Gunboat Diplomacy?

[HeyYou]

One of the biggest complaints I continue to see from our government, is the LACK of intelligence from North Korea. We get signals intercepts, and satellite imagery, but, that's it. We have nothing, and no one that can provides us with RELIABLE, up-to-date intel. It's likely the primary reason this particular situation has gone on as long as it has. You can bet your bottom dollar that even some of the defectors were SENT to provide disinformation. It's certainly a tactic I would use....... if nothing else, just to muddy the waters a bit.

[Aurielius]

This is a night sat picture of North Korea. In an actual and metaphorical sense ..it's all dark to us.

The upside of NK's electrical grid shortfalls is better nighttime security for them.

 

 

http://geoawesomeness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/North-Karea.jpg

[Aurielius]

@fkemmen11

I always believe in admitting a possible tactical assessment error. The USS Michigan an Ohio class SSGN evidently just reached the SK port of Busan. It has on it's aft deck what looks like a SOF platform designed for SEAL insertions. Maybe you are right after all, or it's part of the visual display of power projection. It's is never the sub that you can see that is the cause for concern..it's the ones you can't.

 

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/webphoto/web_170425-N-WT427-001.JPG

[HeyYou]

That should get lil Kim a tad nervous. :D

[Fkemman11]

The news circulating pointing to a lack of intel on NK could just be disinformation fed to the press- which is monitered by the NKs and the Chinese. In other words would'nt we want them to think that we have very little intel? The fact is the news agencies are being played by the intellegence community for their benifit. There are layers and layers of false intel, propoganda, and other things that are used until only a certain few know the truth about a given situation.

 

The thing is that something might happen and we will never hear about it. US forces might withdraw from the region without seemingly doing anything after several weeks- but suddenly the NKs want to talk and are willing to concede a great deal.

Think Jason Borne. A single agent might have a very private conversation with Kim- at 0300 in his bedroom with a silencer pressed to his temple. This does happen and you will never hear or read anything about it. :wink:

[Signette]

Can't believe ppl taking it serious... NK having nukes with missile dummies exploding 5 secs after the launch. Really? Country is starving to death, all wealth is concentrated around god palace of Kim with newest models of Bugatti and Maybach around along with all luxury from the western world which isn't cheap. Not many people taking into account how pricey and technologically difficult is maintenance of nuclear weaponry, and even if we allow that NK is on such high scientifically advanced level to develop and sustain those armaments, but cannot produce launch carrier, what's the point?

Seoul and Tokio are obviously too jumpy, as always, but Kim is just performing his famous shakedown for funds, as always... poor China.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Signette

[HeyYou]

Can't believe ppl taking it serious... NK having nukes with missile dummies exploding 5 secs after the launch. Really? Country is starving to death, all wealth is concentrated around god palace of Kim with newest models of Bugatti and Maybach around along with all luxury from the western world which isn't cheap. Not many people taking into account how pricey and technologically difficult is maintenance of nuclear weaponry, and even if we allow that NK is on such high scientifically advanced level to develop and sustain those armaments, but cannot produce launch carrier, what's the point?

Seoul and Tokio are obviously too jumpy, as always, but Kim is just performing his famous shakedown for funds, as always... poor China.

So far, I think the best he has done is sub-10 kilotons.... not even as big as the smallest bomb we dropped on Japan. Still, it would make a pretty serious mess. And you are correct, he doesn't have a missile that will carry one. Yet. But, even old tech can get the job done...... Drop one on Seoul, and the picture will change dramatically. Do I think kim would be so stupid? No, not really... But, better to be prepared, than caught with your pants down. Even better to nip the problem in the bud before it even becomes an issue...... How becomes the big question. Negotiations/agreements are quite obviously worthless... So, we need to get China to reign in their little dog.

[Aurielius]

"If the U.S. military were to conduct a preemptive strike in an attempt to nip the problem in the bud, the chances of success are not great.

If U.S. forces could find all of Pyongyang’s missiles — and that’s a big if — it would take enormous firepower to make sure they were all eradicated. There are not just rockets and intercontinental missiles — some of which can be hidden —but also hundreds of short- and medium- and intermediate-range missiles capable of hitting as far away as Japan or potentially U.S. troops on the Pacific island of Guam. Pyongyang is said to have some 1,000 missiles.

And North Korea still has about 10,000 artillery shells ready to fire from caves and other hiding places and capable of reaching South Korea’s capital, Seoul, within minutes."

 

-Brookings Institute

[HeyYou]

"If the U.S. military were to conduct a preemptive strike in an attempt to nip the problem in the bud, the chances of success are not great.

If U.S. forces could find all of Pyongyang’s missiles — and that’s a big if — it would take enormous firepower to make sure they were all eradicated. There are not just rockets and intercontinental missiles — some of which can be hidden —but also hundreds of short- and medium- and intermediate-range missiles capable of hitting as far away as Japan or potentially U.S. troops on the Pacific island of Guam. Pyongyang is said to have some 1,000 missiles.

And North Korea still has about 10,000 artillery shells ready to fire from caves and other hiding places and capable of reaching South Korea’s capital, Seoul, within minutes."

 

-Brookings Institute

 

Yup. And therein lies the problem. There is simply no defense against all those artillery pieces. Some 8000 of which are within range of Seoul....... We don't have a prayer of taking out all of them before NK could do some serious damage.

[TheMastersSon]

"Kim is just performing his famous shakedown for funds, as always... poor China."

 

This.

 

As for poor China, the term is mutually exclusive. Thanks to Richard Nixon they've managed to steal much of the Western world's economy. IMO North Korea is their monster to handle.