Well, that didn’t take long. I fret that this is the first of many “provacative” actions we will see out of not-so-friendly nations.
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea defiantly carried out a provocative rocket launch Sunday that the U.S., Japan and other nations suspect was a cover for a test of its long-range missile technology.
. . .
The launch was a bold act of defiance against President Barack Obama, Japanese leader Taro Aso, Hu Jintao of China and others who pressed Pyongyang in the days leading up to liftoff to call off a launch they said would threaten peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
. . .
Obama said Friday the launch would be a “provocative” move with consequences.
Time to head to the Security Council. I think China will actually allow a motion to proceed forward, for once. After that, some concrete action may actually be able to take place. What form that’ll be, I have no idea. If it were up to me, I’d have tried to shoot it down, but then again…I’m a big *Dr. Strangelove *fan
I say we will make a deal with them, more food and fuel (more tax dollars out the door) for you if you promise not to do it again,you heard it here first!
North Korea has always acted this way and probably always will while they maintain the current regime.
The launch has nothing to do with Obama. Similar shenanigans were pulled when Bush was in office, and he was far more belligerent than Obama has been. Hell, they supposedly tested a nuke while W was in office.
The North Koreans made a big show of agreeing to plan with Bush that was very similar to the one with Clinton. A few months later, they were rebuilding the cooling tooler on their nuke reactor that they had blown up as a show of good faith. And so it goes…
Only the Chinese have influence over North Korea. The US has been negotiating through China for the past 6 years. I don’t know why anyone thinks we have any power over North Korea. Other than Japan, the real threat is to the Chinese themselves. It’s like having Mexico test a rocket and hoping Russia can put pressure on the Mexicans.
China and Russia seem to be the two players in this game who are calling for a slowdown in a rush to judgment over the Hermit Kingdom. Russia is making noises about not needing to do anything at all “at the present time.” I guess we’ll have to see just what can be done, in the final analysis, over this launch.
That is a very, very naive statement. Don’t read this comment as a slam on President Obama. I will hold my criticism of him regarding this particular situation until I see how he responds.
That is a very, very naive statement. Don’t read this comment as a slam on President Obama. I will hold my criticism of him regarding this particular situation until I see how he responds.
I don’t think it’s deliberately naive, though. More like a hopeful belief that baddies out there won’t try to test our new president. Of course they’re trying – just as they try to test EVERY new U.S. president. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I think we should wait and see how the president handles the situation and whether he and Hillary Clinton, the Sec’y of State, can outsmart Kim, the Chinese, and the Russians. As I see it, there’s really nothing we can actually physically do to stop them from launching a rocket, nor do I think that’s necessarily the wisest thing to try to do, anyway. At least, not at this point.
This may be yet another ploy by Kim to pry more aid and food out of the West, through a form of missile anxiety on our part. Who knows? And our president wants to try the United Nations route. What’s so surprising about that? He’s practically painted himself into that corner because of his past campaign remarks and his sincere belief that diplomacy hasn’t really been given a chance of late, when it comes to N. Korea. Besides, I don’t see much taste evident – from most of the populace here in the U.S. – for something more vigorous or “forward leaning.”
I guess we sit and wait, and work from behind the scenes. This week in the UN will tell us much about what, if anything, really will be done. My guess is not much, but it has to be tried, nonetheless.
Piggy-backed on this is today’s emphasis for Obama, and reported to be one of the most planned and pointed thrusts of his trip, his speech on a world without nukes…with the US “leading”. It sounds like the gun debate here, but on a macro scale; take nukes (guns) from the law abiding, responsible nations, in order to make the the world more safe.
As I see it, there’s really nothing we can actually physically do to stop them from launching a rocket, nor do I think that’s necessarily the wisest thing to try to do, anyway. At least, not at this point.
Regardless of stopping the launch, would anyone care to bet that our anti-missle defense system got a workout of everything except taking the interception shot? A silver lining in everything:-)
I agree that using the full court press to stop it seems a bit excessive at this point.
More proof Obama will do nothing but roll over and be beated by the world. He needs to go before 9/11 looks like a day in the park.
Let’s take a quick look at Obama’s projection of U.S. force in the world in his short presidency so far:
Increased presence of conventianl troops in Afghanistan. 8000 Marines and 4000 Army. In addition he recently put the screws to the EU for their continued support.
Expanded use of Special Forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Documented increase in drone attacks.
4)Signs of mutual respect between Obama and the Pentagon. By all appearances Obama is not trying to impose a peacenik military policy on the Pentagon. He is listening to the Pentagon. The Afghanistan policy is largely General Petreaus’ plan. Obama just signed off on it.
Though we haven’t yet seen how Obama will handle a true national security crisis, if how he’s handled pressure so far, it looks pretty good. The more pressure he’s under, the more calm he appears to get. The last president, not so much.
