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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Why Did N.Korea Attack? |
| 2010-11-25 |
| [Chosun Ilbo] North Korea fired artillery shells on a South Korean island on Tuesday killing two marines just days after revealing a large uranium-enrichment facility to visiting U.S. nuclear experts. Experts agree that the move was a planned provocation. While the attack on the Navy corvette Cheonan in March took place by surprise under cover of night, the large-scale artillery assault on Yeonpyeong Island happened in broad daylight. Both military installations and civilian homes were targeted. In a TV broadcast, North Korea's top military command blamed South Korea for the assault and said, "The revolutionary armed forces undertook decisive military measures against military provocation by the puppet regime" [South Korea]. "Should the puppet group dare intrude into the territorial waters" of the North "even 0.001 mm, the revolutionary armed forces will unhesitatingly continue taking merciless military counter-action." ◆ Consolidating Control Nam Joo-hong, South Korea's ambassador for international security, said, "The regime is trying to consolidate its grip on power by rallying its people around these radical measures." The North's uranium enrichment program and provocations are part of efforts to puff up the image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son Jong-un in line with the Songun or military-first doctrine. "North Korea's field army, which is composed of hardliners, appears to be leading efforts to support Jong-un," Nam said. "They seem to be the ones behind the naval clash in November last year and the sinking of the Cheonan." General Kim Kyok-sik, the commander of North Korea's frontline fourth corps in charge of a Navy base on the western coast that covers the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, is known as a key hardliner. The North Korea apparently put its military on full alert status since the attack. ◆ Internal Strife Others suspect a power struggle between hardliners and moderates in the North. Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, said, "The artillery attack came unexpectedly just ahead of inter-Korean Red Cross Talks scheduled for Thursday. There is the possibility of an internal conflict between hawks and doves." And a senior North Korean defector said, "As the sinking of the Cheonan shows, a lot of incomprehensible things are happening. But there are suspicions that North Korea's top leadership may be suffering problems in its decision-making ability or process." ◆ Fishing for Peace Treaty Still others feel North Korea is angling for favorable terms and talks with the U.S. about a peace treaty. Song Dae-sung, head of the Sejong Institute, said, "It appears to be a strategy to turn the West Sea into a conflict area and draw Washington to the negotiating table to demand a peace treaty." In other words Pyongyang could be trying to get Washington to abandon its policy of "strategic patience" with North Korea. Lee Jo-won at Chungang University, said, "North Korea has always gotten what it wants through brinkmanship." One indication of this is North Korea's insistence that the de facto border, the Northern Limit Line, is invalid and saying it will only respect its own maritime military demarcation line in the West Sea. ◆ Political Manipulation There are also suspicions that North Korea is trying to interfere in South Korean politics. "By creating a crisis atmosphere, North Korea is trying to foment disappointment in South Korea with the Lee Myung-bak administration's North Korea policies," a researcher at a state-run think tank said. Having found that bullying and cajoling the South has become more difficult, Pyongyang could be trying to ratchet up tensions and stir up public sentiment against the government's hardline North Korea policy. "North Korea appears to be trying to sap support for the South Korean government's policies toward the North and gain control over inter-Korean relations," a Unification Ministry said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 PYONGYANG = STARVING NORTH KOREA controls the ball on unilater starting something militarily between CHINA = US-ALLIES, NOT THE LATTER. DPRK = RUSSIA BUILDING A MAJOR MILBASE(S) IN FORMER-JAPANESE-KURILS-NKA-SOVEREIGN-N-PERMANENT RUSSIAN-TERRITORY = WHAT WORKS FOR RUSSIA AGZ JAPAN [US-Allies] SSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH ALSO WORKS AGZ CHINA. ACTOR ROBIN WILLIAMS = [Political]CCCCCCCCCCC-orrectness ...DDDDDDDDDDDDeniability. D *** NGED TREASONOUS "72 VIRGINIANS"! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-11-25 23:59 |
| #12 IMO KIMMIE is thinking far ahead into the future, even beyong the tenure of heir apparent KIM JONG-UN, + also the example of RE-UNIFIED GERMANY + SOLIDARITY POLAND. The NOKORS/NORKOMS well recognize that CHINA will likely take over the DRPK in a major war wid the US-ROK-ALLIES on the Korean Peninsula, + that Chin will indirectly dominate or take over the DPRK as per the new SINO-DPRK FTA establishing CHIN-DOMIN FREEPORTS [EEZS=SEZS] = CHIN ECON ENCLAVES inside DPRK. EITHER WAY, THE NOKORS AS A DPRK/KOREAN-SPECIFIC MOVEMENT UNILATER FAIL TO KEEP THEIR NATIONALIST PROMISES TO ORDINARY KOREANS, BE THEY NORTH OR SOUTH, i.e. FREEDOM FROM ANY + ALL FOREIGNERS, ETHNIC, LIBERTE'-EGALITE'-FRATERNITE', ....