We've got the best offense there is, but it has to mean something. To crackpots like Kim Jong Un and Ahmadinejad, it doesn't mean anything because they are dilutional...they actually believe they can win a war against the USA.

That's right Ross...no one ever won a war by playing defense. I say let WW3 begin and let the cards play where they fall...all bets are on the US and our allies.

And the escalation continues. Eventually someone's going to make a mistake.

I say let WW3 begin

Ugh, can we please not go to war over this dumb thing. Let someone else do it for once, like...China? Yeah, China would be good.

DepthCon 1!

That would be Defcon 1....Stands for "defense condition 1"

DepthCon 1!

Is that for like, scuba divers or something?

Gee why didn't Bush ask pentagon if they could've boosted missile defense just in case Saddam Hussein had nukes, threatened to use them and actually used them - neither of which Saddam actually did and he is dead. And N Korea that shouts of the top of their lungs against US .... there never ever is a talk about actually restraining them whatsoever.

How dumb is that. It only means one thing - US is and was not afraid of either Iraq or N Korea nuke attack. Rather Iraq was a much easire target that didn't have any defense left after first Iraq war but had plenty of oil to loot from.

KICK ASS FIRST U.S.A.

f....ck N Korea

It's amazing how many people are posting pro-war comments. Do they not realize that war = massive amounts of casualties? PEOPLE DIE IN WAR! We need to do everything we can to stay away from it.

If you bastards only knew what it was like, you would have a different opinion. I hope its your children that die first.

To me the cool thing is that any attempt to shoot a missile at us is futile as we can just knock it out of the sky.

Anybody seen those Geico / Dikembe Mutombo commercials where Mutombo swats everything out of the air - crumpled up paper on the way to a trash can, cereal box, change at the toll booth, etc.? I imagine us launching a missile defense rocket and as it blows the N. Korean ICBM out of the air, hearing that booming voice say "Not in my house!" or "Not today!"

Don't bother with the interceptors. Deploy a couple of Ohio class submarines to sit off their coast, and tell them the next missile launch will be their last.

No Star Wars jokes like when Bush tried to do this a decade ago?

Why was it a waste of money then, but a brilliant idea now?

Wouldn't it have been better if we had a system in-place already, instead of just now talking about it now that a threat already exists?

Yet our soldiers can't get tuition assistance? Really?

Someone needs to go over to N. Korea and spank Lil Kim. He should know better than to play with big boy toys!

PJ-give me a break! We went to Iraq because they were a threat to our allies who could not defend themselves. We also went to Iraq because they were destabilizing the entire region. North Korea is a bigger threat to S. Korea than anyone else, and S. Korea is more than capable of defending themselves. China and S. Korea would not allow N. Korea to destabilize that region. And the looting oil comment is stupid.

What everyone fails to look at here is the real reason that the North Koreans still have their current government. The Korea's (both, but mostly north) sit on the largest deposits of high grade bauxite in the world. It's all about the aluminum folks....

Oh, Meme....don't you get it? When we wind down one war we just HAVE to start another one! Can you just imagine what the economy would do if we didn't have two or three wars going on all the time? Why, we just might join the 21st century too.

I for one, am sick of this @!$%# talking-happymeal eating-fat ass. This little rice bowl needs a good butt kicking, and he came to the right neighborhood to ask for it. If this bicycle ridding little @!$%# thinks he and his braindead people are facing the same enemy as they did against Japan, maybe somebody better tell him what happen to Japan after we dropped a few fat boy's on two of their cities!

El-Duderino, I'm going to refer to a comment made by someone who is not necessarily always popular in the U.S.--Putin--. He once said firing a missile to meet a missile is like a bullet trying to hit another bullet. That comment pretty much gives you an idea about the odds of success. Ya wanna bet your house, your family and friends on that?

@Dan I mean well for you but unfortunately what you wrote is quite delusional.

you can bet money on this...If N.Korea were to launch, and everyone expects them to hit the west coast...they will go for the east coast...so better have that covered just as good as the west....

wow, there are some doozies in this thread:

- Kumar-889209: neither believes they can beat the US. N Korea may be delusional, but Iran definitely isn't and Ahmadinejad has a Phd and is considered by the West to be very rational.... they both want to be able to a)negotiate for bucks, and b)retaliate against us pulling another Iraq style invasion

-lovemymeme's: it isn't dumb at all, N Korea just threatened to nuke the US, and Iran supports terrorism and has said they would nuke Israel... do we just kick back and wait for them to develop ICBMs and sell nukes? no way

- El_Duderino: it's not easy to intercept an ICBM.... we've been working on it for decades and we are just now getting fairly good at intercepting ONE RV when we have advance notice of the launch time, track, etc..... forget about decoy RVs, MIRVs etc.... we are no where near being able to defend against a country attacking us with multiple nukes, each with decoys etc.

the Iran and N Korea nuke thing is a real threat... and one day soon, we have to deal with them one way or the other

Maybe Mr. Hagel, with this Administration's approval, will move the European Missile Defense Iron Dome to South Korea.

That would meet the "Wait until after the election and I will have more flexibility" with Russia (whisper, whisper).

Enough of these threats from N Korea. Let them make one wrong move and just level that country into one big parking lot

an easy excuse to boost defense, instead of cutting it for the sake of fiscal health.

Thanks, North Korea, for helping to strengthen military-industrial complex.

Thanks, that Chubby Gangnam Dude, for giving US gov. an easy pretext.

Time for Seal Team 6, 7, 8, and 9. a sniper about a mile out would also do the job. Cut the head of the dog off and the tail stops wagging.

The second step brag about it.

Step three let China know any retaliation and it will not be the Chosin few! It will be fired Won Ton.

I find it fascinating that a vast majority of the posters on page 1 say "let's go to war...". I find it highly probable that they have never faced the horror of war either because they were never in the military and/or never faced the brutal reality of the death and destruction from war.

I am not being dramatic Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no truer adage than "War is Hell". and I hope you never have to be personally confronted with it, especially a nuclear war - which only the Japanese experienced first hand.

I shan't waste my time going through the remaining posted pages because I am sure the same thoughts are posted there as well.

Not sure about some of the information being presented. My understanding (since the days of the cold-war) is we have always had an ICBM intercept site on the east coast.. that's where our capital is for God's sake. Maybe it's just become "quietly classified" now? And the capabilities for N. Korea to launch a nuclear warhead on an ICBM with the capabilities of reaching the east coast is, by every expert's account, impossible at the moment. Is this more of a "call for defense funding in MY state" issue from the Senator?!?

Didn't Obama cut back the development of defensive missile systems? Ops

"As President, I will work from the very beginning of my term in office to secure the American people and our interests in this vital region. We must work with diligence and determination with our friends and allies to end this dangerous threat, and to secure a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula." – Barack Hussein Obama June 26, 2008

Just another example of promises broken and rhetoric with no substance………….

jack form Jax, I have read over 6000 books on military Strategy and history so don't quote the war is hell thing to me. Sooner or later this little poser is going to cause it to happen, you know it and so do I. If you go you better go all in, not like the first time with the Idiot MacArthur, He had the war WON. He was told not to go up to the reservoir and he did, and he got his azz kick. tell the Chinese we don't want their boarder kick the North K's azz again and get it over with.

Oh jack, you forget we are still at war with them. It was an Armistice not a Peace Treaty, that meant they stopped firing.

PJ, noone thought Iraq had nukes. We thought he had MORE chemical WMD's like he had used on his people in the past. Also, you liberals like to forget that that intelligence came from the CLINTON administration, not GWB. Besides, GWB had a 90% approval rating when going into Iraq, the highest of any US president EVER. Almost the entire US was behind GWB and the invasion of Iraq. Here are some quotes from some of you liberal friends about the US going into Iraq.

"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the
capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver
them. That is our bottom line."

--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear.
We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction program."

--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great
deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear,
chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest
security threat we face."

--Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times
since 1983."

--Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the
U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if
appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond
effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction
programs."

Letter to President Clinton, signed by:

-- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct.
9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass
destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has
made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."

-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass
destruction and palaces for his cronies."

-- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons
programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs
continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam
continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a
licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the
United States and our allies."

Letter to President Bush, Signed by:

-- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), and others, Dec 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a
threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of
the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means
of delivering them."

-- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical
weapons throughout his country."

-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to
deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in
power."

-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and
developing weapons of mass destruction."

-- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are
confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and
biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build
up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports
indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."

-- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority
to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that
a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and
grave threat to our security."

-- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working
aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons
within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always
underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass
destruction."

-- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years,
every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy
his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has
refused to do"

-- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show
that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons
stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also
given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ...
It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to
increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep
trying to develop nuclear weapons."

-- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that
Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity
for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."

-- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal,
murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly
grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And
now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his
consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam
Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..."

-- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is trying to prove his strength, causing experts to worry that Pyongyang's threats could get out of control. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

This guy is going to do something very stupid and very horrific!

His Grandfather was a communist revolutionary that fought the west to a stalemate and his father was a reclusive nut bag who liked little boys.

Kim Jong Un was raised understanding from a very young age that he would grow up to be the leader that would change the course of North Korean history. One would hope he would seek reunification with the south but since his country is plagued by poverty, hunger, despair and the brutal sanctions enacted by the international community via the U.N. he might do anything to enact change even if that means starting World War III!

We need to be proactive and preemptive in this situation!

It's about time we let these little Pr!cks know that we are tired of all there rhetoric, and put them in they're miserable place that they so adamantly deserve. If they want certain toys to play with then they need to know the rules that come with the toys they want to play with.

TC Born.....

Oh....The Progressives get it....it is Bush's the Republicans fault.

As Barack - the Nobel Peace Prize awardee - contemplates another round of 18 on the links

The thought creeps into his mind - Which War - Do I Choose?

North Korea - Iran - Syria

The choices seem - endless - Who to Kill? - that is the question

Pure American-1827335

Unfortunately, we have a leader that has shown the world that he would rather seek talks with nations that sponsor terrorism or play basketball than confront real issues head on.

ya, we definitely should invade, I mean, isn't that what Dubya would do? Think of all those great Halliburton contracts.

Thank you Neoconservatives of America...

Marcus D-4300696

As Barack - the Nobel Peace Prize awardee - contemplates another round of 18 on the links

The thought creeps into his mind - Which War - Do I Choose?

North Korea - Iran - Syria

The choices seem - endless - Who to Kill? - that is the question

Much tougher decision with Obama. If it were Bush he'd just invade them all.

Kevin in Texas

We need to be proactive and preemptive in this situation!

Ah, you Texans are big on that preemptive thing aren't you?

The people are starting to act normal again they scream for war, then when they get it those that screamed for it start crying against it.

this could turn out to be histories biggest and most violent cat fight.

