We will be welcomed as liberators.

North Korea would probably send more long range missiles into the Sea of Japan, just to prove how advanced they really are.

Do you think Bush's policy of trying to get sanctions from the U.N and/or the diplomatic route is something different than the Democrats would do?

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

No, we've been asking "what about North Korea" because they have always represented a bigger threat to the security of the region the world and this country than Iraq ever did.

We are asking why North Korea, which has been developing a nuclear program, which has been developing a balistic missile program, which has been rattling their sabre in our direction, has been ignored and all of our resources have been directed towards Iraq....because we had some satellite photos of some RVs in the desert that may or may not have had some mustard gas in them.

Now we have few if any options left to deter North Korea from its path towards being a full nuclear power. Our army is fully extended, and there is little if any will in this country to fight on another front even if we had the capability to do so. North Korea are holding all the cards and we are powerless to stop them short of a nuclear attack.

Thats why we've been asking "what about North Korea"

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill

What threat does the RPK pose to the U. S.?? The RPK already displayed its ineptness by firing its long range missle into the sea. Their nuclear proliferation was started under the nose of the previous administration and discovered by this administration.

This administration is doing exactly what the lefties wanted it to do in the case of Iraq, but because it is this administration, the lefties don't think this is what should be done, so they bitch and moan and offer no solution as usual.

The RPK is not holding any cards, as you suggest. They have nothing to bargain with and even the Russians and the PRC are growing tired of the RPKs endless posturing. The RPK is less than relevant.

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THey are so irrelevant that every time they test fire another missile the price of gas goes up another 10 cents.

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill

Oh how soon they forget.

I believe the democrats plan for NK was to give them fuel aid and nuclear reactors in exchange for them stopping their Nuclear Weapons program. That was the agreement Albright got in the 90's.

That didn't work out so good now did it? So to quote you Matt " Now we have few if any options left to deter North Korea from its path towards being a full nuclear power"

What threat does the RPK pose to the U. S.??

At least as much of a threat as Iraq ever did. Which is to say, not much, but I'm sure one could be manufactured if necessary. Certainly NK currently poses a greater threat to stability within its region than Iraq posed to the Middle East prior to invasion.

And I don't think that NK's nuclear program was started under Clinton's watch, nor was it "discovered" by this administration.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

Gas prices did not go up $.70 since RNK fired its missles.

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I bet there's some threat, since they're probably for teaching creationism in schools

www.rpk.org/

Unless the poster was talking about the Kalashnikov light machine gun, which in large numbers in the wrong hands could also be a threat to the US.

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Allow me to be more precise:

1993 - RNK withdraws from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty because of suspicions that it was developing nuclear weapons.

1994 - RNK agrees to cease its goal of producing Nuclear weapons in exchange for international aid to build two power-producing nuclear reactors.

1999 - U.S. President Bill Clinton eases economic sanctions against North Korea and A U.S.-led consortium signs a $4.6 billion contract to build two nuclear reactors in North Korea.

2000 - North Korea threatens to restart its nuclear program if Washington doesn't compensate for the loss of electricity caused by delays in building the two nuclear power plants.

2002 - U.S. officials say they have discovered evidence of a nuclear weapons program in North Korea. North Korea reactivates nuclear facilities at Yongbyon that were frozen under the 1994 deal with the United States.

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I am not seeing your point.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

And I don't think that NK's nuclear program was started under Clinton's watch, nor was it "discovered" by this administration.



Allow me to be more precise:

1993 - RNK withdraws from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty because of suspicions that it was developing nuclear weapons. (RNK is suspected of trying to develop nuclear weapons)

1994 - RNK agrees to cease its goal of producing Nuclear weapons in exchange for international aid to build two power-producing nuclear reactors. (The U. S. asks the RNK nicely if they will stop trying to develop nuclear weapons and the RNK says OK, but you have to build us new reactors, which we will only use for clean power)

1999 - U.S. President Bill Clinton eases economic sanctions against North Korea and A U.S.-led consortium signs a $4.6 billion contract to build two nuclear reactors in North Korea. (Afterall, the RNK promised not to develop nukes)

2000 - North Korea threatens to restart its nuclear program if Washington doesn't compensate for the loss of electricity caused by delays in building the two nuclear power plants. (The nuclear power plants that the U. S promised the RNK in 1994 are behind schedule and the RNK wants to be compenstated for it or they will try to develop nuclear weapons)

2002 - U.S. officials say they have discovered evidence of a nuclear weapons program in North Korea. North Korea reactivates nuclear facilities at Yongbyon that were frozen under the 1994 deal with the United States. (surprise surprise! RNK was still developing nukes despite the assurances it gave to the previous administration)



Does that help??

