North Korea is preparing to send a defiant message to the world with a massive parade of military might at national day celebrations on Tuesday, according to officials and analysts.
It’s their birthday? Gee, and I forgot to send a card.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is reportedly planning the biggest military parade for more than a decade which will feature thousands of troops, tanks, artillery and missiles.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper, citing defense analysts, said the regime may choose the occasion to unveil a new multi-stage ballistic missile with a range of up to 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).
Fireworks are always nice on your birthday.
North Korea’s official media said a "mammoth" parade would mark Tuesday’s 55th anniversary of the foundation of the communist state. Reports in Seoul said missiles and tanks have been moved to Mirim airport, about 11 kilometers outside the capital, in preparation. A Seoul government official told the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper the parade would be the biggest since 1992 when the Stalinist state celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of its People’s Army as a guerrilla force fighting the Japanese occupation of Korea. Speculation has mounted that North Korea would use Tuesday’s celebrations to carry out a nuclear or missile test as a follow-up to three days of acrimonious six-nation talks in Beijing late last month on its nuclear program.
This explains why we haven’t had a good NK rant for a while, they’ve been busy getting ready for the party. |