I don't think it matters if this turns to war or not because sooner or latter it will, and my opinion is the sooner the better, we should have finished it years ago before the nuclear threat became a factor. its inevitable! the longer we wait the more difficult it will be, the greater the risk and the deadlier it will be. we have been talking to long and the truth is diplomacy never works, it did not work in the first Korean conflict, Vietnam, Iraq, or Iran, the only thing diplomacy has ever accomplished is giving rogue nations time to be a bigger threat and in some cases such as wwll it allowed the axis to form causing more spread of war and more destruction yes if you are a war monger diplomacy is a good tool. diplomacy is the tool that makes small wars into big wars. yep we should have taken them out of the game in the beginning, Generals like Patton, MacArther, Puller, even Sherman knew to save lives you have to play tough, same with Lee, and Rommel, war is bad! solders know this, they fight to end it, Politicians create war, politicians expand war, politicians escalate war, politicians drag it out and cause more death and destruction, what would the world be like today if it was not for diplomacy and the wars were fast swift and complete, we have been rewarding North Korea for bad behavior we give them food and supplies when they behave badly what do you expect that's bad diplomacy, well I'm tired of diplomacy, in reality like it or not diplomacy in the long run makes things worse sometimes its a spanking that works. in kim's case no diplomacy is good diplomacy. isolate the threat then take it out. before it spreads. then we can say the threat Kim I] Un Done. even if it means taking out Pong Yang and a half Million people in comparison to say a million on each side or more. war is math. war is for engineers and Generals not Diplomacy and politicians. remember it's talk that starts wars. talk is gasoline to put out a fire.

TC Born, you liberals like to forget that that intelligence came from the CLINTON administration, not GWB. Besides, GWB had a 90% approval rating when going into Iraq, the highest of any US president EVER

Intelligence from the Clinton administration yes, lies from the Bush II administration yes! Bush II lied to the American Congress and people about WMD and misled everyone with him tying Iraq with 911, which is why he got his approval for conquering Iraq. Even the CIA told Bush II not to use WMD in his speech because they had no knowledge of them. He lied about it anyway. Bush II misled everyone with his speech about Iraq and Al-Qaeda being responsible for 911 to get approval for his invasion also. Bush II created Al-Qaeda in Iraq, they didn't exist there before we conquered and lost control of Iraq.

You think Bush II had a 90% approval rating? Well he may had by lying but when America found out he lied and misled everyone his approval rating dropped to the loses of any president, 25%.

Once it starts, it doesn't matter who has what, we are ALL doomed.

@Pigotry. After watching all your useless posts I have come to the conclusion that you are one foolish AIRHEAD. If it wasn't for our exceptional defenses and strong military, you would be wallowing and eating out of a pig troth that your moniker adamantly deserves.

Ido

On Oct. 4, 2002, officials from the U.S. State Department flew to Pyongyang, the
capital of North Korea, and confronted Kim Jong-il's foreign ministry with
evidence that Kim had acquired centrifuges for processing highly enriched
uranium, which could be used for building nuclear weapons. To the Americans'
surprise, the North Koreans conceded. It was an unsettling revelation, coming
just as the Bush administration was gearing up for a confrontation with Iraq.
This new threat wasn't imminent; processing uranium is a tedious task; Kim
Jong-il was almost certainly years away from grinding enough of the stuff to
make an atomic bomb.

But the North Koreans had another route to nuclear weapons--a stash of
radioactive fuel rods, taken a decade earlier from its nuclear power plant in
Yongbyon. These rods could be processed into plutonium--and, from that, into
A-bombs--not in years but in months. Thanks to an agreement brokered by the
Clinton administration, the rods were locked in a storage facility under the
monitoring of international weapons-inspectors. Common sense dictated
that--whatever it did about the centrifuges--the Bush administration should do
everything possible to keep the fuel rods locked up.

Unfortunately, common sense was in short supply. After a few shrill
diplomatic exchanges over the uranium, Pyongyang upped the ante. The North
Koreans expelled the international inspectors, broke the locks on the fuel rods,
loaded them onto a truck, and drove them to a nearby reprocessing facility, to
be converted into bomb-grade plutonium. The White House stood by and did
nothing. Why did George W. Bush--his foreign policy avowedly devoted to stopping
"rogue regimes" from acquiring weapons of mass destruction--allow one of the
world's most dangerous regimes to acquire the makings of the deadliest WMDs?
Given the current mayhem and bloodshed in Iraq, it's hard to imagine a decision
more ill-conceived than invading that country unilaterally without a plan for
the "post-war" era. But the Bush administration's inept diplomacy toward North
Korea might well have graver consequences. President Bush made the case for war
in Iraq on the premise that Saddam Hussein might soon have nuclear
weapons--which turned out not to be true. Kim Jong-il may have nuclear weapons
now; he certainly has enough plutonium to build some, and the reactors to breed
more.

why are all the blow hards that shout "WAR WAR WAR" lets blow'em up and turn the land into glass or nuke'm till they glow and ask questions later , always the ones that have never been too WAR and most likely never served a day in any of the military branches ? Ironic...I can't stand these chickenhawk cowards....scary that there are so many and too many running this country and in the media....THINK . once the nuclear genie is out of the bag all of us will be kissing everything good bye and I mean everything no one will be immune even the so called survivalist and gov't officials in their bunkers or should I say tombs...those bunkers are nothing but a false sense of security no matter how deep

We know now what Dennis Rodman's job was on his trip to visit NK. Now he is invited back, he can keep the communication lines open, but hidden from American people. Harry Truman was tired of wasting our man power on these worthless wars n ended the last one for good. We need to send something to them besides words. We should bomb them off the face of the earth. Quit sending our troops to get killed n then be treated like 2nd class citizens when they come home. POTUS is not capable of handling this. Reagan bombed Kadafis personal resident. JFK told Cuba to remove the missile or else. They have gotten away with so much for so long they think that they r invincible. Kim Jong Un is not right in the head.

I have long thought that we would next be at war with N Korea. Their leadership, at least what we see, is a lot of false bravado now lead by a spoiled child. All the making fun of him will probably set him off, making him want to throw the first punch. What will count is if the real powers behind him can stop him. I think all of this will happen before these "extra" defense missiles are in place.

Everyone seems to think China is running things in the world now, but I don't think so. They could control their N Korean brat if they were. And considering that China is much larger in land mass and population that the US, but their military is still far below ours also makes me think they are all talk. Their economy isn't good either. That's why the wealthy over there want to buy stuff over here.

Before any of you wish for war, our sons and daughters are in harms way. As a Marine my son has drilled with ROK(Republic of Korea, South Korea} Marines. He is in the line of fire if Kim Jong Un choses to resume war.

"That will boost U.S. missile defense capability by 50 percent and "make clear to the world that the United States stands firm against aggression," he said in a briefing at the Pentagon." As usual, the article didn't tell the entire story. These systems were removed by the White House during President Obama's first term in office. Now we have to spend $1B to reinstate them. Par for the course.

I suggest that this is a wornout game that gets played. More bucks for military spending by both sides!!!

I'm over 80, so I was there during the entire "Cold War" there is little doubt that the main thrust of the scare tactics had most to do with both sides getting more of the bucks for making or maintaining war level rediness. Added to that was our offensive war to create an Economic Empire.

North Korea is not going to attack anybody. It is always possible that N.Korea is manipulated by some outside their government, kind of like we have even here, but starting a war, that would mean bad for everyone but far worse for N. Korea. It all may be up to China that doesn't need a repeat at the Yalu River.

filkmama01

Before any of you wish for war, our sons and daughters are in harms way. As a Marine my son has drilled with ROK(Republic of Korea, South Korea} Marines. He is in the line of fire if Kim Jong Un choses to resume war.

I hear you Filkmama. I get sick and tired of listening to the chickenhawks. We have about 28,000 troops in South Korea and I believe they are all pretty much within NK artillery range. If the NKs attack the south then we are pretty much stuck with a new war in Korea. I just don't see the point in cheering it's approach. We would lose a lot of good men and women and the economic cost would be astronomical.

So true, Harry Truman wud not sacrifice any more of our young men. Wish we had so way to muscle them to the ground. Hope those ships have mucho ammo when they start their maneuvers with SK. That exercise really needs to take place in spite of the the threats from NK. These people r not worth one of our soldiers. They like under such tyranny n do not know the difference.

Newsvine's "Get Smarter Here" turned into "Get Dumber Here" with the uneducated low or no information posts above and below.

Too many voters embrace feel-good propaganda that they want to hear instead of learning the basic facts about issues they care about. They should do a better job of calling out dishonest politicians -- and shunning media outlets that stoke political food fights.

http://money.msn.com/investing/11-things-wrong-with-congress

Especially the Dumbarse Adolescent Opinions that belong on Personal Blogs not the Newsvine "Get Smarter Here" FORUM for Adults to Discuss FACTS.

Definition Fact - Experience or Observations. That most of you do NOT have. Nuclear (Weapons) Physics, NAIRA, Biological (Epidemiology), Chemical (Weapons) CAIRA, Missiles, Conventional Munitions, Asymmetric Warfare (aka Special Warfare, Insurgency, Counter Insurgency, Counter Terrorist, FID, SR, SS, Humanitarian Assistance, etc.).

Definition Opinion - a personal view, attitude, or appraisal without knowledge, thought, or reason.

HOW MANY OF YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THE US MISSILE DEFENSE MISSILES (Anti Ballistic Missiles, ABMs) EVEN ARE BY NAME, CAPABILITIES. THE CONCEPTS BEHIND ICBMs/IRBMs.

EXAMPLES of DUMBARSE OPINIONS:

Kumar-889209 #1.1 - We've got the best offense there is.

Nope. President Obama as Commander In Chief since April 2009 Ordered US Military Budget Cuts; Reduction in Forces of the US Military of 90,000 US Military and Unemployment of 108, 000 US DOD Civilians, the reason Secretary of Defense Gates tendered his Letter of Resignation;

President Obama Ordered the US Military Change of Mission from Two Wars and Contingency Missions (including United Nation's Missions) Simultaneously, to One War or a Contingency Mission as greater than a 50% Reduction of US Military Capabilities, translation greater than 50% of the US Military Personnel will be thrown on Unemployment, most of the almost Hundred Million Too Expensive Overpaid "Fair and Living Wage" US Civilians Employed Directly or Indirectly by the US Military are NO Longer Needed and dumped on US Unemployment. 2012 Secretary of Defense Penetta, "A 10% Defense Budget Cut Will Result in a Million (US) Civilians becoming Unemployed", President Obama Orders a 11% US Defense Budget Cut; as the reasons that Secretary of Defense Penetta tendered his Letter of Resignation, 2013 interview, "going to work on his (Walnut) Farm with a different kind of Nut".

see dumbarse post Pigotry#1.29. already told the above before. Relationships of US Jobs, US Military Defense Industrial Complex, US Economy. Not included but posted before response to Pigotry, US Defense Budget is NOT only the US Military: US Army Corps of Engineer Infrastructure Projects within the US like Bridges, Dams, Levees, Interstates, Dredging of Rivers and Streams, Sea Walls, etc.. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funding for Universities Colleges Research of High Technology. USAMRIID relationship to the CDC and funding for Universities Colleges Research into antivirals, vaccines, human longevity projects, etc.. As well as those things that the everyday US Citizen must be concerned with (current and future US Standard of Living).

Now that you have been told Kumar-889209 don't be a Pigotry, posting out of being low or no information uneducated.

