christo-f Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Yyyyep. I'm no socialist but that is one country where they really should eat the rich..., starting with that fat little prick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I could not have put it better myself - N. Korean attack would be sudden but futile: U.S. general By Sam Kim SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean offensive on South Korea would come with "very little notice" but fail to endure as the communist state lacks the economic and diplomatic support it needs, a senior U.S. military officer said Tuesday. "They have an extremely large military that is forward deployed," U.S. Maj. Gen. Johnny Weida said, noting over two-thirds of North Korea's forces are within 90km of the border with South Korea. "They could attack, if they were so inclined, with very little notice," said Weida, the outgoing deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). Weida was speaking to a group of several dozen South Korean civilians taking part in the USFK-sponsored Executive Orientation Program, which took them on a tour to the Demilitarized Zone. The U.S. has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea -- a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty -- as a deterrent against the North. North Korea has in recent months scrapped the truce and warned of war on the Korean Peninsula, threatening retaliation for a U.N. resolution that toughened sanctions against Pyongyang for its May 25 nuclear test. "It is our assessment that, because of their failing economy and limited support from traditional allies like Russia and China, they could not sustain a major offensive like they did in the first Korean War," Weida said. He added that the U.S. and its allies should first "engage (North Korea) diplomatically, try to talk to them through all kinds of forums, but show them that military action is futile." North Korea is considered the world's fourth-largest military power, with the largest special forces unit and artillery units, according to Weida. It has about 11,000 underground bunkers, along with 80,000 special forces and 13,000 artillery guns, Weida said. "Their attack, however limited, would be extremely destructive to South Korea," he said, describing North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as "a pretty frail, sick man." A South Korean cable news station said this week, quoting unnamed sources, that Kim appears to be suffering from pancreatic cancer. Kim, 67, reportedly suffered a stroke last year, and South Korean defense officials believe he may be stoking tensions to consolidate his regime ahead of a father-to-son power succession. "If he miscalculates and attacks South Korea, he and his regime are done," Weida said, calling such an offensive "extremely unlikely because this guy (Kim) wants to live." Weida, who led the South Korean civilian tour group comprised of government workers, businessmen and others, is set to be transferred to the Pentagon this week. He will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Lawrence Wells, also an air force officer who has worked in intelligence at the Pentagon since June 2006. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuckDaFakes Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 ChristoF. Why is it everyone is wrong except from you. You know for a fact that if NK was to attack anywhere which is very doubtful now obviously then the uk would have to get involved. And as far as you saying that Gb wasnt involved in haiti, nam, korea and all the rest of that... That was long before blair had his head up bush's arse and made all these dumbass connections. Im saying that if US was to do anything chances are brittain would want to get invloved either way, Whether it was in NK or fucking Swazyland. And dont bother trying to fucking belitlle me and correcting my spelling and grammar coz its really childish and immature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hahaha, Russia pulled talks with North Korea for their missile launching China getting tired of North Korea's shit North Korea are fucking themselves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milesmoodist Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 i just saw the best video of koreans serving dogs, cats and rabbits in the market.. youtube yanked it already though... alot of muscle structure and resident evil look'n shit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 where it the world wide attack matrix when they could be useful? fucking cia are never doing what's right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 where it the world wide attack matrix when they could be useful? fucking cia are never doing what's right. what? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 what? :confused: CIA's program. World Wide Attack Matrix. They do assassinations, etc. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64802-2002Jan30?language=printer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 um...the CIA has been murdering people since they were known as OSS plus your sentence didnt make sense that is what I was confused about old news is old p.s - that article was blank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 um...the CIA has been murdering people since they were known as OSS plus your sentence didnt make sense that is what I was confused about old news is old p.s - that article was blank This is a totally different animal. Cheney is apparently taking some heat for this one currently. CIA's 'Worldwide Attack Matrix' Of Specific Targets J'Accuse - Bush's Death Squads By Wayne Madsen NewsMakingNews.com 1-31-02 Today, The Washington Post ran the fifth segment in its series on what transpired within the Bush Cabinet in the aftermath of September 11. Of particular interest is what CIA Director George Tenent brought to the table at Camp David last September 15. According to the article by Bob Woodward and Dan Balz, when Tenent produced a Top Secret "Worldwide Attack Matrix" that specified targets in 80 countries around the world, he sought unprecedented authority to simply assassinate foreign terrorists directly or though allied intelligence services. The CIA even prepared a "Memorandum of Notification" which would allow the agency to have virtual carte blanche to conduct political assasinations abroad. This Memorandum trumped previous mechanisms by which the President would authorize intelligence actions (but not assassinations) through individual Presidential Findings. The fail safe mechanisms established under the administrations of Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, and Clinton were simply erased at the urging of Tenent. In light of these revelations, what was authorized by the President may have led to the