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posted by martyb on Tuesday August 15 2017, @02:44PM   Printer-friendly
from the standing-down dept.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40931775

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reviewed plans to fire missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam but will hold off, state media said.

Although prepared for "the enveloping fire at Guam", the North said it would watch what "the foolish Yankees" do before taking a decision.

Last week's threat against Guam escalated the sharp rhetoric being exchanged between the two sides.

[...] The report on state news agency KCNA said Kim Jong-un "examined the plan for a long time" and discussed it with senior military officials.

The commander of North Korea's strategic force was now merely waiting for orders "after rounding off the preparations for the enveloping fire at Guam".

But, crucially, the report also said that Mr Kim would watch the US before making any decision, signalling an apparent deceleration in the provocative rhetoric.

Previously: North Korea Has Reportedly Miniaturized a Nuke, and is Threatening Guam


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday August 15 2017, @04:10PM (8 children)

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday August 15 2017, @04:10PM (#554295)

    North Korea has engaged in rounds of provocative rhetoric periodically with various presidents. They got a bit of foreign aid out of it all back in the 1990's, but since then it's been all bluster and all sides. The result Trump got was approximately the same as the results Obama and Bush got. (Although Obama's rounds were certainly entertaining: The NKs were threatening amphibious landings on the Gulf Coast and other truly silly plans).

    Their goal in doing this is to provoke a threatening response from the US, which they then include in their propaganda to remind their own population about the threat of the Evil Americans on their borders, and how full commitment of all citizens to the state is required to protect their nation from imperialist invasion. Powerful outside enemies help totalitarian regimes of all stripes remain in power, and NK is no exception.

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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:01PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:01PM (#554326)

    Brilliantly insightful, thank you.

    But I don't understand why we (USA) keep feeding that NK propaganda machine. Wouldn't it be better if we just laughed and said "OK silly Kims, play with your toys. But don't burn your fingers off." Taking them so seriously is what they want. Maybe there are deeper mechanisms working here... Maybe we (USA) need to justify military spending... ugh. Maybe I should not post this... wait, someone's knocking at the door... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

    • (Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:37PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:37PM (#554346)

      Powerful outside enemies help regimes of all stripes remain in power, and the USA is no exception.

      • (Score: 2) by chromas on Tuesday August 15 2017, @07:29PM

        by chromas (34) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 15 2017, @07:29PM (#554387) Journal

        Yep. We need our own propaganda, too!

  • (Score: 2) by BK on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:07PM (2 children)

    by BK (4868) on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:07PM (#554327)

    The result Trump got was approximately the same as the results Obama and Bush got.

    Disagree. Even if you hate everything Trump does, has ever done, or stands for, he's moved the needle further in the right direction on this than either of the ones you mentioned. Under Bush, NK withdrew from the non-proliferation treaty, expelled Nuke monitors, and tested their first nuclear device. Under Obama, NK continued with nuclear tests and got serious about missiles. Neither of the two you mentioned managed to illicit meaningful responses from China or Russia.

    Their goal

    Bull.

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:53PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:53PM (#554356)

      Neither of the two you mentioned managed to illicit meaningful responses from China or Russia.

      Too early to say meaningful responses are actually coming. But the fact US territory has been directly threatened with more capable weapons has changed the "game" compared to past Presidents.

    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by i286NiNJA on Tuesday August 15 2017, @06:52PM

      by i286NiNJA (2768) on Tuesday August 15 2017, @06:52PM (#554375)

      The only reason we have gotten a meaningful response from china is because they know we're at the brink. I'm sure you gorge on garbage consumer news so you probably don't know that china has been training it's military for north korean invasion for several years. It's never in the press but you can watch china's navy quite openly building pontoon bridges across the yalu river and tearing them down over and over and over.

      They've been preparing since long before trump was president and if you think he's done anything to stabilize the world or strike fear into our enemies then you're fairly ignorant.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:42PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 15 2017, @05:42PM (#554351)

    I would not say that is entirely accurate. North Korea has tested 5 [wikipedia.org] nuclear devices of increasingly powerful yield. Their first test was under Bush in 2006. The second test was met from lots of rhetoric from Obama. So was the second, third and fourth. Their final test giving readings indicative of yields upwards of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki. I would not call that sort of behavior bluster, even if some of their other behavior clearly is.

    And why would they need US action for propaganda? Their nation's access to foreign media or the open internet is extremely limited. They could say pretty much whatever they want. With recent software for lip to voice manipulation they could even provide videos of us saying whatever they want.

    • (Score: 1) by i286NiNJA on Tuesday August 15 2017, @07:44PM

      by i286NiNJA (2768) on Tuesday August 15 2017, @07:44PM (#554395)

      North korea is a problem created almost totally by hawkish republicans trying to get the toughguy vote back home. The exception would be obama deciding to get involved in syria even after they gave up their nuclear program.
      Reagan's grenada demonstrated that the USA could deem literally anything a threat.
      Bush's talk about axis of evil.. associating north korea with iraq even as they fabricated reasons to get saddam. That shit had to feel personal and indeed north korea produced a nuke shortly after.

      I wish we could raise these fuckers from the dead, stick wires in their brains, and simulate an eternity of suffering from radiation burns. Literally selling out the world for the dumbfuck vote makes me sick.