N. Korea angrily makes nuclear threat

[weslgarlic]

North Korea swiftly lashed out against the U.N. Security Council’s condemnation of its December launch of a long-range rocket, saying Wednesday that it will strengthen its military defenses, including its nuclear weaponry, in response.

The defiant statement from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry was issued hours after the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution condemning Pyongyang’s Dec. 12 rocket launch as a violation of a ban against nuclear and missile activity. The resolution, which required approval from Pyongyang’s ally China, also added to sanctions against the North.

The Foreign Ministry called the launch a peaceful bid to send a satellite into space rather than a test of long-range missile technology. It said North Korea “should counter the U.S. hostile policy with strength, not with words.”

The statement ominously warned that North Korea will “bolster the military capabilities for self-defense including the nuclear deterrence.”

The wording “considerably and strongly hints at the possibility of a nuclear test,” analyst Hong Hyun-ik at the private Sejong Institute think tank near Seoul said Wednesday.

North Korea conducted nuclear weapons tests weeks after rocket launches in 2006 and 2009, and the region is bracing for the possibility that it may now test a third atomic device.

Satellite photos taken at North Korea’s nuclear test site in Punggye-ri last month indicated continued activity, even in winter, according to analysis by 38 North, a North Korea website affiliated with the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.

The Security Council on Tuesday reiterated a demand that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program in a “complete, verifiable and irreversible manner,” and ordered the regime to cease rocket launches.

“Today’s resolution also makes clear that if North Korea chooses again to defy the international community, such as by conducting another launch or a nuclear test, then the [security] Council will take significant action,” U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said.

The binding resolution is the first in four years to expand sanctions against Pyongyang. It ordered the freeze of more North Korean assets, including the space agency, and imposed a travel ban on four more officials - limited sanctions that target individuals and specific companies.

“We believe that action taken by the Council should be prudent, measured, proportionate and conducive to stability,” Chinese Ambassador Li Baodong said after the vote.

Last month’s rocket launch has been celebrated as a success in North Korea, and the scientists involved treated like heroes. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cited the success of the launch in his New Year’s Day speech laying out North Korea’s main policies and goals for the upcoming year.

Washington and its allies consider the long-range rocket launch a covert test of ballistic missile technology, and suspect Pyongyang is working toward mounting a nuclear warhead on a missile capable of striking the U.S.

North Korea claims the right to build nuclear weapons as a defense against the United States, which stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea. The foes fought on opposite sides of the three-year Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953 and left the Korean Peninsula divided at the 38th parallel.

Six-nation disarmament negotiations hosted by China aimed at offering North Korea much-needed food and fuel in return for dismantling its nuclear program have been stalled since North Korea walked away from the talks following U.N. punishment for its 2009 rocket launch.

Since then, Pyongyang had indicated its readiness to resume discussing disarmament, and in February 2012 negotiated a deal with Washington to place a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests in exchange for food aid.

But that deal fell apart when North Korea unsuccessfully launched a long-range rocket in April.

The Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it would rebuff any attempts to engage Pyongyang in disarmament negotiations.

“There can be talks for peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region in the future, but no talks for the denuclearization of the peninsula,” it said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The decision by China, North Korea’s biggest ally and economic supporter, to approve the U.N. resolution after drawn-out discussions at the U.N. may reflect some frustration on Beijing’s part toward its neighbor.

“China has limited influence with North Korea,” Zhang Liangui, a researcher with the ruling Communist Party’s main research and training institute, said in Beijing. “Beijing disapproves of any nuclear test or new missile launch, but there’s not a lot it can do.”

[chillumpuffer]

watch out Des Moines

[crizman]

...nonetheless the Obama Administration is clearly more concerned with granting citizenship to more than eleven million illegal aliens, gay rights, and securing Congressional approval to crash through a sixteen trillion dollar debt ceiling in March.

Dont forget trying to COVER-Up the Benghazi attack!

[TypeO]

They can't do that!

Because... sanctions!!!

[Sagittarius Rising]

Dont forget trying to COVER-Up the Benghazi attack!

Now that is funny. I loved how McCain called Hillary out for not having the information saying if he were president she would be fired. Hmmm, strange perspective from a guy who had no problem with Condi Rice having EXTENSIVE information months prior to the Sept 11th attacks, information which was ignored by both Rice and Bush. So, 2,996 people killed and over 6,000 wounded in a very preventable attack, no problem, however 4 Americans killed without any warning, bad. The duality never ceases to amaze.