@ETC. that helped bring the NorKoms + aligned to power[Post-1945 USSR notwithstanding]. IMO KIMMIE = "THE TIME IS NOW", NOT 2050-N-Beyond, for DPRK "Manifest Destiny". * SARAH PALIN GAFFE = "NORTH KOREA IS A US ALLY" gaffe. * DER SPIEGEL > KIM JONG-IL HAS BOMBS FOR OBAMA. ARTIC = Kimmie desires for the DPRK to be treated FAIRLY + EQUALLY + NICELY = PAR like Any + All other World Sovereign States, espec MAJOR POWERS = US + CHINA. * CHINESE MIL FORUM > TENSIONS ON KOREAN PENINSULA + TENSION AGZ JAPAN [China's "LITNUS TEST" AS A [rising = post-US?]SUPERPOWER is [fast] APPROACHING. * SAME > [WND] "COLD WAR" WID BEIJING NEXT HIT ON [troubled] US ECONOMY, ANALYSTS WARN OF [looming serious] CRUNCH OVER WORLD DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY. Peak Coal, besides "Peak --" everything else. * SAME > ANLAYSTS WARN OF US-CHINA TENSION | [New] NORTH KOREAN ATTACK MASSIVELY RAISES TENSIONS BETWEEN US + CHINA IN REGION. ARTIC = CHINA has had a LOUSY/UGLY YEAR IN ASIA as per GEOPO, ECON SETBACKS, + its situation isn't likely to lessen for the better anytime soon, US-CHINA-WORLD are ENTERING A DIFFERENT = DIFFICULT FUTURE??? ------------- * PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > [Swiss LE TEMPS] NORTH KOREA TO TEST URANIUM BOMB SOON. ARTIC > broadly argues that the US-WORLD HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE TO MAKING CONCESSIONS TO NORTH KOREA. IOW, NORTH KOREA IS TIRED OF WAITING + IS JUST CRAZY ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING TO CAUSE A MAJOR WAR = "GREAT POWERS" MIL CONFLICT IN ASIA??? SUB-IOW, IIUC NOKORS = unlike ISLAMIST IRAN whose Radic Mullahs loudly proclaimed their desire for MAD from the beginning, NORTH KOREA is covertly or quietly warning that IT WILL INDUCE "MUTUAL DESTRUCTION" [MAD} IFF IT DOESN'T GET WHAT IT WANTS. * SAME > SOUTH KOREA [preemptively] THWARTED A BIGGER ATTACK ON/FROM NORTH KOREA. The only thing the KOREAN PEOPLE, North or SOuth, have to look forward to is LOSING NORTH KOREA = 1/2 OF LAST REMAINING ANCIENT KORYE KINGDOM [2-1/2 of 3 Kingdoms] TO CHINA, be it MILITARILY or ECONOMICALLY. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-11-25 23:49 |
| #11 Because they can. You nailed it. Why not do this kind of crap? The NorKs can amuse themselves knowing that nobody is going to do anything back. Their reasoning doesn't have to be all that deep. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2010-11-25 16:22 |
| #10 I love conspiracy theories, and the reasons/connections for things that are right in front of your eyes. So.....think about the QE2 by the Fed, and the other actions we are taking to inflate the dollar and make foreign goods (China) more expensive, and our debt obligations worth less to the bond holders (China). Think about the China Sea provocations by the Chinese to force, by near ramming, US and other nation vessels outside their self proclaimed 200 mile national waters, as well as numberous other disagreements with Washington. Now think about the odd missle trail just off Los Angeles, outside the 12 mile limit, apparently from a maritime source, but with no visible ship, and the phoney baloney story about it being a plane contrail, but maybe from a sub in international waters firing away from the coast. Remember the Chinese sub that surfaced in the middle of a carrier battle group to everyones surprise a couple of years ago? Now think about the NKOR kerfluffle here, worst in generations. Is Bambi being sent messages openly but not apparent about muscle flexing from across the Pacific? |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2010-11-25 15:58 |
| #9 Again, I place the theory that the military is asking for our help. I am of the belief that the military leadership wants us to help them in removing this dictatorship. This analysis derives from the sinking of the corvette ship earlier in this year. After that incident, Kim Jung Il took a slow train ride to Beijing. Upon return, he fired top military commanders and executed his head intelligence official. It shows some dissension in the ranks. Things have not been this bad in NORK in like forever. Grain stocks have recently been emptied from the Military so it is looking very bleak. Hence, the best time to challenge the regime is right now. Kim Jung Il is seriously Ill. |
| Posted by: newc 2010-11-25 14:41 |
| #8 ...cause they can't blame Bush. Yet. [The physiological absence of a backbone to take responsibility and act isn't just a Skor trait. The Beltway isn't any better.] |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-11-25 13:44 |
| #7 Why didn't S.Korea respond is the real question. |
| Posted by: Uleatch Dribble8106 2010-11-25 12:04 |
| #6 Who cares why? They did what they did and the SORKs didn't do much in response. So there'll be more. But there won't be war. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-11-25 10:49 |
| #5 I have a theory: It's a test. The North deeply believes that the south wants to invade them and the best time to do that would be during the transition of leadership. So they lob a few shells over and see what happens. If there is a response they call for everyone to rally to the new leader and if there is no response the new leader has shown that the south fears him. JMHO |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2010-11-25 10:30 |
| #4 If control means the office in Beijing called and directed this current affair, I'd say you're correct. If control means that Beijing could, if it wants, put a world of hurt upon the players in Pyongyang, then they do in fact have that ability. If tomorrow the leadership from Beijing flew to Seoul to publicly announce that things are too far out of control in the North and that they are going to work an accord with Seoul, the wannabee monarchists playing kingmaker in the North would be sucking wind. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-11-25 09:18 |
| #3 Look guys, China does NOT pull North Korea's strings. Throw that idea away, it's bullcrap. They have some influence, but NK hardly takes orders from Beijing. |
| Posted by: gromky 2010-11-25 08:08 |
| #2 Because they can. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-11-25 06:39 |
| #1 can't believe nobody can say it's China. it must be. it makes total sense. i suspect Western powers do not want this to be the official reason because then there is pressure to demand action from Beijing. Which is the last thing anybody wants. Avert eyes - nothing to see here... nothing to see. Just an internal power struggle no big deal... |
| Posted by: anon1 2010-11-25 05:42 |