El_Duderino#1.14. Nope. oldhamletman answered your uneducated post with post#1.26. Additional Unclassified Information, single target, no MIRVs, no Decoys, no countermeasures, etc.; US ABM interception rate 80%, 20% misses under ideal conditions (previously warned of ABM target missile launch, weather, etc.).

DanInCo#1.19. Nope, not the reason.

Tess42#1.23. Why don't you do the BASIC Research into US ABMs.

Pigotry#1.29. You do not know squat about the US Military Defense Industrial Complex, and refused to even listen (Just like President Obama) to the Facts including from Secretary of Defense Gates, Secretary of Defense Penetta, 2013, "going to work on his (Walnut) Farm with a different kind of Nut".

bubba-1946427#1.30 like you know anything about the Operational Problems at North Korea to do that. You go spend the majority of your life to become a USN SEAL, then have some dumbarse without any experience demand that you be sent into North Korea. How about this YOU go do what you are demanding.

Futureshock2012 #1.32. East Coast US Military Missile Batteries* Removed during the President Clinton Chops to the US Defense Budget, Gutting of the US Intelligence Agencies, Cut to the Bone Reduction In Forces of the US Military. Also Removed by President Clinton were the USAF Interceptors at US Civilian Airports to protect US Cities and US Civilian Airports from USSR Bombers. It was President Clinton's Belief that the Cold War Era US Defense, US Intelligence Agencies ("US Blind and Deaf to the Events Leading to the 9/11 2001 Attacks" - Bipartisan US Congressional 9/11 Commission Investigations, Findings, and Recommendations), US Military were no longer needed.

*U.S. Army Nike Hercules (Conventional and Nuclear) Anti Aircraft Missile Batteries. More than capable of stopping ICBMs/IRBMs by proximity detonation of a Nike Hercules Nuclear Warhead near incoming ICBM or IRBM warheads a long ways from the US, same idea for the previous USSR Moscow ABMs; even the Conventional Nike Hercules Warhead could effectively stop incoming warheads, aircraft, etc.. This Medium to Long Range US Missile System was never replaced by another Medium to Long Range US Missile System, due to the ABM Treaty. US currently only has Short to Medium Range ABM/Anti Aircraft Missile Capabilities (meaning the intercepts occur over the intended targets). Just after the 9/11 2001 attacks because of a lack of capabilities the US DOD had to use obsolete since 1990 National Guard SHORADs (Short Range Air Defense, 1970s - 1980s Chaparral/Vulcan, MIM-72A/M48) due to President Clinton's previous US Defense Budget Cuts, and Destruction of the US Military; to protect the Pentagon, etc. from possible subsequent attacks.

The previous F-4 Interceptor Aircraft of many Air National Guards or actual USAF Interceptors on immediate launch "Standby" at US Commerical Airports were removed by President Clinton as Commander In Chief Orders.

TC Bornvia Facebook #1.37, WMDs, NOT the Reason for the United Nation's Mission Iraq.

Dick-1345097#1.39.

Marcus D-4300696 #1.41.

Ol_Doc #1.42, 1.43, 1.44.

Dick-2100935 #1.46. As NOT the Reasons the United Nation's Mission Iraq, nor Afghanistan. Typicial Deflection of Blame Game, that resulted in Unnecessary Deaths.

We have the best offense Kumar? Think again (original source):

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-15-US-US-Missile-Defense/id-90c14c72314442f9b9bb371e89877e48

Man, what a hack job this story is.

@TC thanks. FDR said that "The only thing that we have to fear is fear itself". Clearly all these "distinguished" people that you quoted didn't remember FDR quite well or didn't have the courage to stand up to fear mongering post 911.

Bush clearly blew the trumpet and misused 911 for a totally different agenda. Saddam didn't have nukes or chems. Remember Hans Blix? Hans Blix was the chief weapons inspector and he said that Saddam doesn't have WMDs. I am afraid you forgot to include that quote.

This is yet another Republican ploy to take money from earned benefits, which they call entitlements, and send to the over-bloated Pentagon to pretend like we must have more missile defense capabilities in order to protect us from idiots like Kim Jung Un who barely have missiles capable of reaching Hawaii. So why put more missile defenses in Alaska? Why not Hawaii? Or are those natives just collateral damage should they get blown to pieces? We're in for another military build-up and yet another war in N. Korea or Iran. I am sick and tired of war and the cost of them. Those who have paid extra taxation all of their working lives into their federal Social Security and Medicare retirement programs are getting screwed - Enough!

@TC Born via Farcebook,

Ummmmm............I thought al-Qaeda and their ilk were why we went into Iraq (greatly simplified but a start anyway).

Operation Hotel California: The Clandestine War Inside Iraq

by Mike Tucker and Charles Faddis

You can read the CIAs review for free at h-ttps://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol.-54-no.-2/pdfs-vol.-54-no.-2/MattP-Hotel%20California-web.pdf

If you go to Amazon and look for this book a bunch of other sources will come up. Some of the authors have first hand knowledge and experience as they were actual Participants in what went on.

If Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton (read it and you will see why I recommend reading a book on Afghanistan when Iraq is the subject at hand) doesn't amaze and bring you to near tears at times nothing probably will. Sources: h-ttp://www.dougstanton.net/book_display.php?isbn13=9781416580515 and Horse Soldiers of 9/11 (documentary) h-ttp://www.heritage.org/events/2012/09/horse-soldiers

And maybe take the time to read David-475776's articles on Iraq and the Middle East.

Regards,

Brandon

@Bubba - 1946427,

"jack form Jax, I have read over 6000 books on military Strategy and history"

Well effing congratulations members of the US Military probably don't really care if you have a PHD in M.S. & H. Besides it doesn't sound like you have learned a thing. My understanding is that jack from Jax has first hand REAL LIFE knowledge which generally trumps books by professors. At least that's what current and/or former members of the Military and Law Enforcement in MY family (and friends that are like family) tell me anyway.

BTW- I see that David has arrived while I was typing out post 1.62. My apologies in advance as I just couldn't let the WMD thing stand.

Also the fact that only 2 people have voted at this time shows the lack of research and true caring about what happened.

Just take out those two leaders in North korea and Iran and see if that dont stop the BS, Can we really wait and take the chance that we can hit a missile strike in mid air? Both of these countries have threatened us with nukes, Isnt that enough? how long do we have to wait to find out if they are indeed going to use them nukes? I know we have the manpower between us, south Korea and china because you know they dont want North Korea or Iran shooting them unreliable peices of junk, they could go anywhere! Go in take out their nuke programs and spank the leaders until they run and hide for the rest of their lives or just make them disappear completely. This sounds like a Ideal way for countries to get together and form a way of depopulation. Lets not wait until they fire the first shot, just DEW IT! What if we wait and we miss shooting down just 1 missile aimed at whoever? dont want to think about that do ya? this has gone on far enough. I dont like war but I dont want to breath in nasty dirty bomb fallout either, Remember the winds go from West to east that could kill 10s of millions And we could get together with china and south korea and take out these trouble making leaders and the rest of their countryman would probably thank us and get along from here on out. just my opinion.

david-475776

The previous F-4 Interceptor Aircraft of many Air National Guards or actual USAF Interceptors on immediate launch "Standby" at US Commerical Airports were removed by President Clinton as Commander In Chief Orders.

Other than BRAC (which I hope you're not blaming on Clinton) I really don't know what you're talking about. Why would you have a problem with F-4s being replaced by F-15s? You do know that's what happened right? You talk about USAF interceptors at US Commercial Airports, 2 of 3 those are actually Air National Guard bases. There are three interceptor bases on the West Coast of the United States:
44th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard, Fresno CA (Fresno International Airport)
142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard, Portland OR (Portland International Airport)
12th Fighter Squadron, USAF, Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK (AF Base, not a commercial airport)

Kim Jong Un may be a pissant tin pot dictator with delusions of Godhood, but, he's not stupid.

He's not going to attack America with missiles, even if he does manage to miniaturize the warhead tom the point where it can be lifted by his missiles. He will try to sneak warheads into the US in containers, or sail them into a harbor and detonate ship (or sub) and all.

"...- El_Duderino: it's not easy to intercept an ICBM.... we've been working on it for decades and we are just now getting fairly good at intercepting ONE RV when we have advance notice of the launch time, track, etc..... forget about decoy RVs, MIRVs etc.... we are no where near being able to defend against a country attacking us with multiple nukes, each with decoys etc...."

---

Hitting missiles with other missiles is a BRAIN DEAD IDEA!
Missiles/Rockets require maneuvering, are subject to
sometimes many aerodynamic fluctuations during flight and
of course are actually TOO SLOW to be effective!

I remember during the Ronald Reagan era when he introduced
the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI - aka Star Wars defense system)
where KINETIC KILL VEHICLES and ENERGY BEAM WEAPONS were
all the rage for U.S. missile defence R and D efforts.

This type of system is the BEST for taking out missiles of all types.

Take linear induction motor setup using MANY staged EM coils.
Add pulses of high current, high voltage bursts from super-capacitors
and then apply to 5 foot, 10 foot or 20 foot long heat-proof ceramic coated,
tungsten rods and launch at 60,000 KPH (36,000 MPH) --- then KILL anything
you aim it at! At 60,000 KPH even a 5 foot long tungsten rod has an ENORMOUS
amount of inherent kinetic energy which will be like a Mack Truck hitting a bicycle!
NOTHING would be left of the target!

THIS is what will ACCURATELY KILL an incoming ballistic missile!
The fully-automated targeting and fire control computer NEEDS to
be something like a multi-thousand CPU digital signal processor
so that ultra high-speed image recognition and tracking can take place
from incoming radar data. Using a multi-thousand processor (less than
1 million dollars when using ARM-based 32-bit CPU's!) allows TENS OF
THOUSANDS if not MILLIONS of objects to be image recognized and
tracked every second and then targeted for destruction by the
tungsten rod-based railgun fire control system.

USING ANYTHING else is a waste of money!
Those only OTHER thing that MIGHT make sense
in missile defence is using directed energy weapons
such as particle beams, plasma-ball bullets, high-energy
lasers or masers.

I heard, so do not quote me on this, that the U.S. hasn't won a war since WWII. If this is not true please enlighten me. I am here to learn.

It should be noted that there are still issues with the interception capabilities of the missile which we are told will be "worked out". That "working out" has been going on for at least 10-15 years and this is for just a single inbound warhead with no deception devices. Naturally NK has no such missiles nor deception devices unless the whole thing breaks up on re-entry which is likely.

Another report on the joint US-Israeli "Iron Dome" system which was highly touted during the last clash with Hamas Katuysha's where the initial reports claimed 85/90% success now reveal that it was likely less than 10% in fact there is not one confirmed downing. One must ask what is the purpose of these "defensive systems" if they barely work. Lots of money is going into them and I suspect they are more for the public's peace of mind. During the gulf war there was initially all these rave reports about Patriot missiles and after the conflict there was not a single warhead interception.

Another point is why not locate them aboard ships off the NK coast. There is a much better chance of interception during the climb rather than trying to intercept them at the apogee of flight. Sounds like another public relations effort.

