Beware the dogs of war. The same intel “folks” who brought to you babies pulled from incubators by “evil” Iraqis as well as non-existent WMDs are now peddling the notion that North Korea has produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead able to fit its recently tested ICBM.
That’s the core of an analysis completed in July by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Additionally, US intel believes that Pyongyang now has access to up to 60 nuclear weapons. On the ground US intel on North Korea is virtually non-existent – so these assessments amount to guesswork at best.
But when we couple the guesswork with an annual 500-page white paper released earlier this week by the Japanese Defense Ministry, alarm bells do start ringing.
The white paper stresses Pyongyang’s “significant headway” in the nuclear race and its “possible” (italics mine) ability to develop miniaturized nuclear warheads able to fit on the tips of its missiles.
This “possible” ability is drowned in outright speculation. As the report states, “It is conceivable that North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has already considerably advanced and it is possible that North Korea has already achieved the miniaturization of nuclear bombs into warheads and has acquired nuclear warheads.”
Western corporate media would hardly refrain from metastasizing pure speculation into a “North Korea has miniaturized nuclear weapons” frenzy consuming the cable news cycle/ newspaper headlines. Talk about hearts and minds comfortably numbed by the fear factor.
The Japanese white paper, conveniently, also escalated condemnation of China over Beijing’s actions in both the East and South China seas.
So let’s look at the agendas in play. The War Party in the US, with its myriad connections in the industrial-military-media complex, obviously wants/needs war to keep the machinery oiled. Tokyo, for its part, would much appreciate a pre-emptive US military attack – and damn the inevitable, massive South Korean casualties that would result from Pyongyang’s counterpunch.
It’s quite enlightening that Tokyo, for all practical purposes, considers China as a “threat” as serious as North Korea; Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera went straight to the point when he said, “North Korea’s missiles represent a deepening threat. That, along with China’s continued threatening behavior in the East China Sea and South China Sea, is a major concern for Japan.” Beijing’s response was swift.
Kim Jong-Un, demonized ad infinitum, is not a fool, and is not going to indulge in a ritual seppuku unilaterally attacking South Korea, Japan or US territory. Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal represents the deterrent against regime change that Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi could not count on. There’s only one way to deal with North Korea, as I’ve argued before; diplomacy. Tell that to Washington and Tokyo.
Meanwhile, there’s United Nations Security Council Resolution 2371. It does target North Korea’s major exports – coal, iron, seafood. Coal accounts for 40% of Pyongyang’s exports, and arguably 10% of GDP.
Yet this new sanctions package does not touch imports of oil and refined-oil products from China. That’s one of the reasons why Beijing voted in favor.
Beijing’s strategy is a very Asian attempt to find a face-saving solution – and that takes time. UNSC resolution 2371 buys time – and may dissuade the Trump administration, for now, from going heavy metal, with horrible consequences.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi cautiously stated the sanctions are a sign of international opposition to North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. The last thing Beijing needs is a war right on its borders, also bound to negatively interfere with the expansion of the New Silk Roads, a.k.a. Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Beijing could always work on re-building trust between Pyongyang and Washington. That’s an order taller than the Himalayas. One just needs to look back at the 1994 Agreed Framework, signed during Bill Clinton’s first term.
The framework was supposed to freeze – and even dismantle – Pyongyang’s nuclear program and was bound to normalize US-North Korea relations. A US-led consortium would build two light-water nuclear reactors to compensate for Pyongyang’s loss of nuclear power; sanctions would be lifted; both parties would issue “formal assurances” against the use of nuclear weapons.
Nothing happened. The framework collapsed in 2002 – when North Korea was enshrined in the “axis of evil” by the Cheney regime. Not to mention that the Korean War is still, technically, on; the 1953 armistice was never replaced by a real peace treaty.
So what next? Three reminders.
1) Beware of an engineered false flag, to be blamed on Pyongyang; that would be the perfect pretext for war.
2) The current narrative is eerily similar to the usual suspects blaring since forever that Iran is a heartbeat away from “building a nuclear weapon”.
3) North Korea holds trillions of US dollars in unexplored mineral wealth. Watch the shadowplay by candidates bound to profit from such juicy loot.
He will learn his limits soon enough..
You need a histroy lesson bro..
We bombed Japan becuase they attacked us.. And shamelessly killed millions of innocent Chinese, before setting out to steal Asia from its rightful owners.
Leason learned..
Vernon Trexler
Hey pea brain whats your solution to the problem.
attack on N Koria would triger ww3 that will spare none even usa.
