North Korea says two Koreas on path toward war

[Al-zakir]

Sun Feb 1, 2009 4:55am EST
By Jon Herskovitz

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea warned on Sunday that the downward spiral of relations with the South has pushed the peninsula to the brink of war, two days after it said it was scrapping all pacts with its rich capitalist neighbor.

Analysts say the rhetorical volleys are aimed at changing the hardline policies of the South's president and are meant to grab the attention of new U.S. President Barack Obama.

"The policy of confrontation with the DPRK (North Korea) pursued by the (South Korean) group is ... the very source of military conflicts and war between the North and the South," the North's official KCNA news agency reported a commentary in the communist party newspaper as saying.

"In Korea in the state of armistice confrontation means escalated tension and it may lead to an uncontrollable and unavoidable military conflict and a war," it said.

The states, technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended with a cease fire and not a peace treaty, have more than 1 million troops near their border. There are about 28,000 U.S. troops in South Korea to defend the country.

The North's bureaucracy works slowly to form policy and it may still be trying to figure out its approach with the new Obama team, analysts said, making it easier for Pyongyang to direct its anger at Washington's allies, including Seoul.

The North in recent months has repeatedly threatened to destroy the conservative government of President Lee Myung-bak, which ended a decade of free-flowing aid to Pyongyang after taking office a year ago.

Lee's government mostly ignores Pyongyang's taunts.

"North Korea's escalating threats do not indicate major hostilities are imminent," said Bruce Klingner, an expert on Korean affairs at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.

"However, they could easily presage another round of tactical naval confrontations with South Korea in the Yellow Sea."

The two Koreas fought deadly naval skirmishes in disputed Yellow Sea waters off the west coast in 1999 and 2002.

North Korea has clamped down on it border with the South in recent months and has canceled cooperation deals reached during a period of detente in the past few years before Lee came to power.

The deals included reunions for separated families and running trains across the heavily guarded border.

The latest move follows comments by a U.S. national security official that the secretive state's leader, Kim Jong-il, appeared to have rebounded politically from his recent health scare and is making major decisions.

Kim inspected a military unit and a power plant at the weekend, KCNA said, with Kim noting "the (North) Korean people are ready to flatten even a mountain and empty even a sea at one go when called for by the Party."

(Additional reporting by Cheon Jong-woo in Seoul and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Editing by Paul Tait)

North Korea says two Koreas on path toward war | Reuters

 

[Fennecus]

I have a feeling North Korea may collapse soon.

 

[duhastmish]

Intelligence agencies believe North Korea has nuclear warheads for missles capable of hitting Japan, analyst says

From correspondents in Seoul

Agence France-Presse

March 31, 2009 03:10pm

INTELLIGENCE agencies have obtained information that North Korea has assembled several nuclear warheads for its medium-range Rodong missiles capable of targeting Japan, an analyst says.

Daniel Pinkston, senior analyst with the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, said he had received the information from agencies he declined to identify.

"Intelligence agencies believe the North Koreans have assembled nuclear warheads for Rodong missiles, which are stored at underground facilities near the Rodong missile bases," Mr Pinkston said.

He said the agencies believe that probably five to eight warheads have been assembled.

Mr Pinkston said the agencies did not reveal the source of their information to him.

"It might be right, it might be wrong - but if others believe it is true, it has implications for the psychological aspects of deterrence," he said, describing the assessment as "quite significant".

In public at least, intelligence officials have not previously said that the communist North - which tested a nuclear weapon in 2006 - has the capability to manufacture nuclear warheads.

The North is preparing to test-fire its longest-range missile the Taepodong-2 within the next few days, but is not believed to have created any atomic warhead for this.

Intelligence agencies believe North Korea has nuclear warheads for missles capable of hitting Japan, analyst says | World News | News.com.au

 

[freeman]

Its not easy working out North Korea, im thinking they are jumping up and down a bit because of the stalling of talks. They need the fuel and money and the worlds attention has turned away from NK for the moment. It doesnt seem uncommon for comments and tensions to be ramped up if there is a lull in the negotiations.
I often wonder how long the north and south will be separate for? You'd have to think reunification would have to happen in our lifetimes. I get the feeling that something has to give.

 

[duhastmish]

Reunification -does seem like a distant dream for world peace order. but i am kind of skeptic ABOUT: what will it cost to our dear world.

north korea loves attention - what ever it may be - hoax of kim jong dead or attack on south etc.

Chinese pressure does work - on north Korea but - we its kind of catch -22 , You have to befriend with devil to calm the devil down.

I smell a war coming but - doubt it will give anything to nato ? DO they have any petrol there ?