http://m.koreatimes.co.kr/phone/news/view.jsp?req_newsidx=197538 Very interesting that news of North Korea's launch of a intercontinental ballistic missile breaks out all over worldwide news outlets during the Saturday night NH Republican debate. Social media has exploded. Calls for a UN meeting are already out. I haven't yet skimmed all the press and newspaper reports, but I wonder how many reporters will suggest the DPRK launch was deliberately timed to mess with the USA political debate mindset. The DPRK news outlets haven't yet updated their websites or tweeted about it. Let the US political games begin.
It makes you wonder how much of it is actually news (or propaganda? Hard to decide!) from North Korea, and how much of it is being done by the US. It's possible that they did launch long-range missles on their own since they have a lot of help from China whenever they need it. It's likewise possible that it was the US or another country that did it on purpose, and North Korea isn't going to pass up the chance to claim credit for that whether they were successful at it or not. If the State news reports it, they have to keep up with the story of saying they did it even if bogus. It'll be interesting to find out the truth someday as to whether or not it actually was them, or if this was just a US or another country that is participating in the events. It's like the Military Olympics anymore.
I hardly think the Chinese are helping the DPRK in missle or nuclear bomb testing. But it is quite clear that the DPRK activities are no joke. While the DPRK news sources are tightly controlled, all one has to do is watch the extensive TV news coverage on NHK World (available on Comcast and probably TWC and FIOS cable TV networks) or read the several online newspaoers (in English) from the ROK and Japan. ABYZ News Links is a better-than average resource.
If we somehow manage to get a Republican in the white house next year, hopefully they will deal with this loon once and for all.
China is definitely pissed about this because of the anti-balistic system that South Korea just got from the USA because of the NK launch. China for a decade has fought against South Korea having the defense system because where they are located, they could take out China missiles. Because North Korea did this, SK, almost overnight got the defense system from the USA. The problem with NK is that there is nothing more we can do with them. They are already sanctioned to death. Obama sent the defense system to South Korea specifically as a way to tell China to deal with NK.. I think China is going to come down hard on NK and as a reward, Obama will withdrawel the defense systems. Right now, nobody has lost more because of this than China.
Earlier last week, China at least made an attempt to stop the North Koreans warning them not to launch the ballistic missile to avoid escalating tensions with South Korea. And China wasn't pleased with the North Korean's nuclear test either. I think this will strain their relationship further.
In many ways the relationship between China and NK has mirrored the relationship between the USA and Israel. For decades, NK has been emboldened because they know China has their backs. No matter what NK did, China always tempered the penalty NK received. But at some point, and I think it has already happened, China is just going to say ´if you want to act like an idiot, then you have to deal with the consequences yourself´. It is similar to how the USA has bitch-slapped Israel the past decade for being the instigator in many situations with the Palestinians. A lot of the bad-will the USA gets in the middle east is because we have a 60 year history of supporting Israel, who is probably close to 50% to blame for much of the violence the past two decades. But what China wants to avoid more than anything is a humanitarian crisis in NK that leads to refugees flooding their border.
Maybe North Korea thought they could get the debate interrupted... I don't think we'll ever be in Korea unless they go on the offensive. China will definitely cut ties and close the border as best as possible if that occurs.
Sooner or later, the civilized world is going to have to deal with this little wackjob. The fact he has the maturity of a grammar school student, but has at his command one of the largest standing armies in the world and at least a small number of A-Bombs should put everyone on red alert. Speaking of red things, it would be nice if North Korea's Chinese pals would reign them in, but that hasn't happened yet. I guess it, once again, it falls to the US. Sadly our current administration can't seem to, proverbially, find their hindquarters with both hands and a flashlight, let alone can stop a despot.
We haven't been supporting Israel much under Obama - I guess he must have thought the islamic savages would leave us alone if we pretty much severed all ties with Israel? Does the fact that the radical islamist loons want to destroy the west and eventually the whole world in the name of their warped religion have anything to do with the bad will towards the US and other western nations? Maybe he'll take the sanctions off of N Korea the way he did with Iran, and they'll start being nice to us, and we'll all live happily ever after?