assassinations of a umber of human rights and ethnic leaders not connected in any way with Al Qaeda but did represent bothersome roadblocks to a number of U.S. military and corporate interests. It now seems likely, given the unprecedented "license to kill" President Bush granted to the CIA, there was U.S. complicity in the murders of the following individuals. Human rights commissions and war crime tribunals in Belgium and France should take a close look at these likely criminal misadventures: 1. Theys Eluay. Today, the Indonesian army chief, General Endriartono Sutarto, confirmed in Jakarta that West Papuan independence leader Theys Eluay was assassinated by Indonesian Army units after he was kidnapped last November 11. The assassins were members of KOPASSUS, a special operations unit trained by U.S. Special Forces and CIA personnel and was involved in massacres in East Timor during the Indonesian occupation of that country. In 1969, West Papua was formally handed over to Indonesia by the United Nations after a referendum, now widely recognized as rigged, determined that the non-Indonesian population wanted to be Indonesian. Eluay was a thorn in the side of Freeport McMoran, a Louisiana-based mining company that has pillaged West Papua's natural resources and has been accused by local activists of propping up local Indonesian army and KOPASSUS officers with bribes and favors. Henry Kissinger serves as a Director Emeritus on the board of directors of Freeport and former Louisiana Senator J. Bennett Johnston, recently identified as a lobbyist for Enron, serves as a full member of the board. 2. Abdullah Syafii. On January 22, 2002, Indonesian army troops assassinated the military commander of the Free Aceh Movement, Abdullah Syafii. The Free Aceh Movement demands independence for Aceh, a region in northwest Sumatra, and is a member of the non-violent Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), an international organization headquartered in the Netherlands. It has also been at loggerheads with ExxonMobil, which has extensive drilling and refining operations in the territory. Aceh's Governor Abdullah Puteh, who is claimed by local activists to be on the payroll of ExxonMobil, had written a letter to Syafii inviting him to attend peace talks with the government. Syafii's lieutenants claim that the letter contained a small microchip that permitted Indonesian KOPASSUS troops to track him down and ambush him. The operation has all the earmarks of the CIA, which can rely on National Security Agency (NSA) satellites to track such microchip transponders. 3. Elie Hobeika. Elie Hobeika was the head of the Lebanese Forces militia, a right-wing Christian army that was allied with Israel during its 1982 occupation of Beirut. Although Hobeika was in charge of the Christian forces that massacred hundreds of Palestinian men, women, and children at the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps that year, he had irrefutable evidence that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had authorized the mass murder in his role as Israeli Defense Minister. An official Israeli commission of inquiry found Sharon indirectly responsible for the massacres. Hobeika was going to testify against Sharon at an upcoming Belgian war crimes tribunal which has already indicted Sharon for the war crimes. It was that testimony that resulted in Hobeika being silenced by a Mossad car bomb that exploded near his SUV near Beirut. The bomb killed Hobeika and his bodyguards. The CIA, now closely allied with Mossad, is said to have given its approval for the action. 4. Chief Bola Ige. On December 23, 2001, Chief Bola Ige, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Nigeria, was assassinated in the bedroom of his home in Ibadan by unknown gunmen. Ige was a leader of the Yorubas, a largely Christian ethnic group that has championed the cause of southern Nigerian Christian tribes like the Igbo, Ogoni, and Yoruba that maintain grievances against exploitative Western oil companies that have spoiled their lands with pollution and pocketed most of the oil revenues for themselves and corrupt Nigerian politicians. Ige was the presidential candidate of the pan-Yoruba Alliance for Democracy but lost to the current President Olusegum Obasanjo, a former general who is thought by many Nigerians to be in the hip pocket of western oil companies, including Chevron and ExxonMobil. A lucrative CIA and Pentagon front operation, the private military contractor MPRI, has been training special units of the Nigerian armed forces. These forces have been active in putting down anti-oil industry protests by Igbo, Ogoni, and Yoruba tribal peoples along the Nigerian coast. Michael J. Boskin, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Bush I is a member of the Exxon Mobil board, while current National Security Adviser Condolleezza Rice served on the board of Chevron. Currently serving on Chevron's Board is Bush I trade representative Carla Hills and former Louisiana Senator Johnston, who also serves on the board of Freeport McMoran. In all likelihood all of these assassinations were likely known to the CIA and allowed to take place unhindered. The killings all directly benefitted the interests of the US military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower so poignantly warned us about some 40 years ago. **** I more or less predicted the Indonesian murders a few months ago (just after Tenent received authorization to conduct assassinations of "terrorists") during an interview with Radio Singapore International. The transcript of that broadcast follows: CIA assassination missions - a look into the implications of this US Foreign policy Source: Augustine Anthuvan, Newsline, Radio Singapore International Broadcast date: 30 October 2001 Wayne Madsen, a former Intelligence Officer at the National Security Agency in Washington with this comment. When Senator Frank Church had a committee in the Senate that found out that the CIA was conducting assassination missions against foreign leaders and they passed very stringent laws against the CIA to prevent any abuses. And now what we're hearing is that the late Senator Church went too far. Well Senator Church was responding to some very severe abuses of authority by the CIA. And now we're hearing basically history is being changed on us here and we're hearing that Senator Church went too far in what he did. And I think its very important now to understand that these things are all in context and what people like Senator Frank Church did in the 1970s really still applies today." If CIA assassination missions are taken beyond the present operations in Afghanistan to other countries where terrorists are known to be operating, what sort of repercussions will this present for country to country relations? A concern I posed to Wayne Madsen. "Especially in countries in South East Asia, we have a President who is very much in it with the US multi-national companies. What if they decide that West Papua independence movement in Irian Jaya - West Papua - could be a terrorist organization. And they could decide well we're going to target their leadership for assassination because they happen to be against the interests of Freeport McMoran - one of the biggest mining companies in West Papua. Or what if they decide that the Aceh movement in Northern Sumatra happens to be ÖÖ. to the interests of Exxon Mobil corporation, and they decide to target their leadership for assassination. I think this is the problem with this type of wide sweeping authorization to assassinate foreign leaders. We may find ourselves assassinating people because they just so happen to be against US interests. