I
am not totally convinced that this can be disregarded - when there is
this degree of escalation and tension (especially in combination with
all the other flashpoints) that things can get out of hand very
easily. There are UNSUBSTANTIATED reports that the Chinese have
mobilised forces
Kerry
says US will defend S. Korea and itself, as N. Korea threatens nuke
facility restart
RT,
2
March, 2013
US
Secretary of State John Kerry, in his meeting with South Korea's
foreign minster, has pledged American commitment to defending the
country against its northern neighbor, as Pyongyang threatens to open
up all its nuclear facilities.
Kerry
has called Pyongyang’s rhetoric of the past few days
“unacceptable”, adding that the US was “perfectly clear” on
its promise to defend itself and South Korea.
“We’ve
heard an extraordinary amount of unacceptable rhetoric from the North
Korean government in the past few days... the US will protect
ourselves and our treaty partner ally, the Republic of Korea,” he
said at a press conference after the meeting with Yun Byuang Se,
South Korea’s foreign minister, in Washington. The two discussed
the threat of war with Pyongyang.
Yongbyon
is North Korea's main nuclear reactor, which was shut down in 2007
over the disarmament-for-aid deal.
The
agreement was later stalled, and the KNCA news agency reported the
country’s top officials as saying that the measure will boost North
Korea's nuclear forces "in quality and quantity."
Work
will begin "without delay’" to restart the facilities,
which include a uranium enrichment plant and a graphite-rod reactor.
Over
the weekend, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called nuclear weapons
development a top priority.
The
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) declared a ‘state of
war’ with its southern neighbor, threatening pre-emptive attacks in
case of any provocations, either from Seoul or Washington.
Nevertheless,
despite numerous threats of attacks over the last week, Pyongyang did
little to translate its war rhetoric into action.
However,
the US and South Korea were quick to react. On Monday, Seoul changed
its rules of engagement ordering its military forces to immediately
respond to provocations from the DPRK.
Meanwhile,
the US sent a destroyer into Korean coastal waters, following the
deployment of F-22 stealth fighters.
United
Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a statement Tuesday
urging dialogue otherwise “this situation, made worse by the lack
of communication, could lead down a path that nobody should want to
follow.”
"Nuclear
threats are not a game. Aggressive rhetoric and military posturing
only result in counter-actions, and fuel fear and instability,"
United Nations Secretary-General said. "I am convinced that
nobody intends to attack (North Korea) because of disagreements about
its political system or foreign policy,” he added.
He
also called on North Korean authorities to accept resolutions from
the UNSC.
Seoul-based
correspondent Joseph Kim says the US pursues its own interests when
getting more involved in the conflict. It “continuously monitor[s]
and gain[s] more influence in the region.”
“They
are technically trying to get back to East Asia to be able to counter
China and its growing power in terms of the economy. And why not use
North Korea?” Kim told RT.
‘War
of nerves shouldn’t turn into real one’ – Russian Foreign
Ministry
The
Russian Foreign Ministry has commented on the move, urging the sides
in the conflict to find a peaceful solution to the crisis and
pointing out that “the conflict between North and South Korea
shouldn’t be misused.”
“Most
importantly, this war of nerves shouldn’t turn into a real one,”
said Grigory Logvinov, head of Russian delegation at six-party talks
over North Korea nuclear issue.
“It’s
time to stop any rhetoric, to refrain from all action which causes
tensions to rise,” he said.
Finally,
the ministry believes that there is still a chance the negotiations
on the Korean nuclear program will resume.
These
reports come from the Washington Free Beacon (a right-wiong
think-tank), which is not a source to be relied upon
China
mobilizing troops, jets near N. Korean border, US officials say
2
March, 2013
China
has placed military forces on heightened alert in the northeastern
part of the country as tensions mount on the Korean peninsula
following recent threats by Pyongyang to attack, U.S. officials said.
Reports
from the region reveal the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)
recently increased its military posture in response to the heightened
tensions, specifically North Korea's declaration of a "state of
war" and threats to conduct missile attacks against the United
States and South Korea.
According
to the officials, the PLA has stepped up military mobilization in the
border region with North Korea since mid-March, including troop
movements and warplane activity.
China's
navy also conducted live-firing naval drills by warships in the
Yellow Sea that were set to end Monday near the Korean peninsula, in
apparent support of North Korea, which was angered by ongoing
U.S.-South Korean military drills that are set to continue throughout
April.
North
Korea, meanwhile, is mobilizing missile forces, including road-mobile
short- and medium-range missiles, according to officials familiar
with satellite imagery of missile bases.
From
NTD
television (Falun Gong)
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