Comments on: North Korean missile crap… like you actually care (updated)

By: AsiaPundit » Blog Archive » Pyongyang’s Great Train Robbery

AsiaPundit » Blog Archive » Pyongyang’s Great Train Robbery — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 14:07:30 +0000

[...] That said, if this Strategy Page report is to be believed, China’s influence over the rogue state is even less than AP had previously imagined. …(Chinese) food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on. In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It’s no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem. If the North Koreans appear to make no sense, that’s because they don’t. Put simply, when their unworkable economic policies don’t work, the North Koreans just conjure up new, and equally unworkable, plans. The Chinese have tried to talk the North Koreans out of these pointless fantasies, and for their trouble they have their trains stolen. How do you negotiate under these conditions? No one knows. The South Koreans believe that if they just keep the North Korean leaders from doing anything too destructive (especially to South Korea), eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse. Not much of a plan, but so far, no one’s come up with anything better. (via the Marmot, who notes that he has not seen any news stories corroborating this.) [...]

By: Antti

Antti — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 12:14:24 +0000

Take that, you criminal-bred Aussie lackies of American imperialism! Kim Myong-chol, the freakshow who now calls himself the unofficial spokesman of the North Korean embassy in Canberra, apparently reminded the Australian government that North Korea could use its missiles and nuclear warheads to attack targets in Australia.

Robert, you have missed an important piece of Kim Myong-chol comment, but I don’t blame you because it was in Noise for People: “If it had been a missile, USA would have been informed in advance”

Kim Myong-chol, the head of Korea-America Peace Center in Japan, told on July 5 that “it is likely that the object that DPRK launched was a satellite, and if it had been a missile aimed at USA, it would have been informed in advance.”

So it seems that Mr Kim himself has become better informed meanwhile. (By the way, wouldn’t it be that Kim Myong-chol is the unofficial spokesman of whole North Korea, whom the NK embassy in Australia only used to convey the less than subtle message.

By: Darin

Darin — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 07:48:58 +0000

“it’s natural that there be a difference in the sense of crisis between Korea, which is already well within North Korean missile range, and Japan, which is just now coming within North Korean missile range.”
Japan has always been just as in range as South Korea. Remember the test in 1999 that flew over Japan? The new Taepodong-2 has zero effect on Japan, but the other 6 fired did.

By: sunbin

sunbin — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 05:45:38 +0000

Taepodong-2 was launched from Taepodong aka musudan-ri.
The 6 Scud/Rodong from another site in Gitdaeryung, Anbyon, near Wonsan.

http://sun-bin.blogspot.com/20.....-land.html

By: parkatcircle.com » Blog Archive » Nork Missiles

parkatcircle.com » Blog Archive » Nork Missiles — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 04:50:48 +0000

[...] North Korea fired 7 missiles yesterday, all duds. I’m thinking that Kim Jong-il is very lucky because I’m pretty sure that if the missiles had not failed, then launching them would have been one of the last things he’d ever do. [...]

By: Asia-Watch

Asia-Watch — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 03:45:08 +0000

[...] As you all know, North Korea launches several missiles yesterday. Here are what a couple of the big Korea bloggers are reporting: The Marmot’s Hole on the South Korean response: Voices in South Korea are criticizing the government for its relatively easy-going response to the latest North Korea-ism, especially compared to Japan. According to SBS, President Roh didn’t get his first report on the missile launches until 5:01 a.m., immediately after the Taepodong 2 launch but roughly an hour and a half after the first missile launch. Prime Minister Koizumi got his first report a mere 20 minutes after the first missile was launched. Japan called a ministerial meeting at 4:00 a.m., while the first South Korean meeting was held at 5:00, and that was a Defense Ministry crisis committee meeting. Japan called a national security council meeting at 7:00 a.m., while South Korea called one at 7:30. Cheong Wa Dae explained, however, that its crisis control manual stipulates that a report go to the president only after a Taepodong goes off. And, as one Cheong Wa Dae adviser said, it’s natural that there be a difference in the sense of crisis between Korea, which is already well within North Korean missile range, and Japan, which is just now coming within North Korean missile range. Anyway, the administration is coming under fire not only from the conservative opposition, but also from some sectors of the ruling party. [...]

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 01:13:47 +0000

Right-wing response to any criticism of Bush’s handling of NK: B-b-b-ut Clinton…

By: Buhkan Mountain Breakdown · Wednesday morning missile blogging, best of

Buhkan Mountain Breakdown · Wednesday morning missile blogging, best of — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 01:04:21 +0000

[...] The Marmot posts a roundup of news reports and analysis, from the usual (and some unusual) sources. South Korea is considering suspension of rice and fertilizer shipments, but is otherwise treading cautiously. And, China has deep-sixed a UN Security Council resolution calling for sanctions. [...]

By: Brendon Carr

Brendon Carr — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:01:32 +0000

North Korea has long stolen railroad cars from China and Russia.

In September 1996 I visited Rajin-Sonbong by train overland from Russia. Part of my visit involved an overlong (overnight! — what was I thinking?) “layover” in Khasan, the rail terminus and last stop in Russia. The Russian town was nothing much, but at least they were talkative. I asked about trade volumes and cross-border rail traffic, and the rail-station manager laughed. “Cross-border trade? Our trains cross the border, and they trade us excuses and promises!” he snorted. Since the rail company had just recently been put in the position of paying to replace stolen railway cars they had lost interest in freight to North Korea — and volumes plummeted, which made Khasan even more of a lonely and forlorn place than it was before.

By: snow

snow — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 23:28:44 +0000

Here’s my prescription for the situation with the Norks (totally unrealistic since it would require the SK to play a leading role):

Maybe it would be better to just ignore the Norks. No negotiations, no dealings, no nothing. In a sense, just walled off, ignore them, let the US and others squeeze them with financial and other kinds of sanctions. If the Norks want something, they’ve got to come to us, not the other way around. The Norks aren’t willing to play by anyone’s rules but their own, so don’t play their games, just ignore them completely (publicly, though not intel-wise). When things get desperate enough, they’ll stop trying to rattle the cage for attention and may actually try to deal in a reasonable way. And even then, the onus should be on them. If they want to play the one step forward two steps back game, don’t take the bait. They come to the table to deal or we walk away, no skin off our backs. Don’t play the Norks games.

I’m not against more talking, in fact, I think lots should be done, but after a certain point, enough’s enough. Talking’s been tried and tried and tried, with negligible results (unless you consider the status quo a result). Maybe it’s time for a different tack, that of ignoring them. No comments about them, no information, no nothing. Just continue to say, the ball’s in their court. When the Norks are serious about dealing with the outside world, we will listen, but if they continue to threaten, they will just be ignored (and our ships will intercept criminal activity). Treat them like the criminals KJI and his cronies are.