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FYI: http://fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/nuke/

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

That just seems to be a more verbose description of what I already posted.

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No, it seems like a much more complete and accurate history of NK's nuclear program than your description, which to me looks like, "Clinton did it."

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

He surely helped a great deal. His un-ending quest for the Nobel Peace Prize via North Korea and the Middle East did nothing but enflame each situation.

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The reactor deal was incredibly stupid. Naive in the extreme. But NK's nuke program was already geared up, and was going to stay geared up.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

 
Well, one serious threat posed by N. Korea is their ability to proliferate nuclear technology to other unfriendly countries. Pakistan (our supposed ally) was already in that business. Now N. Korea can do the same. That can come back to haunt us long term.

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What threat does the RPK pose to the U. S.?? The RPK already displayed its ineptness by firing its long range missle into the sea. Their nuclear proliferation was started under the nose of the previous administration and discovered by this administration.

I agree that NK nuke program began well before Clinton was President. But the deals made with NK to stop their nuke program were made by Clinton. If it was "already geared up, and going to stay geared up."

1) Why did we do the deals if we knew we got nothing in return?

2) Why didn't we do something in 1994 before they had nuclear weapons?

Why did we do the deals if we knew we got nothing in return?

Hey, I said the deal was incredibly stupid and extremely naive. I would say we did them because Clinton, Albright, etc, figured they were soooo smart, and Kim Jong-il was sooooo nutso, that he couldn't possibly dupe them.

Why didn't we do something in 1994 before they had nuclear weapons?

Like what? Invade? In addition to the difficulties posed by that option, you have to remember that at that time, America had not yet adopted our current mindset, which can abide no existing threats, even potentially.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

"Hey, I said the deal was incredibly stupid and extremely naive. I would say we did them because Clinton, Albright, etc, figured they were soooo smart, and Kim Jong-il was sooooo nutso, that he couldn't possibly dupe them." So you agree "Hey Clinton did it"

"Like what" Lets start small and work our way up. (Option - Worst 1994 Response - Worst 2006)

Economic sanctions: NK 1994 response: attack SK. NK 2006 response nuke SK, Japan, western US

Naval Blockade: NK 1994 response: attack SK. NK 2006 response nuke SK, Japan, western US

Bomb Nuclear Sites: NK 1994 response: attack SK. NK 2006 response nuke SK, Japan, western US

Invade NK: NK 1994 response: attack SK. NK 2006 response nuke SK, Japan, western US

No matter how you look at it, action in 1994 was much easier than it is today. Unfortunately, I think our only hope is getting China involved. And we may have to threaten them "The United States will consider an attack by North Korea on any other country as an attack on the United States by China, requiring a full retaliatory response" Not a fun scenario for someone with a nine-week old.

So you agree "Hey Clinton did it"

If by "did it," you mean, "got played for a chump," yeah. If you mean, "contributed significantly to NK's nuclear program, no.

action in 1994 was much easier than it is today.

Why do we need to take any action? (Though if you think NK is going to nuke the world in response to economic sanctions, well . . . you're hyperventilating.)

The United States will consider an attack by North Korea on any other country as an attack on the United States by China, requiring a full retaliatory response"

Yeah . . . That's a reasonable ultimatum.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

I consider allowing a nuke program by NK to go unchecked for 8 years contributing significantly.

NK says that economic sanctions will result in war. I'm not hyperventilating, that's what they are saying. NK knows it cannot survive without outside aid. Kim's a nut. What's worse giving up nukes or war? I don't trust crazy people.

That reasonable ultimatum got Russia to back down in Cuba. We haven't been able to get China to do anything to help out yet.

So what do we do?

That reasonable ultimatum got Russia to back down in Cuba.

The China/NK relationship today bears very little resemblance to the Cuban missile crisis.

So what do we do?

Nothing. What's going to happen?

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."