Unfortunately, because of 0bama it will take us 2 to 4 years to get them back on line. If those of you in Calif. get blown out of the water you will know who to blame. That is ofcourse, you are still around.

Take linear induction motor setup using MANY staged EM coils.
Add pulses of high current, high voltage bursts from super-capacitors
and then apply to 5 foot, 10 foot or 20 foot long heat-proof ceramic coated,
tungsten rods and launch at 60,000 KPH (36,000 MPH) --- then KILL anything
you aim it at! At 60,000 KPH even a 5 foot long tungsten rod has an ENORMOUS
amount of inherent kinetic energy which will be like a Mack Truck hitting a bicycle!
NOTHING would be left of the target!

Henry...are you referring to the so called "rods from god" idea of an orbital platform launching these tungsten rods downwards? It would be beyond scientific capabilities to "launch" these rods from the ground to such velocities. On top of that then making "accurate" contact with the warhead (not missile as the warhead would have departed from the missile body by then) would be even harder than guidable kinetic devices which are currently being "perfected". Possibly direct energy weapons stand a better chance but against say Russian ICBM's practically nothing could ensure warhead destruction. It would take accurate temperature sensing equipment to separate the actual device from chaff and decoys. The technical challenge is at present insurmountable. At least direct energy weapons could "hit" multiple targets over a short time thus perhaps ensuring a better chance of destroying the warhead. But imagine 10 MIRV's per "bus" (missile launch platform) x dozens of inbound warheads. At present no way to assure destruction and even for the forseeable future nor is it desired as it could prompt "the enemy" into a pre-emptive strike out of fear their arsenal would be rendered useless. Better the MAD theory remain in place at least for the US, Russia and China. Just develop systems to deter rogue nations should they launch by air.

The Rods from Gods as a SPACE-BASED system.
The rail-gun system is ALREADY WORKING ...search
on Youtube for videos of HOME-MADE Rail-Gun systems.

I'm PERSONALLY experimenting with my own home-made version
and while I''m not up 60,000 KPH (now at 2900 KPH = 1800 MPH),
my own 3D CAD/CAM/CAV designs indicate it SHOULD work up to
20,000 KPH from a HOME-MADE setup like mine!

For military grade systems, Really High Voltage/High Current Rail Gun
systems could EASILY do 60,000 KPH it's just that you need CERAMIC
coated rods (Aluminum Oxide composite) in order to keep atmospheric
heating to reasonable levels to prevent tungsten rod weakening and
deformation. One way around that aerodynamic friction heating issue
is to surround the rod with a highly ionized plasma-like electrical sheeth
that pushes the atmosphere out of the way so as to support 60,000 KPH
velocities. That was what the SDI research was trying to solve on Kinetic
Kill Vehicles for in-atmosphere ground-to-ground or ground-to-air target
destruction applications.

Modern computers has SOLVED the fire control issue its now heating
of the Rod from God that is the problem!

First the bad news: Many US defensive missiles have not been tested under real-world scenarios and those that were tested under very easy conditions often failed anyway. Then the good news: Korea doesn't have the capability to reach the US with nuclear weapons. Conclusion: It's a waste of money for both countries.

Even before the announcement, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., a member of the Armed Services Committee, criticized the news, saying it was too little and too late.

What an IDIOT...thats right open your big, fat mouth like those other two dunces you take after, McCain and Graham....Wow Ayotte, you've been in the Senate for 2 years and now all the sudden you know it all....STFU and get to work as*hole!! What a dumb tea-publican TOOL and she's the one that's too little to late, bungmunch!!

2FAST4U1701 - Operation Hotel California

There were two distinct parts:

2001 Operation Viking Hammer, US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces (us "Horse Soldiers" survivors from previous October 2001 Afghanistan) attached to the CIA's SAD/SOG, the attached US Army 10th Special Forces Group, the actual CIA Operators (non Para Military, CIA SAD/SOG).

Mission: Eliminate the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, Al Quada, Holy Warriors of Islam that fled from Afghanistan via the Old Silk Road to Northern Iraq.

Operation Hotel California, the CIA.

Mission: Negotiations with the Kurdistanis "Pesh" (Peshmerga) to assist us in fighting the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, Al Quada, Holy Warriors of Islam that combined with the Fundamentalist Islamic Kurdistanis PKK, HPG, KGK and became Ansar Al Islam.

This all failed at great cost of many of our lives after many fierce battles in Mountainous Terrain of Northern Iraq; as before we could eliminate them they were given Islamic Sanctuary by the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran. Many fled South and to the Shia of Iraq, without President Hussein's Knowledge (his hatred of the Shia, he would have executed them).

The Terrain of Northern Iraq looks like this (just like up here in the Pamir Afghan Mountains, as to why we trained with the US Ally Turkey Special Forces at Southern Turkey, as Asymmetric Mountain Warfare):

Nefes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILexqXx6qkM

Because Afghanistan was a United Nation's Mission, NATO f**ked up and appointed Gentleman British General McColl as the Commander ISAF, and he did nothing to stop the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, Al Quada, Holy Warriors of Islam from returning from Northern Iraq via Iran to Afghanistan.

Now the confusion. While still at Northern Iraq our Mission is changed to 2002 Operation Hotel California. Mission: Create a Strategic Operational Feint to make the Iraqis Political Leadership and Iraqis Military Command believe that the Main US and NATO Forces to conduct President Clinton's US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein would be coming from US Ally Turkey.

Those of us that survived the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, knew from Firsthand Experience that President Hussein was the Counterbalance to the Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran using the Iraqis Oil Wealth (NOT the US Taxpayers money) and the lives of Iraqis Citizens of the Iraqis Military (NOT our 1% of US Citizens of the US Military); we protested and were threatened with imprisonment, detentions, relief from Duty, etc., so instead of prison we proceeded to get the job done so we could go home, same crap as with prior to and 1998 US Military Operation Desert Fox.

We (US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces, 10th Special Forces Group, CIA's SAD/SOG, Pro US Pesh) started to attack the Northern Iraqis Military Forces. Our first goal (determined by the CIA) was to attack, seize and secure the Iraqis Chemical Weapons Facility at Sargat Iraq; we wanted to follow the clues into Syria as to where the Iraqis Chemical Weapons were possibly transferred to, and were denied authorization. Next was the attack, seize and secure of the Northern Iraqis Oil Fields (reward of new riches for the Pro US Pesh for helping us fight).

The Iraqis Political Leadership and Iraqis Military Command finally believed that the Main US and NATO Military Forces would be coming thru US Ally Turkey, the Iraqis protest, and the US Ally Turkey (Islamic Nation) keeps denying and starts getting pissed at the US. The more the US Ally Turkey Politicians denied, the more the Iraqis Politicians accused US Ally Turkey.

The Iraqis Political Leadership and the Iraqis Military Command deployed over 10 Full Strength Iraqis "Elite" Divisions North of Baghdad. In company (about 300 people) sized units without Air Support we engaged the Iraqis Armor Divisions (20,000 each) and Mechanized Infantry Divisions (30,000 each). A total of Five Full Strength Iraqis Armored and Mechanized Infantry Divisions were destroyed using US Military Asymmetric Warfare (aka Special Warfare)*. In response the Iraqis Political Leadership and Iraqis Military Command redeployed their Iraqis Divisions from Southern Iraq to North of Baghdad, about 13 Full Strength Iraqis Divisions, they are tied up fighting us. We act as Pathfinders for the 173rd Airborne to arrive.

*Only credited to the US Army 10th Special Forces, until 2009 when President Obama declassified everything in an attempt to embarrass the previous President Bush Administration. Result most of us finally got the Awards, Medals, Decorations, etc. and retroactive promotions.

Those of us that survived the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars tried not to kill off the Iraqis Military; but, only destroyed their Iraqis Military Equipment and yelled at them in Farsi, Arabic, to go home to their Families or Surrender. Seeing thousands of Iraqis Military "Desert", this also caused many of the other Iraqis Military Personnel to desert and go home to their families, the Iraqis Military Officers left without most of their Iraqis Military Forces just a bunch of destroyed Iraqis Military Equipment.

From previous Experience we knew that the Iraqis Military was Command Driven, NO Individual Initiative(s), no Orders from above, they do nothing; to minimize Iraqis Military Deaths we took out their C4I. With the first use of Non Nuclear E-Bombs that destroyed ALL Iraqis Electronics, 20th Century Iraq went back to the Stone Ages.

Will Saddam Fall Victim to the Elusive E-bomb?

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=125336&page=1

After all Iraqis Electronics were destroyed, the Iraqis Political Leadership and Iraqis Military Command could not redeploy the Iraqis Full Strength Divisions, nor form a cohesive defense of Southern Iraq, the United Nation's Coalition of US, NATO, even unarmed JDF Military Forces come from US Ally Kuwait and US Ally Saudi Arabia unopposed as 2003 Operation Iraqis Freedom, the few Iraqis Military at the Southern Iraqis Border mostly surrendered, the few that did fight were immediately killed.

Many of the mobilized States National Guard, lacked training, current US Military Equipment, etc. and make too many mistakes (going on the wrong routes, completely wrong direction). Due to President Clinton's previous Chops to the US Military Budget, RIFs of the US Military, etc.. What was supposed to be "easy as pie" turns into a Nightmare. Some Military Units (including Active Duty) believed that they were "Bad Ass" and engaged in deadly firefights instead of calling in Airstrikes (the UN Coalition had Air Superiority), resulting in many unnecessary deaths.

The Iraqis Military Command realizes that their Iraqis Conventional Warfare Units are ineffective, and authorized their Iraqis Special Forces to conduct Asymmetric Warfare (aka Special Warfare, Insurgency).

We are attached to General McChrystal's Joint Special Operations Task Force Iraq, along with the 4th Infantry Division. Mission: to Locate and CapturePresident Hussein. Other US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces are conducting US Military Asymmetric Warfare (aka Special Warfare) Counter Insurgency, unfortunately, they did not have previous operational experience like we did, so they repeatedly failed. You must know how from Experience how to conduct Insurgency Operations before you even attempt to conduct Counter Insurgency Operations. The US and NATO Coalition Conventional Warfare Forces get bogged down from the Iraqis Asymmetric Warfare, as they have no idea how to counter Asymmetric Warfare, just like the Iraqis Conventional Warfare Divisions had no idea, identical to the USSR 40th Army Occupation, identical to here currently.

President Bush announces the Mission Accomplished of President Clinton's US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein in accordance with President Clinton's US Law, "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" Section 3 US Policy Overthrow of President Hussein.

Unedited Full Transcript President Bush (43) Mission Accomplished Speech (not the Democratic Party Propaganda, aka Lies; President Obama's Reelection Propaganda "Bush Unilateral Invasion of Iraq").

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/05/01/bush.transcript/

Of the almost thousand of us that started with the US Military Training Teams to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, rotated to Operation Cyclone, all the Missions and Operations till now only a few dozen of us survived.

Ol_Doc post#1.65.

Like I said before, Ol_Doc, you have NO Firsthand Experience.

