nobody likes fighting people that can fight back Theyve gotta object..

I think people overestimate NK...

I hope you don't like Seoul, since NK could level it with their artillery

Spuff Monkey · 9 Mar 2009 at 19:25

This is just a nasty mix of a country that think it's everyone's big brother, and a country that would really like to be everyone's daddy. Ergo, the mummy should not make either of them tea tonight.