Korea Part 2: Sinking Of A Ship And The Chance The US Could Be Called TO Duty

[Obama 2012 1,714]

(CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Friday that North Korea must faces consequences over the alleged sinking of a South Korean warship which has stoked tensions in the divided peninsular.

A South Korean military report published this week claimed that the sinking of the Cheonan was caused by a North Korean torpedo attack.

Pyongyang denies that claim and said Friday that it could back out of a nonaggression pact between the neighbors if Seoul attempted to punish it over the sinking.

North Korea and South Korea have remained officially at war since an armistice in 1953 brought their three-year Cold War conflict to an end.

"I think it's important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences," Clinton said Friday as she began a week-long Asian tour in Tokyo, Japan. "We cannot allow the attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community."

She said she was consulting with international allies to find the appropriate reaction.

Meanwhile, North Korea said Friday that it would "regard the present situation as the phase of a war" after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak accused it of engaging in military provocation and violating the armistice agreement between the nations, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korean military officials on Thursday announced the results of an official investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan, which concluded that North Korea fired a torpedo that cut the vessel in half.

Lee vowed Thursday to take "resolute countermeasures" against North Korea for its alleged attack, according to his office.

Should South Korea take steps to retaliate, North Korea will "strongly react to them with such merciless punishment as the total freeze of the inter-Korean relations, the complete abrogation of the north-south agreement on nonaggression and a total halt to the inter-Korean cooperation undertakings," North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said in a statement, Yonhap reported.

North Korea denied Thursday that it sunk the warship, which went down on March 26, killing 46 sailors.

"We had already warned the South Korean group of traitors not to make reckless remarks concerning the sinking of warship Cheonan of the puppet navy," North Korea's national defense commission said in a statement Thursday responding to the investigators' report, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

"Nevertheless, the group of traitors had far-fetchedly tried to link the case with us without offering any material evidence," the statement said.

The South Korean military group that presented its report on the ship's sinking Thursday comprises experts from South Korea, Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the torpedo was fired by a North Korean submarine," said Dr. Yoon Duk-yong, the group's co-chair.

"There is no other plausible explanation," he said.

China asked both sides to stay calm to avoid an "escalation of the situation," said the country's foreign affairs ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu.

U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said the status of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea has not changed because of the findings.

"They are on their normal state of readiness. They are engaged very routinely out there," Mullen said.

The United States is bound by treaty to assist South Korea if it goes to war.

Japan said it stands behind South Korea. "We had received extensive explanation from the ROK [Republic of Korea] side prior to today's announcement," Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a statement.

"On this basis, Japan strongly supports the ROK. North Korea's action cannot be condoned by any means, and Japan together with the international community strongly condemns North Korea," the prime minister said.

"In handling this matter, Japan will continue its close coordination and cooperation for regional peace and stability with the countries concerned, including the ROK and the United States."

Military and civilian briefers said that damage to the Cheonan's hulk and injuries on the bodies of the sailors were consistent with the kind of "shock-wave and bubble effect" produced by a homing torpedo attack. Seismic data, witness statements and computer modeling provided further corroboration, Yoon said.

Briefers displayed torpedo parts recovered from the Cheonan wreck site: part of a motor, a shaft and parts of the propeller. Korean writing, with the words "Number 1" were inscribed on fragments of the weapon. The parts displayed in a glass case were compared and shown to be identical to the blueprint of a 7.35 meter torpedo, obtained from a North Korean weapons export brochure.

General Han Won-dong, director of South Korea's Defense Intelligence Agency, declined to state how or where South Korea had obtained the brochure, citing security sensitivities.

International members of the investigative team agreed with the conclusions.

"We worked closely and collaboratively, using separate tools and methods," said Adm. Thomas Eccles of the U.S. Navy, adding that all members of the international team were in agreement.

Military officials also identified what they believe to be the type of vessel responsible.