Ol_Doc - Why would you have a problem with F-4s being replaced by F-15s?

That is NOT what happened back then. The F-4s still belonged to the States Air National Guard, removed from the US Civilian Airports, and were later replaced by F-15s.

As a "Reward" after Operation Cyclone, due to my previous experience with Nuclear Weapons, I got to do the Retrogrades of US Military Nuclear Weapons from US Military Custodial Units at Europe, including SAMs (USAF Special Air Missions) from Europe to CONUS, as a Tech Escort US Military Officer (signed for the Nuclear Weapons, and 100% Responsible and Accountable, as to why I have many of those unclassified documents with my signature and the next Tech Escort US Military Officer's signature, that I must retain forever, just in case). Later on I got involved with the Retrogrades of US Military Chemical Weapons from Europe as Operation Steel Box and Operation Golden Python due to my previous experience with chemical weapons. Later on when the US Military Anti Aircraft Missile Batteries were deactivated by President Clinton his Order as Commander In Chief, by name I was requested again as a Tech Escort US Military Officer to do the Retrogrades of the US Army Nike Hercules Nuclear Warheads at the US Military Anti Aircraft Batteries at the US; and if you think I wanted to do that you are nuts, as previously during the Retrogrades from Europe of the US Military Nike Hercules Nuclear Warheads I was involved in a US Military Aircraft crash, that got my name placed on a Nuclear Accident Incident Report, as a Broken Arrow, damaged nuclear weapon that could have resulted in a low order nuclear detonation, fortunately for me, the hundreds of pounds of high explosives did not detonate during or after the crash, and I conducted Render Safe Procedures as trained, while everyone else ran away except the one warhead guard I grabbed (Two Person Control Rule) as to how both of us got a non lethal dose of radiation (treated with Prussian Blue, Iodine and a heck of a lot of beers) as the nuclear warheads were damaged (none of your business details as still CNWDI).

And pertaining to the Air National Guard Units you mentioned, go research their History. That proves to you that they were removed before on Orders by President Clinton as Commander In Chief. How do I know, I did some time on the West Coast with the USAF Special Operations Wing (SOW), Travis AFB, it was part of our job to know what assets are available as situational awareness. It was my involvement with them as to why I told my younger brother in law, never ever get involved with any special warfare, or you will always be stuck with them (us, from experience), while the US Military Conventional Warfare Forces (including Administrative US Military Personnel) get promoted ahead of you, have time to get more Civilian Education to get promoted, time with the family, weekends off, etc., instead of 80% to 90% Training when off Mission Status and on Training Status. And many years after the fact, IF the next Presidents Declassify the Mission(s) or Operation(s) that you were involved in maybe you might finally get the Awards, Decorations, Medals, etc. that you earned, resulting in a retroactive promotion (if you survive until years later and did not quit). And did my younger brother in law listen to my firsthand experience, NOPE, so he was a O-4 (USAF Asymmetric Warfare Military Officer) while his wife (my younger sister) became an O-5 (USAF Military Officer), his being gone all the time and not being able to disclose why, is why they got divorced (just like most of us); later on he was given a choice remain in the USAF as US Military Asymmetric Warfare Officer or tender his Letter of Resignation, same crap they pulled on us before (Regardless of Branch of Service).

The crap you read in Books is not the Reality of Firsthand Experience (Definition of Fact) survival of the Real World School of Hard Knocks.

Pertaining to this Article and the Decisions, based on previous Firsthand Experience with Missiles (ICBMs, IRBMs, ABMs) most of the US ABMs must be placed at Hawai'i, NOT Alaska, US ABM intercepts occurring between North Korea and Hawai'i; to provide more time for the US ABMs at Alaska to be able to respond if the US ABMs at Hawai'i fail.

North Korea nor Iran will ever attack us directly. It would be instant suicide and they know it. Their threats are empty rhetoric, as usual. The only credible threat would be N.K. invading South Korea. Iran will not attack Israel in a major military operation.

RTyp0 - North Korea nor Iran will ever attack us directly.

Of course you do know about the Underground Nuclear Attack Proof Iranian Missile Silos under construction at South America. (visited by President Ahmedinejad, 2010, 2011, 2012).

Al Quada's stated new goal attack US Cities again.

The current Threat, Hezbollah (backed by Fundamentalist Islamic Shia Republic of Iran) and Hamas Ties to the Mexican Drug Cartels. The Smuggling of multiple 10KT or larger Nuclear Weapons (like the obsolete US Nuclear Artillery Projectile, physical size 203mm x less than 1 meter, with radiation shielding to avoid detection size of a small footlocker), simultaneous detonations at multiple US Cities like D.C., NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, etc. as:

History Channel, Day After Disaster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCme_K6MYLY

RTyp0 - Iran will not attack Israel in a major military operation.

Iran does not have to attack US Ally Israel, they are letting the Millions of Holy Warrior of Islam that their Iranian Special Forces, Quds, trained, armed and are funding at the Fundamentalist Islamic Autonomous Kurdistanis Region of Northern Iraq, Syria, Southern Turkey, Northwestern Iran to go fight US Ally Israel as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas Foreign Fighters, Hezbollah, Army of Islam Gaza, etc..

If Iran does attack US Ally Israel most likely will be the detonation of a 10KT or larger Nuclear weapon at Haifa (Israel), as depicted in the above link, History Channel, Day After Disaster.

If you honestly believe that there is no Iranian Missile Threat why did President Obama backpeddle from against President Bush's US Military ABMs to Eastern Europe (Poland) against the Iranian Missile Threat; to President Obama's Deployment of US Military ABMs to Romania December 2012 against the Iranian Missile Threat.

Blackbird,

Do not even attempt to confuse Henry A. Eckstein with the documented Facts.

(Extreme Sarcasm) Don't you know he was involved in the Strategic Defense Initiative(s).

Henry A. Eckstein,

The Hypersonic heating issue was solved a long time ago (Declassified as above Mach 12 Atmospheric Flight, specific Mach still Classified). Like I stated above YOU have NO experience with the Strategic Defense Initiative(s) (what worked and what did not).

I'm sure N. Korea would be a pretty ugly regime to live under but we have much more to fear from Wall Street/Corporations and their servants (in both parties) in the White House, congress and state offices than we do from that country (or Iran or any of the other bogey men they try to distract and scare us with).

N. Korea hasn't illegally invaded two countries in the last 10-12 years and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. We did.

N. Korea probably uses torture, kidnapping....just like we do.

N. Korea's financial institutions didn't crash the U.S. and world economy with fraudulent, mortgage backed securities (that even the billionaire Warren Buffet labeled Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction) like our banks did, causing millions to lose their homes and jobs.

It wasn't N. Korea that has successfully attacked Habeas Corpus and other important civil liberties, it was the Bush and Obama administrations.

Also: Guess what, the N. Koreans aren't stupid so they aren't going to launch a primitive rocket caring a primitive nuke when they know they know from history (Hiroshima, Nagasaki) that the U.S. has no problem with incinerating massive numbers of people with their own much more efficient and deadly arsenal.

You have a lot more to fear from your own political and business class than you do from any outside country or group.

Right now the two corporate funded parties are cooking up a plan to slash Social Security, Medicare, and other social programs that together keep millions of americans out of poverty.

Worry about that instead (and more importantly,make your voice heard or join an organization that is going to do something about it)

@david-475776,

Thanks for adding to what I had to say :) I didn't want to elaborate as I was not a participant and was hoping that you or another from HKU might come in and add on to my post. Also thanks for adding some new information my younger brother is already using it to look for more (at another workstation). He used your page as a basis for starting his research for a paper on mainly Operation Cyclone. As you and others have pointed out if the US had not left the Afghans back then things would "Probably" (no guarantees) be different today. He got an A- only because he could only go from 98 pages in his rough draft down to 25 in its final form. The limit was 20 pages but he decided that taking a small hit on his grade was worth it for better accuracy. Honestly I think he would have written a 1000 if they would let him.

Also thank you for the links a number of us (about a dozen actually - I've mentioned the crazy mix of family and friends before - Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Iranian, and Gwai Lo) have already watched the Nefes one and will look at the others that are at the youtube site as well. I've been in some rugged terrain (Laurentians, Alaska, Rockies, Blue Ridge, etc. ice, rock climbing and under saddle) but nothing like what you showed us. The ground in the Nefes video is shear Bad A$$ but also amazing to see. We noticed the authors title is in Turkish using a translator though sadly none of us speak the language in the video but get the general idea anyway. Rather sad actually regardless of who it is. It does give us an even greater appreciation for what is happening over there.

"The crap you read in Books is not the Reality of Firsthand Experience (Definition of Fact) survival of the Real World School of Hard Knocks."

Agreed. That is why I pointed that out in my response to Bubba and tried not to step on any toes (plus the research and checking the actual sources are a journey worth taking on their own). Though if I say nothing at all and no one else with experience is here to comment I'm as guilty as the uninformed of spreading the ignorance.

Thanks for all that you write. We love your posts.

Regards and Best Wishes,

Brandon

YOUR QUOTE: "....

david-475776

Blackbird,

Do not even attempt to confuse Henry A. Eckstein with the documented Facts.

(Extreme Sarcasm) Don't you know he was involved in the Strategic Defense Initiative(s).

Henry A. Eckstein,

The Hypersonic heating issue was solved a long time ago (Declassified as above Mach 12 Atmospheric Flight, specific Mach still Classified). Like I stated above YOU have NO experience with the Strategic Defense Initiative(s) (what worked and what did not)...."

====

ME:

Actually, I was too young for THAT part of Ronald Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
from 1984 to 1988...BUT...I do have certain experience with the design and construction of the
SOFTWARE that deals with Hypersonic Flight Control, Offensive Fire Control Systems, AND the
design and manufacture of aerodynamic friction-resistant envelopes for OFFENSIVE
kinetic kill systems. If you're referencing plasma-sheathing of kill vehicles (or even piloted
and autonomous aerospace vehicles), in the 1980's and 1990's, there were so many significant
problems with the maintenance of the plasma sheath (which pushes the atmosphere out of
the way) during flight that much SDI research was RE-DIRECTED to the more certain abilities
of Aluminum Oxide Ceramic and Carbon Ceramic shells (i.e. like the Space Shuttle Tiles) which
had to have significant re-engineering to get a TOUGHER re-usable heat-resistant "plating" for hypersonic vehicles of all kinds.

Another issue was the use of TUNGSTEN as a kinetic kill weapon which,
while very near the weight of Gold, is far too expensive for widespread
use in kinetic kill vehicles. MUCH RESEARCH was done using high-carbon
stainless steel rods with a magnetic ferrous core and enveloped in a
high-heat resistant ceramic composite which was ONE-FIFTH the cost
of using Tungsten Rods for Rail Gun Applications.

One technique explored was to create a copper-cup shape charge
WITHIN the kinetic kill vehicle which would SPRAY an ultra hot liquid
metal upon contact with the target much like expanding bullets that
mushroom upon impact to create a more lethal round. Same concept,
but using shape-charge liquid metal sprays ignited just before impact
to slice though almost anything.