N Korean leadership is a bunch of assholes who know their days are numbered, hell even China is getting sick of them. I only worry that if they do perfect these weapons they will use them in a final death throw so to speak. I believe the north will be invaded on two fronts within two years if they keep this up. China will say enough, Korea will say F-off, China will invade from the north while S Korea and American forces invade from the south. Right now it is just a race against the clock and hoping China gets fed up before N Korea blows their wad.

[Anjin-san]

China defended N. Korea before and will do so again.

[ally]

China defended N. Korea before and will do so again.

Yep ! No matter what they've said in the past about not wanting to be inudated with North Korean refugees, if someone else is going to gain control of the north half of that peninsula, you have to believe that the Chinese would think they should be the ones

[TypeO]

Now that is funny. I loved how McCain called Hillary out for not having the information saying if he were president she would be fired. Hmmm, strange perspective from a guy who had no problem with Condi Rice having EXTENSIVE information months prior to the Sept 11th attacks, information which was ignored by both Rice and Bush. So, 2,996 people killed and over 6,000 wounded in a very preventable attack, no problem, however 4 Americans killed without any warning, bad. The duality never ceases to amaze.

4 Americans killed without any warning?

There were quite a few warnings and direct requests from Christopher Stephens in the days leading up to and even as it was happening, and the AFRICOM Commander was relieved of duty while attempting to respond to the requests for help from the embassy after being directed not to give aid.

Why in the world do you think the White House would instruct troops in the vicinity to stand down and not send a response team to help protect Americans in that embassy?

Of the 2, it's fairly easy to conclude Benghazi was a lot more preventable than 9/11.

It's not like they had an email specifying the Twin Towers would be hit, only multiple bits of intel that - after the fact - are easily put together.

Seeing 9/11 clearly after the fact is hardly the same as refusing direct requests for enhanced security.

Not to mention - again - how do you get caught by surprise on 9/11?

Hell, even military posts here in the US are at extremely heightened security on 9/11 - getting through the gate is a bitch.

[redrum]

Dont forget trying to COVER-Up the Benghazi attack!

I couldn't stomach the gushing praise put on Hillary by her fellow Dems. You'd have thought she'd saved the universe and has served for 90 years or something.

BUT WHAT DOES IT MATTER AT THIS POINT?

I think her green outfit had an extra coating of teflon doncha' think?

The lefties will get us all killed.

[redrum]

The little fat boy having a temper tantrum?

[Cecil.]

If their missile.. sorry satellte launch program is anything to go by, they seem more of a danger to themselves right now.

[redrum]

China defended N. Korea before and will do so again.

Where's a drone when you need one?

:^)

[planted]

Talk about much ado about nothing.

Maybe it's me, but N Korea strikes me as a place that is all talk...if they were viewed as a serious threat to this country, their country would have been made into a glowing neon parking lot by now.

[ZEPFAN17]

The little fat boy having a temper tantrum?

someone needs to snuff little man out..

[ZEPFAN17]

I listened to all major news sources and not one even mentioned it today. Do they take him seriously? If ever someone needed to be taken out it would be that little crazy spoiled brat.

[Sagittarius Rising]

4 Americans killed without any warning?

There were quite a few warnings and direct requests from Christopher Stephens in the days leading up to and even as it was happening, and the AFRICOM Commander was relieved of duty while attempting to respond to the requests for help from the embassy after being directed not to give aid.

Why in the world do you think the White House would instruct troops in the vicinity to stand down and not send a response team to help protect Americans in that embassy?

Of the 2, it's fairly easy to conclude Benghazi was a lot more preventable than 9/11.

It's not like they had an email specifying the Twin Towers would be hit, only multiple bits of intel that - after the fact - are easily put together.

Seeing 9/11 clearly after the fact is hardly the same as refusing direct requests for enhanced security.

Not to mention - again - how do you get caught by surprise on 9/11?

Hell, even military posts here in the US are at extremely heightened security on 9/11 - getting through the gate is a bitch.

Oh come one, everyone knows the intel pre-911 was massive, Rice, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Cheney, they all knew yet nothing was done and Bush went on vacation. Then in the aftermath our government personally escorts the Bin Laden family (of which Bush had been meeting with) out of the country when all flights had been grounded. Nothing going on there. Yet Benghazi is considered worse??? That makes no sense.