"A few small submarines and a mother ship supporting them left a North Korea naval base in the West Sea [Yellow Sea] two - three days prior to the attack," Yoon said, citing information gathered by a multinational task force made up of Australia, Canada, South Korea, the UK and the U.S.

The likely culprit was a midget submarine of the Yeono ("Salmon"), a vessel equipped with night vision equipment, Han said.

This is not the first clash the two Koreas have had near the maritime border.

In 1999 and 2002, there were fatal naval clashes between surface patrol boats near the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea. A November shooting incident also may have killed North Korean sailors.

However, the use of a submarine is a significant escalation in terms of weapons used. It's also the deadliest North Korean attack since the bombing of a South Korean airliner killed 115 people in 1987.

Gen. Park Jung-i, who co-chaired the investigative committee, said that South Korea would give the evidence to the Armistice Commission that oversees the ceasefire that ended the 1950-1953 on the Korean peninsula. The commission would make the findings available to North Korea, he said.

Asked what defensive moves the South Korean navy is taking to prevent a recurrence, Han said that that the navy would establish anti-submarine detection measures, but admitted the difficulty of detecting an underwater submarine once it has left its base.

[Heracles 417]

I like how NK plays dumb regarding the sinking.

Countries run by despot leaders like that need to be crushed.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Yeah - that'll happen, with the US mired in two middle east wars, a public tired of war and an economy that is still in recession.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Yeah - that'll happen, with the US mired in two middle east wars, a public tired of war and an economy that is still in recession.

You might have missed the part that said the US is bound by treaty to help S.Korea if it goes to war. We wouldn't have a choice unless the administration wants to break that treaty and just leave them to it. I really doubt that would happen.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

You might have missed the part that said the US is bound by treaty to help S.Korea if it goes to war. We wouldn't have a choice unless the administration wants to break that treaty and just leave them to it. I really doubt that would happen.

I'm well aware of it, but I doubt that this will end up in a shooting war. NK seems to enjoy a bit of sabre-rattling now and again - pushing to boundaries of what they can get away with. They know (as we do) that the US isn't in a good position to go to war on 3 fronts.

Part of the reason NK is tolerated is because it is an ally of China and Russia.

[Heracles 417]

I'm well aware of it, but I doubt that this will end up in a shooting war. NK seems to enjoy a bit of sabre-rattling now and again - pushing to boundaries of what they can get away with. They know (as we do) that the US isn't in a good position to go to war on 3 fronts.

Part of the reason NK is tolerated is because it is an ally of China and Russia.

There is no denying that China and Russia would bankroll such a war, including supplying military equipment.

Ironically the US would have to borrow from China to fund the war against their ally.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I'm well aware of it, but I doubt that this will end up in a shooting war. NK seems to enjoy a bit of sabre-rattling now and again - pushing to boundaries of what they can get away with. They know (as we do) that the US isn't in a good position to go to war on 3 fronts.

Part of the reason NK is tolerated is because it is an ally of China and Russia.

At this point I really doubt that Russia and China would take an active role in helping N. Korea. We will get to a tipping point if N. Korea keeps pushing its luck. More than warning shots will be fired, more than a mysterious ship sinking that took months to figure out what happened. We will at some point see a hot war and we will be drawn into it. I have a feeling that N.Korea and not Iran will be the catalyst that sparks our first nuclear exchange since WW2.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

There will be no war. If North Korea attacked it would equal mutual destruction. I think current estimates say the South would be overrun in under 17 hours. But, because of this both the US and S. Korea would have to fight primarily by air from surrounding bases. You'd have lancers and B2s running nonstop raids on the North, every cruise missile in our possession would be used and you'd have 3 carriers parked there within a week.

Also the US has reserved the use of nuclear weapons, though Obama would likely balk. (Did you know that during the Korean War, the bomb was on the table and fairly close to being used?)

[JohnSmith2007 353]

There will be no war. If North Korea attacked it would equal mutual destruction. I think current estimates say the South would be overrun in under 17 hours. But, because of this both the US and S. Korea would have to fight primarily by air from surrounding bases. You'd have lancers and B2s running nonstop raids on the North, every cruise missile in our possession would be used and you'd have 3 carriers parked there within a week.