---

So while I DID NOT WORK on 1984 to 1988 SDI,
I have OTHER experience and technical abilities
which some parties find useful.

I only mentioned the Ronald Reagan-era 1984 to 1988 SDI program,
because as a my FAVORITE President, he embodied that Win One
For The Gipper attitude that is sorely lacking in today's politics...plus
he IS and WAS one of the only politicos to call a Spade a Spade...USSR was
a Evil Empire at the time and HE WAS RIGHT! AND HE CONFRONTED them
straight up with NO reservations...unlike what we are doing today with North Korea...!!!

tracontech -

Just another Republican ploy? You do know it is the Obama administration doing this right?

F*ck! You liberals piss me off! Even when your own party does something you don't like, you blame the other because it just can't possibly be true that your savior does something to contradict your rose glassed perception.

Poor sorry brainwashed bastards all of you!

david-475776

That is NOT what happened back then. The F-4s still belonged to the States Air National Guard, removed from the US Civilian Airports, and were later replaced by F-15s.

You are incorrect. I was in the ORNG, stationed as an AGR at the working end of the PANG runway when the F-4s left and the F-15s arrived. F-4s were still flying air security missions off the Oregon/Washington coast while the rest of the wing was training up on the F-15s. The Wing returned with the F-15s which replaced the F-4s. The only West Coast air cover for the lower 48 is Portland and Fresno and neither was without fighter cover. By the way, they are STILL flying out of Civilian Airports on runways adjacent to the civilian runways.

And pertaining to the Air National Guard Units you mentioned, go research their History. That proves to you that they were removed before on Orders by President Clinton as Commander In Chief. How do I know, I did some time on the West Coast with the USAF Special Operations Wing (SOW), Travis AFB, it was part of our job to know what assets are available as situational awareness.

The 142d Fighter Group, and was allotted to the Oregon Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946 It was organized at Portland Municipal Airport, Oregon, and was extended federal recognition on 30 August 1946 by the National Guard Bureau. The 142d Fighter Group was bestowed the history, honors, and colors of the 373d Fighter Group. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned to the Fourth Air Force, Air Defense Command. It has been their defending the West Coast of the United States since then. Where do you get this stuff?

Jersey Jon,

"Surely the North Koreans can't possibly be delusional enough to believe that they can attack the U.S. and live to brag about it."

I wouldn't put anything past the North Koreans. They're a crazy bunch. They have shot down a number of our reconnaissance aircraft in the past as well as chopping up that U.S. Army major with an ax on the DMZ in the 1970's. The best thing we can do, I think, is wipe them off the face of the Earth before they develop the capability for doing that to us because if they can, they will.

That Kim Cray

The real issue here is the fact that when N. Korea launches one of their missiles, nobody knows, including them, where it will end up...

It wouldn’t be the first time in history when a small seemingly inept nation took on the world and surprised everyone with their success, Japan for instance from 1937-1943.

You've got to be joking, comparing the North Koreans with the pre-war Japanese. There is no comparison. Despite the mistake of attacking the US, they were less crazy, more militarily powerful, and infinitely more industrially capable than the North Koreans are right now.

The North Koreans don't even have the capital or the wherewithal to finish the "landmark" hotel they've been building for 25 years, they had to get the Egyptians and the Germans to do it for them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryugyong_Hotel

Kim thought the "Onion" article naming him the sexiest man alive was true....why not anything else.

Really? When was the last time that North Korea attacked another country?

When was the last time that US attacked another country?

Who is more crazy and delusional?

The thing is, they can win. They can nuke Hawaii, Alaska or California or even South Korea. They don't care about the radioactive fallout.

We will eventually win the war, but cannot respond with nuclear weapons. If we nuke N. Korea, radiation will spread to S. Korea, China and other nations and we will not do that.

So we win and take over N Korea, but we will only go after their military and leaders. We will try to limit collateral damage...but they have nuked one of our cities...who really won???

The Taliban is kicking our ass and we can't do anything about it...We have lost our balls years ago. Sad to say.

Semper Fi

jimboza,

"Really? When was the last time that North Korea attacked another country?"

An attack on U.S. forces is an attack on the United States, and North Korea has attacked our forces numerous times since the armistice in 1953. Aside from the shoot-down of a U.S. EC-121 reconnaissance aircraft in 1969 which killed 31 Americans, they also captured the USS Pueblo, a U.S. reconnaissance ship, in the 1960's and have shot down a number of our helicopters as well. Here's a list of border incidents we've encountered with North Korea since the end of the Korean War:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_border_incidents_involving_North_Korea

Nom Deguerre

It wouldn’t be the first time in history when a small seemingly inept nation took on the world and surprised everyone with their success, Japan for instance from 1937-1943.

And how did that work out for them?

Empty threats? Depends on what you consider the threat? How much is it costing the North Koreans to run their mouths? Talk is cheap! Hot air is free.

Meanwhile, based on their cheap talk, we're about to spend BILLIONS defending ourselves. BILLIONS that we don't have. It's a play right out of Al-Qaeda's playbook.

Costing us billions IS a form of an attack. Knowing what knee-jerk reactionaries we are, it's an attack they'll win every time. They spent nothing, we'll spend billions, and guess whose laughing at whom?

Meanwhile, we Americans sit back and call them "delusional". We're the ones who can't even recognize this is an economic attack. An attack that cost them nothing - no money spent, no lives lost, and free publicity without even needing to call Dennis Rodman.

The North Korean's know EXACTLY what their doing.

@Jersey Jon- that's the problem, they are delusional. Because they are basically an insane country to begin with they are likely to pull anything.

Even delusional people understand the concept of complete and utter destruction/death. They won't make a major move because China would abandon them.. although that doesn't mean they won't try to shoot down an aircraft/submarine that ventures too close (a full blown retaliation would be seen as an overreaction on our part). It's like the annoying little brother that pokes and prods the sibling waiting for an "overreaction" so THEY can be seen as the victim. They go to far though and we will carpet bomb their country (let's be real, we will NEVER use nukes against them.. we don't need to and THAT would be seen as negative on us.. regardless of what they do we are supposed to be "better").

The best of some much needed comedy relief:

MT20

I do not usually act as the spelling police, but cmon Kumar, "dilutional?" I know you meant "delusional," unless you feel that these clowns are watered down.

forkchops

DepthCon 1!

Is that for like, scuba divers or something?

Also stated,It will take 2 years to do this and millions of dollars. What happens if the NK's decide in a month to launch? Looks like we are 14 short.

@Micky; that Army dude in the 70's? I remember that, tensions got a little high on that one but the North Koreans were very upset with that officer going into the DMZ in the first place and then when he started cutting down their favorite tree that was to much, that is what happens when you start drafting environmentalist they get emotional and unstable.

have you watched the videos on how the North Koreans think America is? we have to drink coffee made from snow and we are all homeless there is a ration of 1 small cake a day provided by North Korea, they think they are feeding us, they also think they have the better space program, and America is a burden on them, and we need to be eradicated. at least that is what their propaganda films are telling them these people are totally detached from the real world. they are a danger! if for no other reason then they know no better, sad its like a whole nation of retards ready to do whatever they are told, they are mentally deficient socialist not a independent thought in the country totally subversive and all a part of the same collective, they are as independent as a trail horse they will all follow the lead horse and refuse to deviate from the program, these people have government induced mental illness, each neighborhood is assigned a mentor to spread the socialist agenda and guide them to comply for the good of the collective and if they screw up and show one ioda of a independent thought or a desire to be different then they are swept away to a reintroduction camp where that attitude is removed they are dangerous they are suicidal, they are like machines. and they are subconsciously taught/programed to hate South Korea and the US.

Just like our government is trying to impose on us. Like Hitler started with very young children, so our leaders r proposing the same thing. Our government is trying to socialize us, take our guns, lie to us regularly, sweeping Benghazi under the rug, along with fast n furious, voter fraud, buying an election with gifts, media pandering, supporting our enemies(the muslims have sworn to kill us) n now several days after NK threatens to nuke us, we get this report from Hagel??? What is going on?? No wonder POTUS is always going somewhere, he doesn't want to hang around n be a target.

D Buck-2239568 - have you watched the videos on how the North Koreans Americans think America North Korea is? we they have to drink coffee made from snow and we they are all homeless there is a ration of 1 small cake a day provided by North Korea America, they think they we are feeding us them, they also think they have the better space program, and America North Korea is a burden on them, and we they need to be eradicated (Genocide). at least that is what their propaganda films are telling them these people are totally detached from the real world. they are a danger! if for no other reason then they know no better, sad its like a whole nation of retards ready to do whatever they are told, they are mentally deficient socialist not a independent thought in the country totally subversive and all a part of the same collective, they are as independent as a trail horse they will all follow the lead horse and refuse to deviate from the program, these people have government induced mental illness called Democrazy, each neighborhood is assigned a mentor President Obama Political Action Committee to spread the socialist agenda and guide them to comply for the good of the collective and if they screw up and show one ioda of a independent thought* or a desire to be different* then they are swept away to a reintroduction camp* where that attitude is removed they are dangerous they are suicidal, they are like machines. and they are subconsciously taught/programed to hate North Korea, South Korea and the US. US Allies, and especially the Republic of America.

*"President Obama, this is your Army. We are ready to march. Let's take these son of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong," US Labor Union Leader Jimmy Hoffa Junior during President Obama's Reelection Campaign.

US Democrats demanding the Murders of US Citizens of the Republician Party.

President Obama addressed the crowd shortly after US Labor Union Leader Jimmy Hoffa Junior. US Labor Union Leader Jimmy Hoffa Junior not arrested for "Terroristic Threatening of US Citizens", "Conspiracy To Commit the Murder of US Citizens", "Homegrown Domestic Terrorism Against US Citizens", etc..

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/09/05/jimmy_hoffa_at_obama_event_on_gop_lets_take_these_son_of_bitches_out.html

"Chancellor Hitler, we are your Army. We are ready to march. All Loyal German's Must take back Germany from the Jews". Chancellor Hitler's Brown Shirts, Sturmabteilung, Armed Paramilitary; and his Political Labor Union, National Socialist German Workers' Party, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei aka NAZI.

Chancellor Hitler Ordering the elimination of other Political Parties (and did by Armed Force of his armed private Army, 1933), US Democrats demanding the elimination of the Republican Party.

Defintion Fascism - dictatorial movement: any movement, ideology, or attitude that favors dictatorial government, centralized control of private enterprise, repression of all opposition and criticism, and extreme nationalism.

*President Obama's Preemptive Detentions of US Citizens. President Obama's 2009 Patriot Acts (Plural US Laws, not President Bush Patriot Act, singular US Law).

President Obama's Indefinite Detentions of US Citizens, 2012 NDAA.

This N Korean twit thinks he has the same power thatbama has and just might zap us just to prove that he can. then where wil lyou be?

As a native Californian I'm hoping that people are afraid of this threat and start moving out of state.I can hope can't I?

I'm sure N. Korea would be a pretty ugly regime to live under but we have much more to fear from Wall Street/Corporations and their servants (in both parties) in the White House, congress and state offices than we do from that country (or Iran or any of the other bogey men they try to distract and scare us with).

