Reuters: U.N. puts harsh new sanctions on North Korea drafted by U.S., China

This could be a double edged sword:

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution that dramatically expands existing U.N. sanctions on North Korea in response to its Jan. 6 nuclear test, a measure largely negotiated by Washington and Beijing.U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the new sanctions on Pyongyang go further than any U.N. sanctions regime in two decades and are aimed at cutting off funds for its nuclear and other banned weapons programs.Under the sanctions, all cargo going to and from North Korea must be inspected and North Korean trade representatives in Syria, Iran and Vietnam are among 16 individuals added to a U.N. blacklist, along with 12 North Korean entities.Previously states only had to inspect North Korean cargo shipments if they had reasonable grounds to believe they contained illicit goods. – Source: U.N. imposes harsh new sanctions on North Korea drafted by U.S., China | Reuters

The reason why I say that this could be a double edged sword is that Kim Jong-un has been known, much like his Father; to be an unstable leader. This could lead to more rockets being fired into South Korea. Which could lead to South Korea going to war, which they have said that they would be willing to do. Park Geun-hye has stated that she will defend her Country if needed. If you read her bio, you will fully understand why. To say, that she personally has been affected by North Korea’s lunacy, would be an understatement.

So, I would say, that it would be a good idea to keep an eye on that little situation.

The National Review misses the point on the Korean flare up

Once again, the National Review is speaking out of their bazoo again, this time about the Korean flare up:

This weekend, North Korea significantly increased its forward deployed artillery units and sent around 50 attack submarines out to sea. The submarine movement is especially interesting, because it’s not easy for North Korea to deploy subs; they are poorly maintained and expensive for the resource-starved regime to operate. In deploying so many simultaneously, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, clearly wants to make a point.And to some degree, young Kim’s submarine wager has already paid off. To counter the North’s deployments, the U.S. and South Korea canceled a military exercise originally scheduled to run until this Thursday. The North has also managed to get the South to the negotiating table at the Panmunjom “truce’ village.

Source: Deterring North Korea — American Strength, Chinese Pressure | National Review Online

Like I wrote over there:

This article totally misses the point.

The Norks are acting out, because the South Korean have set up loudspeakers, blasting anti-North Korean propaganda. Now, I am not a Nork Fan boy ok? Not by a long shot. But, if Mexico decided to set up speakers at our border and had them blasting anti-America propaganda; wouldn’t you think Americans and our Government would be a bit pissed? I’d say so.

If anything, the President should call South Korea’s President and tell HER to either stop the broadcasts with the speakers, or we will be removing ALL military personnel and we will wish them luck.

This is nothing like the Korean War of old. That was an invasion of the North; this is the south trying to provoke a reaction out of the North and they’re about to get it too.

Anyone that thinks anything other than this is either a misinformed person or a straight up neoconservative hawk.

Now, do not misunderstand me here; Communism is bad. But, putting loudspeakers at the border is not going to do anything to stop it. All it is going to truly do is cause a confrontation and I am thinking that is what this President of South Korea wants. If she is not really careful she might just get it. If she thinks that America is going to come to her rescue, when she gets in over her head; she is going to be in for a very big surprise. President Obama is no Harry Truman, not by a longshot.

The Korean peninsula is turning into a powder keg

Because I have been so busy with covering local stuff, moral failings and silly attacks on multi-racial people; I have overlooked the fact that the fit is about to hit the shan in the Korean peninsula. 😯

Via CNN:

Paju, South Korea (CNN)North Korea outlined an ultimatum Friday to its southern neighbor: Stop the “provocations” and “psychological warfare” or pay the price.

“If South Korea does not respond to our ultimatum,” North Korean U.N. ambassador An Myong Hun told reporters, “our military counteraction will be inevitable and that counteraction will be very strong.”

North Korea’s regime, known for being both thin-skinnedand fond of saber rattling, has made plenty of threats before. In fact, articulating derogatory and intimidating words about South Korea and the United States has been more the norm than not for years.

What makes this case different, though, is that two South Korean soldiers have been seriously wounded (by landmines August 4 in the Demilitarized Zone) and that there’s been firing back-and-forth since then. An said Friday that “all the (North Korean) frontline large combined units (have) entered into a wartime state … fully armed to launch any surprise operations and finish their preparations for action.”

Specifically, this threat is tied to cross-border propaganda loudspeakers that South Korea resumed using last week for the first time in a decade. Pyongyang is demanding they be turned off by Saturday evening.

“The situation of the country is now inching closer to the brink of war,” Ji Jae Ryong, North Korean ambassador to China, told journalists in Beijing on Friday.

The part that gets me is that South Korea is actually provoking this whole thing. If I were President Obama, I would be making a phone call to South Korea’s President and telling her, “Cut the crap, or we don’t lift a finger to assist you.”

The Korean War was one of the worst Wilsonian foreign policy blunders ever, that was given to us, by President Harry Truman. President Truman ended one war, that was declared properly and started another one at the request of the United Nations. We lost many a man on those battlefields, and what did we gain? Nothing. It ended in an armistice.

The President of South Korea is needlessly putting US troops at risk with what she is doing. She should be told to stop; or the United States of America should withdraw our forces from the region and wish them good luck.