[deathfun]

Does anyone want a place sympathetic to the United States anywhere near their borders?

Should have mentioned South Korea's psychic commandos then.

Ha!

[Polpolion]

Does anyone want a place sympathetic to the United States anywhere near their borders?

The United States does?

[Luis Dias]

Does anyone want a place sympathetic to the United States anywhere near their borders?

wat. Brain melting from eye contact to this comment. arrg

[MP-Ryan]

I wouldn't be overly concerned about anything nuclear leaving the Korean coastline; a couple of Arleigh-Burke-class missile destroyers are permanently stationed in Japan and have been deployed to Korea, at least according to a friend of mine who served on one until very recently.

[FreeSpaceFreak]

I wouldn't be overly concerned about anything nuclear leaving the Korean coastline; a couple of Arleigh-Burke-class missile destroyers are permanently stationed in Japan and have been deployed to Korea, at least according to a friend of mine who served on one until very recently.

The couple hundred artillery pieces aimed on SK would be a bigger concern... Especially if some of them are loaded with biological/chemical ammo.

[NGTM-1R]

Does anyone want a place sympathetic to the United States anywhere near their borders?

Europe.

[headdie]

Does anyone want a place sympathetic to the United States anywhere near their borders?

Europe.

Not sympathetic per say, just look at us in the UK during Blair's prime ministership believe me it's more trouble than it's worth.  It is on the other hand useful to be friendly with the US, from a safe distance.

[StarSlayer]

By the same token would you want someplace that's viewed as an irritating thorn to the United States on your border?

[Nuke]

china might be better off being next to a unified korea with a sane government than it would be next to nk as it is or the radioactive slag pit it will be if they keep stroking their nuclear phallus.

[Dragon]

Hopefully, the whole situation is just a flash in the pan. NK doesn't really have missiles capable of reaching US. Last time they tried to test one (Taepodong-2) it exploded 40 seconds after launch, and it wasn't shot down, either. They could target Guam or maybe Okinawa (there's an USMC base there), but US military has already taken steps against that. Not to mention I think they'd be wiped out the second after launch if the actually dared to try that. In Poland, we call that sort of thing "going against the sun with a hoe".

[BloodEagle]

As has been mentioned earlier, the big problem is what will happen to South Korea.

--

What are the weather patterns like around there?  I'm curious where any fallout would end up.

[FireSpawn]

I'm having a hard time deciding how seriously to take this and it's really damaging my calm

I second this thought. If anything should be taken seriously, it should be threats made by a Nation regarding deployment of their nukes. The simple fact that my first thought was to make fun of NK and their resolve to actually use them, disconcerts me.
Sure the chances are slim that anyone would be insane enough to actually do it, but still...I can't shake the feeling that it's all playing out like some twisted version of "The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf!'", where they get ignored right up until an SK city gets turned into a lake and the **** hits the fan in a massive way.

Where's Big Boss Solid Snake Grey Fox Raiden a healthy dose of FOXDIE when you need it.

[Veers]

So according to the latest news broadcast I just finished watching. NK is sabre-rattling not to cause a fight, but because they feel insecure and want a formal peace treaty with SK so they don't get attacked etc. To protect NK they are making all the offensive noise they can.

Regardless, a damn well dangerous line to take either way.

[FireSpawn]

Because nothing says "Let's be friends, I don't Really want to blow you up." like "See all these guns pointed at your city? And this missile that glows in the dark? Yeah, we will use them on you."

[NGTM-1R]

What are the weather patterns like around there?  I'm curious where any fallout would end up.

Winds are southerly. Basically the entire central valley of South Korea would probably end up contaminated by chemical or nuclear stuff.

[Spoon]

So according to the latest news broadcast I just finished watching. NK is sabre-rattling not to cause a fight, but because they feel insecure and want a formal peace treaty with SK so they don't get attacked etc. To protect NK they are making all the offensive noise they can.

Regardless, a damn well dangerous line to take either way.

If they succeed in making a peace treaty this way, the regime can tell its people 'that the imperial dogs were so afraid of the north korean might, they ran to the great leader to beg for peace'. The peons will eat it up.

[Veers]

Not saying I believe that, but it's another 'opinion' that I havent heard about the entire situation before.

Might fit the thinking though, as you (Spoon) pointed out.

[Al-Rik]

If they succeed in making a peace treaty this way, the regime can tell its people 'that the imperial dogs were so afraid of the north korean might, they ran to the great leader to beg for peace'. The peons will eat it up.

But without the constant thread of an invasion from the South the people of North Korea might starting to question the "military first" policy. That would be a serious thread to the Kim Family and all of their supporters.
Keeping the conflict boiling at a low temperature could avoid this thread.

[headdie]

If they succeed in making a peace treaty this way, the regime can tell its people 'that the imperial dogs were so afraid of the north korean might, they ran to the great leader to beg for peace'. The peons will eat it up.

But without the constant thread of an invasion from the South the people of North Korea might starting to question the "military first" policy. That would be a serious thread to the Kim Family and all of their supporters.
Keeping the conflict boiling at a low temperature could avoid this thread.

nothing to stop the heathens from banging the war drums later

[Luis Dias]

Look, all you need to know about NK has been written in its adopted manifesto when NK was founded in 1948, best known as "1984".