N. Korea hasn't illegally invaded two countries in the last 10-12 years and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. We did.

N. Korea probably uses torture, kidnapping....just like we do.

N. Korea's financial institutions didn't crash the U.S. and world economy with fraudulent, mortgage backed securities (that even the billionaire Warren Buffet labeled Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction) like our banks did, causing millions to lose their homes and jobs.

It wasn't N. Korea that has successfully attacked Habeas Corpus and other important civil liberties, it was the Bush and Obama administrations.

Also: Guess what, the N. Koreans aren't stupid so they aren't going to launch a primitive rocket caring a primitive nuke when they know they know from history (Hiroshima, Nagasaki) that the U.S. has no problem with incinerating massive numbers of people with their own much more efficient and deadly arsenal.

You have a lot more to fear from your own political and business class than you do from any outside country or group.

Right now the two corporate funded parties are cooking up a plan to slash Social Security, Medicare, and other social programs that together keep millions of americans out of poverty.

Worry about that instead (and more importantly,make your voice heard or join an organization that is going to do something about it)

do you realise this will be mass destruction on a global scale and America will not be exempt!

No it won't. They'll fire their little peashooter missile in the general direction of the US. The US will shoot it down and fire back with a couple hundred thermonuclear warheads and pyongyang will disappear once and for all.

Problem solved

La_Grenoille,

You're partially right. North Korea would be decimated from our counter-attack. However, what you're failing to see is what happens after that. China, Iran, Cuba, or any one of a dozen anti-US nations could decide to start dog-piling on the US. Although they wouldn't be totally successful, there would be massive casualties.

Go back and look how WW I started. It might surprise you how fast things escalated in that senario.

La Gren,

I'm not convinced this has not happened already, that is, the shooting down of their primitive spacecraft or what almost passes as an ICBM. We had a funny flash here in the sky that was explained as a meteor. It wasn't like any meteor I ever saw. It was a more like how I think a high-altitude weapon would look like taking out an incoming missile. Oddly, this happened around the same time NK launched their primitive version of a satellite...Sputnik 2012/2013, LOL.

@La_Grenouille: If you think China will let that happen without getting involved, you are very naive. China is the worry when dealing with N Korea, not N Korea. China is serious. China is the reason we tread very lightly when it comes to N Korea.

Grenouille ... You don't see the "big picture" now do you?! First of all China has their back; do not kid yourself, their military will be like ants overwhelming the grasshopper. Secondly, China wouldn't necessarily need to fire one shot because they hold so much of our debt, they would sell just enough to rattle our markets without greatly affecting their own interests. They have us by testicular units in a big way!

yeah lets nuke em...but don't forget that the wind blows in this direction so all the crops we get from california will be irradiated as well as most of the country...YEAH Glass parking lot YEAH!!! I'm tough guy by proxy!

Tom,

Excellent use of WWI as an example of how wars that no one wants actually get started!

What YOU fail to understand is by holding US debt, China can do very little to the USA. And that's forgetting that China rellies on the US for much of its trade. If trade relations with the US are cut and US defaults, China would be as deep in the hole as the US as tens of millions would become unemployed.

Are you really going to attack your first trading partner over a crackpot country?

No nukes needed. A couple of MOABS and Daisy Cutters, along with some well placed bunker busters would cure the problem...

Frankly, we should not overreact to North Korea. some enhance to missile defense is understandable, but we should be aware of cost / benefit of what we do.. Not waste money...........

I believe we are very capable of monitoring and shooting down missile from NK especially if they try to lob the long ball to the US -- much more time to react in multiple ways

very quick missle defense would need to be in South Korea -- much less time to respond.

It really depends on what happens on whether or not we would lob back in nukes.. Unless there is a mass rush by the North Korean army into South Korea -- we may well have massive conventional air and missile response

War doesn't determine who's right - only who's left.

Bertrand Russell

One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.

Agatha Christie

you people are aware that this is all two week old news, or over a week at least haven't herd much in the line of new developments.

it only takes one to start a war, then when its over and only one is left standing, you can determine if it was worth it or not. or you could just let the other guy keep picking on you.

these people have a small hat complex, if we were to get them some really big hats, something to make those hats they have now look meaningless, that would remove the anxiety and buy the world a decade of peace. Kim suffers the most because he doesn't even have a hat get him a hat like Napoleon wore. short people need big hats.

I guess I'll take that back maybe its the other way around big hats make bullies out of little people. now that I thought about it Napoleon was a bullie and he had the biggest hat. my mistake. Kim probably has a huge hat he just can't wear it because its to hard to get through the door.

This is another ruse for our government to get us into more debt. POTUS wants to bankrupt us n this is part of the plot. Dennis Rodman was the go between! Why has our POTUS not mentioned this threat, even Clinton sent bombers! Poor ole Hagel is just another patsy.

////

Patrick Cohan

Grenouille ... You don't see the "big picture" now do you?! First of all China has their back; do not kid yourself, their military will be like ants overwhelming the grasshopper. Secondly, China wouldn't necessarily need to fire one shot because they hold so much of our debt, they would sell just enough to rattle our markets without greatly affecting their own interests. They have us by testicular units in a big way!

Unlikely scenario. China does not have their back. China is in it for China and N. Korea is a Cold War embarrassment to a country looking to become the dominant world power. China is not happy with the starving illegal immigrants crossing the border. China does not want to alienate it's number one customer. Be advised...they may call themselves communists and tout socialism but they are becoming capitalist as hell.

So the US, North Korea and South Korea (and probably Japan) go to war. North Korea, while inflicting significant casualties on S. Korea and the American forces deployed to S. Korea, is decimated within a few days. What are the options for China? They can watch the reunification of Korea under a government allied with the United States...not good. Of course that is providing the SK would even consider reunification. The old people in Korea are in favor of reunification but not the young. They see it as an unnecessary expense. They can pour billions of dollars into the former N. Korea to prevent a flood of refugees into China. They can invade N. Korea and maintain border integrity while trying to feed an already starving population.

There is no advantage to China to allow N. Korea to go to war. If the structure of the N Korean government collapses, China is on the hook...another bad option for China. By the way, if China caused the collapse of the US economy it would cause a worldwide chain reaction that would collapse their economy as well. Now they would have to worry about their own starving people...and the N. Koreans...again, not good for China.

Ol Doc,

You're forgetting another senario. Korea attacks the US, then US tries to counter-attack but is unsuccessful because China does not allow it. China plays the police officer role and allows Korea (a known ally of China) to do what they wish but will not allow the west to stop them. And, forcing China to cease blockades will be impossible since, like others have pointed out, China controls a lot of financial interests here in the west. China's actions (or as I've pointed out, inactions) would have devatating consequences on the western attempts to subdue N. Korea.

Pegon

Let's hope the solar panels are made in the USA

If you don't have anything to add to the topic, why post nonsense?

What happens when someone gets check, or do they go for checkmate before Kim takes a swing at Obama, will they refer to this as Rodman's War? what do you think it was that Rodman said to Kim to piss him off so bad or is there something going on that we don't know about? did Kim make a pass at Dennis and get rejected, or was it the other way around. or did Dennis make a pass or a gesture or look wrong at Kims squeeze. or did he not except the one Kim selected for him the short chubby one with one eyebrow, stay tuned this story is just starting, just what did Rodman do?

So when you say little b a s t a r d s you really mean little g o o k b a s t a r d s right?

No, he said "b a s t a r d" and not "b a s t a r d S". James also said "deal with HIM" [emphasis added]. Why are you looking for racism when there was none?

Yeah. The G-word popped out of your mind Suhgarim - nobody else's.

@Suhgarim; just like a fully indoctrinated anti racist liberal socialist stuck in the collective Idiot, you have to make a issue of race out of everything, maybe he is just anti socialist! You should have your mentors extend your indoctrination training to include other subjects you are obviously ready to take on the free thinking people, you just need more subject matter. try Mao's little red book, then you can learn to attack capitalism, and American imperialism as well.

And I say it isn't.

If a couple hundred nukes go off, it's gonna be a pretty warm globe.

Yearight it will actually get cold when the nuke clouds the sun out

@Pegon yes thermal nuclear war would heat things up and radiate every thing, but global warming is something man can do nothing about so focus on what you can do something about and worry about polluting the Oceans that's the real threat. and that we can stop doing. and while you are at it find a safe way to control that damn red algae. before it kills all the sea life. the Admiral only said what he said to get in good with a cute little environmentalist he met. global warming will stop when the Ice Age stops receding, then it will return full of vengeance. its happened like that before.

Nk has more than you know. How many is the US willing to lose?

didn't we help Israel with their defense program? I think the missile defense program in Israel worked really well in 2012

North Korea could simply place the warhead on a commercial freighter and launch duds just to throw the US off. Once in place off the coast or in a bay they could then watch us twist.

There are two Chinas: One, the economic who depend on us for their economy and the second, the military China who not only consider America an enemy, but would love to shut down the emerging Chinese middle class.

Thinking you could reason with China is a fatal error when you consider how delicate the political structure is there.

Zrebe, what planet do you live on?

Please provide a source that Obama pulled missiles out of Israel.

"Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid." John wayne

Zebre maybe you should pull your head out of your a$$

we can argue all day as to whether President Obama "pulled all them out"

but the point is, is that they worked! and we can use the same strategy...hence, placement in alaska

there was no "obama pull out" of "iron dome" -- it was a joint development project between US and Israel.. Still a fairly early program that was ramped up faster in number - during the missile escalation from Gaza

Just the possibility that the missile defense system works is a deterrent. Would Kim be willing to take a shot if it didn't have a likelihood of hitting its target? He might be crazy, but he isn't stupid. He knows retaliation would be swift and that if he took such a foolish and reckless action that the few allies he has in the world would turn on him.

Most of this bluster is about winning allies from within his government and military anyway. He needs to show his generals that he has balls so he makes some threats. We are doing drills off his coast - if he let's that go without appearing to be defiant and strong then his people will lose confidence in him. Anyone who didn't expect him to make a threat this last week doesn't understand North Korea. This threat was right on que and predictable.

The Chinese don't want a war with America. At this point they know they would lose. China has been growing its military, but it is still nascent compared to what we have - and our assets are already in place surrounding them. Even if they could knock out our electric for a few days with a virus, we have nuclear submarines in the Sea of Japan, we have Air Force bases all over Asia and carrier battle groups in all the waters that surround them. They have one second hand and out-dated carrier from the Ukraine, which they don't even know how to sail yet. China can't touch us except to muck up some electrical grids - maybe. So if Kim did shoot a missile, China would distance themselves from him in a heartbeat. They already have supported sanctions against him and have publicly admonished his remarks - big steps for China. The most China would do is plead with us for mercy for the N. Korean people.

Bottom line - N. Korea is posturing and bluffing as they always do.

You Sir are very correct. The only thing China can do from a Military standpoint is to move by land and in that scenario they have the manpower to overrun our positions in that area of the world. However with that said I say exercise our first strike option on North Korea however use Strategic Nuclear Weapons, not cruse missiles. We would have to fade the heat of world opinion, but so be it.

