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Kim Jong-il Likely Authorized Attack on South Korean Warship

This is huge.  It’s not surprising, since very few things of this magnitude happen in a totalitarian nation without approval from the top, but it still kicks it up a few notches. 

A new American intelligence analysis of a deadly torpedo attack on a South Korean warship concludes that Kim Jong-il, the ailing leader of North Korea, must have authorized the torpedo assault, according to senior American officials who cautioned that the assessment was based on their sense of the political dynamics there rather than hard evidence.

The officials said they were increasingly convinced that Mr. Kim ordered the sinking of the ship, the Cheonan, to help secure the succession of his youngest son.

“We can’t say it is established fact,” said one senior American official who was involved in the highly classified assessment, based on information collected by many of the country’s 16 intelligence agencies. “But there is very little doubt, based on what we know about the current state of the North Korean leadership and the military.”

Posted by Owen at 1004 hrs
Foreign Affairs

1. I read an article about that earlier as well, and what I didn’t understand was the logic (not that N. Korea ever uses any) of Kim Jong-il attacking the sub to secure succession for his son.  Was his son in danger of not getting to be dictator if his dad didn’t try to start another war or something?

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1009 hrs
   
   
   

2. It’s always hard to divine the intentions of lunatics.  My take is that Kim wanted to show his power and the fact that nobody will retaliate against him.  In other words, he is powerful and the world fears him, so they will fear his son too.  Or something like that.

   Posted by Owen on May 23, 2010 at 1012 hrs
   
   
   

3. So what is Barry going to do about it? Nothing - except embolden all the other 2-bit dictators around the world to try and up this one.

   Amateur hour continues…

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1019 hrs
   
   
   

4. So what is Barry going to do about it?

   What do you want him to do about it?  Make a speech?  Ask congress to pass a resolution condemning the actions of N. Korea?  Maybe unleash the power of Hillary Clinton on them?

   Posted by Jay4Liberty on May 23, 2010 at 1023 hrs
   
   
   

5. There are many things that can be done to them. Sanctions, aid cuts, increase aid to South Korea, etc etc etc

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1123 hrs
   
   
   

6. There are many things that can be done to them. Sanctions, aid cuts, increase aid to South Korea, etc etc etc

   All of which would have little to no effect on how N. Korea and it’s regime currently behaves.  It may feel good but won’t accomplish anything.

   Posted by Jay4Liberty on May 23, 2010 at 1134 hrs
   
   
   

7. Actually, Obama could do something indirectly.  He can put pressure on China, which is only major country that is propping up North Korea.  But Obama won’t pressure China, so North Korea just got away with murdering 46 sailors.  Makes you wonder what would happen if N. Korea went after a U.S. ship,

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1226 hrs
   
   
   

8. The U.S, is in no position to be pressuring China.  They should try though, it would be interesting to watch it play out.

   Posted by Jay4Liberty on May 23, 2010 at 1236 hrs
   
   
   

9. Don’t pressure China.  Someone has to pay for that Talgo train line to Madison!

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1243 hrs
   
   
   

10. So what is Barry going to do about it? Nothing

    Why do people always expect the United States to do something?  Shit, people in this country don’t expect our government to be nannies to us, why should we expect the United States to be the nanny to the world.  We spend 1 trillion dollars a year nannying the world.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1243 hrs
    
    
    

11. So we should have let Hitler just overrun Europe.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1252 hrs
    
    
    

12. So we should have let Hitler just overrun Europe.

    Exactly who is North Korea going to overrun?

    Want to pressure China? How?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1309 hrs
    
    
    

13. So we should have let Hitler just overrun Europe.

    Bill, you should attempt to make an analogy that is apples to apples versus apples to rocks.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1438 hrs
    
    
    

14. Comparing Hitler to N Korea is ridiculous Bill, and you know it.  All of us would like to see N Korea be a little less crazy and fit with our worldview a little more, but China is really the only country that can influence N Korea in any way.  Unless we are willing to go to war with N Korea and obliterate the country completely, there really is very little you we can do that we haven’t done already…

    We already sanction N Korea and aid S Korea.  Unless China feels like helping us, and why would they, N Korea can just run around being crazy.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1439 hrs
    
    
    

15. I think this is South Korea’s issue, and we need to just back their play.  I don’t think they want to start a war, but I’m surprised they haven’t just offed Kim Jong yet.  I would guess there is a big part of North Korea that would welcome not spending all of their GNP on their military. 

    Not much we can do to North Korea, unless South Korea wants to sink a few dozen North Korean ships in response.  Then it becomes how quickly can we help South Korea bomb the north into one giant piece of glass.

    I am surprised that China doesn’t put more “stop being crazy” pressure on them though.  I doubt China wants the diversion of a war when they are acquiring us the easy way, without firing a shot. 

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1454 hrs
    
    
    

16. South Korea’s play should be to acquire nuclear weapons.  This is the pressure that needs to be applied to China.  China needs to be presented with the paossibility of a nuclear S. Korea, Taiwan and Japan if no action is to be taken against N. Korea.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1503 hrs
    
    
    

17. North Korea would not deny attacking the south, they have denied sinking the ship since day one. More then likely this is a coverup for Myung-bak’s crappy spending or lack of on the navy or perhaps an excuse to make Jong-il attack. Although all this may stop China backing the North but highly unlikely. Lets hope the stand off stays, if the north attack MANY people including americans will die. You really dont want to annoy a sleeping dragon(china).

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1602 hrs
    
    
    

18. Why exactly is it the US who has to do something??  We need to stop being the world’s policeman.  It’s way to expensive and the upside comes no where close to being equal to the downside.

    If one country invades and takes over another country militarily, that is a different story.  But minor boarder skirmish’s or a single ship firing on a non-US ships should not be our business.

    If you haven’t noticed, our country is broke.  Can we please have some policies that take that into account??

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1922 hrs
    
    
    

19. The US is too busy apologizing to China for our horrible human rights record to pressure China…  that and grovelling for them to keep purchasing our debt.

    Side note, weren’t there a bunch of protests in South Korea in the past few years to pressure the US to leave the peninsula?  It would be interesting to see how they feel now.  But Obambi should start asking Seoul to pay for the US troops there.  The Sourth Korean government is subsidizing their businesses so they can provide lower bids.  US companies can’t compete.  If they got money for that…

    Just sayin’

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on May 23, 2010 at 1949 hrs
    
    
    

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