You see Andrew Becker, I spent a few years in South Carolina. Our customers from Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee etc… coming for training, all bloody baptists, had the same technical questions: a- alcohol, b- pole dance / strip. The US nuked the Japs for the same reasons
I think its time to stop puting sanctions that puts millions of innocent NK people’s lives at a stake after a stupid mind from some american gready leaders.
Let the iron man start a war then loss will a factor in the negotiations. China is about to rule the world if not then india as USA has failed the world now. Its time USA should learn to respect others freedom of thoughts.
If war break out US will turn in to ashes
"when the US nuked them shamelessly and unnecessarily"? Wow, how dumb.
Vernon Trexler, another humorless bloody baptist
Paul Moss, very kind of you
An open letter to Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and Li Keqiang, Primier of the People’s Republic of China.
Your Excellencies:
Not since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 has the threat of nuclear war been as immanent as it is now: Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea and supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, have directly threatened nuclear war against one-another’s countries, and they now both posses the weapons to carry out such threats. Neither shows any sign of a desire to reduce tensions between their two governments: on the contrary, each new threat swiftly brings a new counter-threat in response, a path which can only lead to nuclear war.
The time has come for your governments to intervene to prevent such a catastrophe. I respectfully suggest the following:
1) Immediate joint testing by the Russian Navy and Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy of systems capable of intercepting and destroying intercontinental ballistic missiles: such tests would simulate missile attacks on both the United States of America and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and would demonstrate the abilities of your navies to prevent such attacks, as well as to enforce a moratorium on ballistic missile testing.
2) Pending the success of your joint anti-missile tests, the announcement that it is your intention to enforce a moratorium on any further testing of ICBMs, and that you intend to propose a resolution to that effect to the United Nations Security Council.
3) Jointly patrolling the waters between Russia and China via the Tsushima Straits in order to enforce a moratorium on joint naval exercises in the waters between Russia, China, Japan, and Korea, and an announcement that you intend to propose a resolution to that effect to the United Nations Security Council.
It is imperative that your forces intervene to physically separate those of the United States, Republic of Korea, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, before nuclear war breaks out between them: thanking you in advance for your prompt attention to and action on this matter, Matthew Owen, California Socialist League.
Arrogant murderer should keep their big mouth shut and leave Nk alone .because of you basted rest of the earth has to suffer. Don’t provoke too much it will start a world war 3.
I don’t care how many they have. Firing missiles at us and continuosly announcing they are going to strike us makes your point, Pepe, mute. How long would China, who clearly uses NK as a front porch guard dog, put up with anything fired in their direction?? Thew erasers are fueled up and all Kimbo needs to do is actually attempt a real strike. Then he has hrs to live.
True, Pepe. But your own article makes clear why negotiations with Washington are a waste of time: they evetually reneg. Only if China were ready to serve as the guarantor of the agreement.
Luca Taramelli
God bless you,
Michael Chan, I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but there is always a good reason to kill an american, and millions reasons to kill millions of them
Pray that the NK population are not starved because if they feel they are in a desperate situation, they may launch their nuclear-tipped ICBM missiles on a few cities in mainland USA. Tens of millions Americans will die.
I agree with your assessment 100%. The North Korean(NK) issues seem to be overhyped. Asian countries do not like NK nukes, but is much more relaxed risk assessment. Anyway, NK is playing with fire with all these tests and rethoric.
The US is unhappy with the South Koreans that want dialog. The South Korean Intelligence spied on South Korean who wanted friendlier relations with NK, most likely endorsed by the CIA. South Korea is very important for the US geopolitical strategies, the US has bases on the doorstep of China and Russia. The NK conflict is important for sale of weapons in the region. And to get the US congress approval for more funds for the US Navy.
It seems the US want to starve the NK population the same as is done in Yemen today. Pepe mentioned Iraq. Here is a classic: https://youtu.be/omnskeu-puE
The only solution to the problem is the unconditional removal of all American soldiers and military equipment out of Korea plus compensation payment to the Koreans for the wrongs done to the Koreans by the USA. The wrongs done include: invasion of Korea in 1950, killing of millions of Koreans between 1950 and 1953, destruction of the equivalent of trillions of dollars of infrastructures, occupation of part of Korea from 1950 to date, and inciting the UN to impose sanctions on the Koreans.
Japanese white pages on the anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when the US nuked them shamelessly and unnecessarily. What to say… is John Mc. Cain’s brain contagious to the people he is meeting more frequently ?