It will cost us at a time that we r on the verge of going broke. Yes, China backs NK n they wud really be a winner if we did not meet our bills. This will help bankrupt us! There is a faction that wants a one world order. When we can no longer meet our obligations, we will be open to the world of one world order.

Zrebe

The Moron Obama pulled all of them out......! Now they are scared to death, his stupidity is going to cost American Lives and if this occurs I think he should be the First to go...!

I don't think I'd be calling Obama a Moron if I were you...ever heard of "Iron Dome" ...Moron!

Building missiles creates jobs, selling the technology creates a balance Jimmy Carter thought that up. He sold/gave the technology to Russia, Russia sold it to China, China gave it to North Korea, North Korea is selling it to Iran, what more do you want the political system is working just fine, if you are a politician and making money on this. times never change greed, power, deceit, f it, WWl, Spanish Revolution, WWll, all related, Korea a left over from WWll, Vietnam another left over from WWll same scenarios, just more of a French dilemma then a us dilemma, all just Bad politics, the kind of politics that get people killed if the mess was completed to start with none of this would be a issue today. we walked away from Vietnam so North Vietnam ran in to fill the void/ complete their conquest they defeated the third biggest military in the world, that is what we built in the south the third biggest military in the world, imagine that? run over by what? a lesser power with a bigger commitment, the point is all these wars were caused by politicians and Bad diplomacy, millions of people die over Diplomacy when it could have been hundreds instead of millions or thousands, so much for Diplomacy, diplomacy causes big wars when action prevents big wars, a spanking is better then a life time of misfortune . don't believe me ask people that live in Chicago. of course they are stupid to begin with to live there.

I'm sure N. Korea would be a pretty ugly regime to live under but we have much more to fear from Wall Street/Corporations and their servants (in both parties) in the White House, congress and state offices than we do from that country (or Iran or any of the other bogey men they try to distract and scare us with).

N. Korea hasn't illegally invaded two countries in the last 10-12 years and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. We did.

N. Korea probably uses torture, kidnapping....just like we do.

N. Korea's financial institutions didn't crash the U.S. and world economy with fraudulent, mortgage backed securities (that even the billionaire Warren Buffet labeled Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction) like our banks did, causing millions to lose their homes and jobs.

It wasn't N. Korea that has successfully attacked Habeas Corpus and other important civil liberties, it was the Bush and Obama administrations.

Also: Guess what, the N. Koreans aren't stupid so they aren't going to launch a primitive rocket caring a primitive nuke when they know they know from history (Hiroshima, Nagasaki) that the U.S. has no problem with incinerating massive numbers of people with their own much more efficient and deadly arsenal.

You have a lot more to fear from your own political and business class than you do from any outside country or group.

Right now the two corporate funded parties are cooking up a plan to slash Social Security, Medicare, and other social programs that together keep millions of americans out of poverty.

Worry about that instead (and more importantly,make your voice heard or join an organization that is going to do something about it)

Your Right they had nothing up there because Obama pulled them out......! His Presidency is now starting to unravel. Up till now the Press has been protecting the Crack Pipe Smoker. I wonder if they will still be protecting him when the Nukes fall on New York and DC.....

Zrebe, please go back on your meds, you're really delusional.

Zrebe: propagandize much?

The work to add missile defenses in Alaska has been going since before AND AFTER Obama became president (I have friends who worked on the program). If you're talking about missile defenses planned for Eastern Europe, those were to Russia akin to USSR parking missiles in Cuba were for us. Add to that Czech and Polish public were largely against --> US decided to instead go with sea-based defenses instead.

Obama's presidency is unraveling because a Kim from N. Korea made an empty and dumb threat?? The Kims have been making empty and dumb threats since the armistice. I would be worried if they didn't make a threat!

That's twice as old as you.

You should listen when elders speak.

um, star wars was a space-based missile defense system that shot lasers from satellites. this current system is a ground-based missile intended to reach a similar objective, but is not star wars. (although it doesn't work very well either.) if you tried reading the article, you might have realized that this isn't the star wars system.

sikchimp

um, star wars was a space-based missile defense system that shot lasers from satellites. this current system is a ground-based missile intended to reach a similar objective, but is not star wars. (although it doesn't work very well either.) if you tried reading the article, you might have realized that this isn't the star wars system

You're wasting your breath, THESE DUCK AND COVER TEAGAGGER MORONS have to live in fear. They want war but not one of THE LITTLE CHICKENHAWK CHICKENSH!T PUZZIES HAVE THE GUTS TO HIT THE RECRUITER STATION. I'll tell you sorry pieces if SH!T this. If we were to nuke N.Korean, the US wouldn't have any other choice than activate the Standby draft, to defend ourselves when China and North Korea spilled over the DMZ. Whats more as a member of the Selective Service Board, you can kiss your sorry @ss goodbye, coming before me with your lame excuse. That is right morons the Selective Service Board still exist. But by that time a bunch of our present soldiers in South Korea would be dead.

Seems like another draftee Vietnam Vet has forgotten to take his P.T.S.D meds today!!

That's what I thought too. I thought now, they voided it and basically put everyone on notice that they were 'coming to get them'. I thought on Monday they 'voided' it and cancelled a communication line between the two Koreas.

exactly, other country around the world are reporting NK launched 2 short range missles into the sea of Japan over 3 hours ago. Where is the US media on this???

It would seem that you are very naive at best. You sound like you don't think any country has any serious intent to do us harm. Have you traveled outside the country? Our country is not liked very well by many segments of the world. There are various reasons to this ranging from envy of our successes to a deliberate attempt to force their religion (Islam) upon others. Not all people are bad throughout the world, but those people don't tend to be very high in the governments that they live within.

One last thing. You state that you would like investigations or other intel from Israel or England? You do realize they were two of the biggest contributors to the intel the U.S. used/received in regards to WMD in Iraq right? Please educate yourself.

Pure American-1827335

It would seem that you are very naive at best. You sound like you don't think any country has any serious intent to do us harm. Have you traveled outside the country? Our country is not liked very well by many segments of the world. There are various reasons to this ranging from envy of our successes to a deliberate attempt to force their religion (Islam) upon others. Not all people are bad throughout the world, but those people don't tend to be very high in the governments that they live within.

One last thing. You state that you would like investigations or other intel from Israel or England? You do realize they were two of the biggest contributors to the intel the U.S. used/received in regards to WMD in Iraq right? Please educate yourself

TALK ABOUT SOMEONE NEEDING TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES! You are a total moron.

Songun, North Korea's 'military-first' policy, prioritises the military in affairs of state and the allocation of resources; and with 1.1 million personnel, to Seoul's 600,000, the North Korean military clearly outsizes it southern equivalent. North Korea also possesses more tanks and submarines than South Korea, although the South Korean military possess a greater number of jet fighters.

I have lived with South Koreans, I speak the language. I had South Korean Crews working for me, and I can tell you how they think. Do not ever under estimate a Korean. I would put any ROC White Tigers’ or Ghost units against any SEAL in a one on one knock down hand to hand fight.

The problem with North Korea, is after the first wave, they will be on starvation rations, but since you are so brave pussy, you just get into the show. I have had mine, and pretty much will sit this one out, but down let that stop you. I have attend many a returning heroes funeral as a Patriot Guard.

Speaking of morons: have you taken a good look in the mirror lately?. Only an arrogant "round eye" could fantasize that having South Koreans work for you gave you true insight into the S.K. psyche. I also have lived in Korea. I have also trained and trained hard with the ROKs and one of the things you would have learned if you hadn't impressed them as just another "Ugly American" would have been the fact that the S.K.s will NEVER forgive America for betraying them by leaving the peninsula divided by dictate rather than reunited by the victory that was promised them. They need and willingly accept the U.S. military, but have not and never will trust the "rotting fish-heads" that populate the Pentagon and Washington, D.C. And if you think the entire R.O.K.A. is a hardened and motivated as the specops units you must still be smoking that bad @!$%# you smoked in "The Nam"--The ROKs face the same issues that the U.S. Army faces in terms of motivation and abilities. They also face the same situation that was faced in the Korean War (and yes, for South Korea, it was a war, not a "police action")---How does one defend against an OPFOR that can put 500,000 combat trained soldiers at the F.E.B.A. and stiil have 4-5 times as many soldiers available, between actives and reserves? At 600,000 bodies the ROKs don't have enough soldiers to maintain a strong M.L.R. and contain one or two strong thrusts by the NKs and still defend the hauptkampflinie. Don't kid yourself V.V.-the NKs have all the food they need for their armed forces....why else do you think the country is in a state of perpetual famine?.

And before you post anything else of monumental stupidity....Yes, I took the "King's Shilling" and was comissioned when the only units wearing camo were the Ranger Regiment (Yes--the two battalion regiment with the black berets) and S.F. and I continue to serve to this day so unlike you and your ilk, if the balloon goes up in SK I will be the first one to grab an A/D slot no matter how many chits I have to call in to get it!!.

If it was up to me they would get a bill every year.

Those ungrateful little toads make it a point to keep our US goods out of S. Korea and we have a huge trade imbalance they never seem to fix.

No more TOURS of the DMZ....

seriously..it would run out of gas before it got here and land in the ocean.

and 5 minutes later there would be 1 korea again...our allies.

Knock Knock China..

An additional benefit of the plan you outline is that the DPRK could deny they were involved.

China should realize the braggadocio of its "little brother" has become a serious liability and embarrassment. It is better to cut him off at the knees than clean up his mess.

I know there are a lot of people that can't think past their front doorstep in regards to what the U.S. is comprised of, but whether they have the technology or not (which some experts actually have said they possibly do), it's whether they could attack South Korea or Japan. In case you didn't hear, we have tens of thousands of americans that are in those two countries. You may not consider military men/women as americans, but they are. If the North Koreans were to hit Japan with a nuke, it could literally devistate a significant portion of the Marine Corps. Think outside the box.

Yes, because this administration has been excellent on acting on intel and preventing civilian casualties (american at that).

Right, Benghazi is a great example. If we got hit by NK, our inept leader wud not know what to do. Maybe say that we offended them n apoligize?? We have no one to lead us. A liar that contradicts himself everyday.

They have already announced that they intend to nuke us. What did u say we were waiting for, an imminent attack? Is that when a missiles is actually fired?

Dumbowski2

Right, Benghazi is a great example. If we got hit by NK, our inept leader wud not know what to do. Maybe say that we offended them n apoligize?? We have no one to lead us. A liar that contradicts himself everyday.

Are you freaking kidding me? Benghazi is small potato. How about New York City 9/11? How about the look on the "Commander in Chief's" face when he was told the United States was under attack. How about the seven minutes it took him to put down his copy of My Pet Goat.

And speaking of liars...WMD? How much of that did we find? Yellow Cake Uranium? Smoking gun in the form of a mushroom cloud? "Determined to fix the intelligence around the policy"?

Shall I go on? You go on about 4 dead Americans like there is not precedence in American history. How about over 4,000 Dead American Service Members in Iraq? Do you really want to talk about screw-ups?...I could go on!