Also the US has reserved the use of nuclear weapons, though Obama would likely balk. (Did you know that during the Korean War, the bomb was on the table and fairly close to being used?)

McArther wanted to use the bomb when the Chinese invaded. It is one of the reasons he was replaced by Truman. I hope your right about not being a war. But I really have my doubts. N.Korea will finally go to far and it will start all over again with the US right in the middle of it.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

If North Korea invades S. Korea, they couldn't be stopped without the use of nuclear weapons. S Korea would fall in a few days. We would literally have to nuke them off the map. Ain't gonna happen. All that will come out of the ship sinking incident will be more sanctions, and we know how well that has worked.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

There will be no war. If North Korea attacked it would equal mutual destruction. I think current estimates say the South would be overrun in under 17 hours. But, because of this both the US and S. Korea would have to fight primarily by air from surrounding bases. You'd have lancers and B2s running nonstop raids on the North, every cruise missile in our possession would be used and you'd have 3 carriers parked there within a week.

Also the US has reserved the use of nuclear weapons, though Obama would likely balk. (Did you know that during the Korean War, the bomb was on the table and fairly close to being used?)

Nixon is supposed to have asked Robert S McNamara about using the Bomb in Vietnam.

[Danno 1,228]

You might have missed the part that said the US is bound by treaty to help S.Korea if it goes to war. We wouldn't have a choice unless the administration wants to break that treaty and just leave them to it. I really doubt that would happen.

This is a perfect example of how the US will be dragged inevitably into some war we have no interest... not business in.

All these countries which have offered these same war-guarentees too in NATO, in fact it wasn't long ago they were pushing to get Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia signed up for Nato as well....it's crazy.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

This is a perfect example of how the US will be dragged inevitably into some war we have no interest... not business in.

All these countries which have offered these same war-guarentees too in NATO, in fact it wasn't long ago they were pushing to get Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia signed up for Nato as well....it's crazy.

just a little behind the times, are you?

"It has been half a century of strong solidarity with the entire Atlantic community, and determined contribution to Euro-Atlantic security", stressed NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, in a statement on the 50th anniversary of Greece and Turkey in NATO. Both countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty on 18 February 1952 and have been "key contributors" in promoting the security of the Euro-Atlantic area, and more specifically, NATO's Southern Flank.

http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2002/02-february/e0218a.htm

dated Week of 18-24 February 2002

Edited May 24, 2010 by charles!

[Pooky 3,783]

If North Korea invades S. Korea, they couldn't be stopped without the use of nuclear weapons. S Korea would fall in a few days. We would literally have to nuke them off the map. Ain't gonna happen. All that will come out of the ship sinking incident will be more sanctions, and we know how well that has worked.

Don't be so sure about that. N. Korea has a large numerical in ground forces, true. But their mechanical units are old and lack effective support and their air force is nothing to write home about. Whereas S. Korea has a well trained army, with modern, well maintained equipment and the ROKAF has modern American-made equipment, which mirrors that used by the USAF in most regards.

If it came to a shooting war, it is not a foregone conclusion that N. Korea would win. It is quite conceivable that the initial wave of N. Korean troops would be stopped. Then we get into the realms of the N. Koreans trying first use of tactical nukes just to regain the initiative.

If it goes that far, how do you clean up the mess?

[Danno 1,228]

just a little behind the times, are you?

"It has been half a century of strong solidarity with the entire Atlantic community, and determined contribution to Euro-Atlantic security", stressed NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, in a statement on the 50th anniversary of Greece and Turkey in NATO. Both countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty on 18 February 1952 and have been "key contributors" in promoting the security of the Euro-Atlantic area, and more specifically, NATO's Southern Flank.

http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2002/02-february/e0218a.htm

dated Week of 18-24 February 2002

Ouch, That Hurt Charles.