[greenman]

...nonetheless the Obama Administration is clearly more concerned with granting citizenship to more than eleven million illegal aliens, gay rights, and securing Congressional approval to crash through a sixteen trillion dollar debt ceiling in March.

Ah so someone else has picked up on the clever link between gay rights and North Korean appeasement.

[TypeO]

Oh come one, everyone knows the intel pre-911 was massive, Rice, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Cheney, they all knew yet nothing was done and Bush went on vacation. Then in the aftermath our government personally escorts the Bin Laden family (of which Bush had been meeting with) out of the country when all flights had been grounded. Nothing going on there. Yet Benghazi is considered worse??? That makes no sense.

You're starting to sound like a 9/11 conspiracy theorist.

Again, it's easy to connect the dots on 9/11 after the fact, but picking out all that particular intel from the massive amounts of random intel that they constantly harvest and putting just those that are relevant together to see what's coming is a rather far-fetched and unrealistic expectation.

Hindsight is 20-20, and you know it.

The embassy in Benghazi was begging for help, and even after the attack had begun the White House ordered nearby support to stand down.

That's a fact.

And they knew what was happening from the very beginning.

The video story was an intentional smokescreen meant to obfuscate their (Obama Administration's) lack of preparation on such an obvious high security-risk date.

I think they overestimated the media's willingness to play along with such a flimsy and outlandish cover story.

There really is no comparison between the breakdowns in communications and cooperation between agencies on and leading up to 9/11 and the ignoring of direct requests for help leading up to and even after events had begun in Benghazi.

Sorry.

I know Bush is evil and inept and Obama can do no wrong, but this one can't be rationalized or marginalized.

It was an entirely preventable fuck-up that Team O stumbled on during their ever-so-more-important re-election operation.

[Cecil.]

The little fat boy having a temper tantrum?

He looks rather Ronery ...

[Mr Tibbs]

They're just yanking our chain. Fatboy couldn't hit a cow's arse with a frying pan.

[JTM]

Time for the South Park people to make "Team America pt 2" Fuck Yeah.

[redrum]

Time for the South Park people to make "Team America pt 2" Fuck Yeah.

With Cartman as Kim Dong Yuchh? :^)

[Led Dirigible]

They're just yanking our chain. Fatboy couldn't hit a cow's arse with a frying pan.

[ally]

They're just yanking our chain. Fatboy couldn't hit a cow's arse with a frying pan.

Probably . He has to prove to his generals that he's not a sell out

[Sagittarius Rising]

You're starting to sound like a 9/11 conspiracy theorist.

Again, it's easy to connect the dots on 9/11 after the fact, but picking out all that particular intel from the massive amounts of random intel that they constantly harvest and putting just those that are relevant together to see what's coming is a rather far-fetched and unrealistic expectation.

Hindsight is 20-20, and you know it.

The embassy in Benghazi was begging for help, and even after the attack had begun the White House ordered nearby support to stand down.

That's a fact.

And they knew what was happening from the very beginning.

The video story was an intentional smokescreen meant to obfuscate their (Obama Administration's) lack of preparation on such an obvious high security-risk date.

I think they overestimated the media's willingness to play along with such a flimsy and outlandish cover story.

There really is no comparison between the breakdowns in communications and cooperation between agencies on and leading up to 9/11 and the ignoring of direct requests for help leading up to and even after events had begun in Benghazi.

Sorry.

I know Bush is evil and inept and Obama can do no wrong, but this one can't be rationalized or marginalized.

It was an entirely preventable fuck-up that Team O stumbled on during their ever-so-more-important re-election operation.

So if I raise questions which are historical fact than I am sounding like a conspiracy theorist, but when you do the same regarding Benghazi it is somehow different. Your position that the intel regarding 911 is easy to understand AFTER the attack but not before the attack is completely wrong. The CIA and FBI had been SCREAMING to the administration for over two months prior that an attack, from the air, on NY was IMMINENT yet nothing was done.

I am not saying mistakes, big ones, were not made regarding Benghazi (drawing down support after a bi-partisan congress voted to reduce funding with a majority of republicans signing on), just as mistakes were made regarding 911. What I am saying is mistakes do happen and I was neither privy to the administrations "vibe" so to speak either pre-911 or pre-Bengahzi, nor is anyone else outside of the inner circle, so there really is no way to determine what is politics, mistake, negligence, or malice. It is nothing but armchair quarterbacking in the end.