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 WALL O TEXT!!! illegal assassinations, undisclosed operations, congress kept out of the loop I read about this on Monday that is all you needed to say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 WALL O TEXT!!! illegal assassinations, undisclosed operations, congress kept out of the loop I read about this on Monday that is all you needed to say CO must've not let you fuck him in the ass today, gunny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 ChristoF. Why is it everyone is wrong except from you. You know for a fact that if NK was to attack anywhere which is very doubtful now obviously then the uk would have to get involved. And as far as you saying that Gb wasnt involved in haiti, nam, korea and all the rest of that... That was long before blair had his head up bush's arse and made all these dumbass connections. Im saying that if US was to do anything chances are brittain would want to get invloved either way, Whether it was in NK or fucking Swazyland. And dont bother trying to fucking belitlle me and correcting my spelling and grammar coz its really childish and immature. No, not everyone, just people like yourself who do very little reading on the matter, have very little education on the matter (or anything else from what you've told us about yourself) and can barely string a coherent sentence together. You complain that I'm being immature, I note how the candour of your post has changed now that we're discussing levels of maturity!! You may also wish to check your previous post where you implied that I was naive and needed to wake up. I believe it was you who first displayed arrogance and got all upset when it was handed back to you. Mate, take a look through crossfire and you'll notice that I make very few comments and when I do I back them up with either recorded evidence or a really strong argument citing strong analysis and a knowledge of relevant history. The fact is that I'm a strategic analyst that focuses on East Asia. I do this shit for about 10 hours every day, it's my job. You have given absolutely no reason as to why the UK should or would get involved in a conflict with DPRK other than Blair having his head up Bush's arse, which is entirely irrelevant being that neither man is in power anymore, the US has a completely different party in power and Brown and friends are halfway out the door. Dude, if you were to argue stuff concerning Northern Island, Basque separatists, Nigerian oil attacks, Honduran coups, English football, environmental issues, punk music, space exploration, motor sports and so on I'd have very little to say as I know fuck all about it. But we are discussing something that I have studied for years and has been an intrinsic part of my job for years. You, on the other hand, just have a gut feeling based on prejudice. I'm sorry if I know more than you on this matter and that makes me sound arrogant. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Gates Urges N.Korea Not to Make 'Stupid Mistakes' At a question-and-answer session with American soldiers, Secretary Gates was asked whether he is concerned about the U.S. ability to defend South Korea from a North Korean invasion. The United States has 28,000 troops in South Korea. But the secretary said South Korea's own army has grown in size and capability in recent years, and would handle most of the fighting, with help from American air and naval forces. He also said he is not particularly concerned about North Korea's conventional military power, which is often reported to be substantial. "Frankly, this is an army that's starving. The average North Korea, at this point, is seven inches shorter than his South Korean counterpart. This is a country where the famine of the mid-1990s has affected the physical and even intellectual development of those that are now coming into the zone who would be eligible for military service. So this is a country whose conventional forces and capabilities are really, I think, declining," he said. Still, Gates said he is concerned about North Korea's continuing efforts, in defiance of international sanctions, to develop nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. "We're watching them very closely, and I hope they don't make any stupid mistakes," said Gates. Secretary Gates spoke during a visit to Fort Drum in New York State, where many of the soldiers have served in Iraq, and some are preparing to return there, or for possible deployment to Afghanistan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuckDaFakes Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Ok fine. Il take a back seat in this one. If its your 'job' to analyse eastern asia then fine. You do know more than me but when it comes to being just downright nasty im going to stand up. You think i dont know that my grammar isnt the best, you think i am proud of that ? Well im not so that is where you need to make some changes. Anyway i still stand by the fact that if Amercia was to go into action then Britain and many other countries would follow. United Nations would step in and it would be like Bosnia all over again but with the risk of nukes and chemical warfare. That is what i personally believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Nigerian oil attacks this is where I come in :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Ok fine. Il take a back seat in this one. If its your 'job' to analyse eastern asia then fine. You do know more than me but when it comes to being just downright nasty im going to stand up. You think i dont know that my grammar isnt the best, you think i am proud of that ? Well im not so that is where you need to make some changes. Anyway i still stand by the fact that if Amercia was to go into action then Britain and many other countries would follow. United Nations would step in and it would be like Bosnia all over again but with the risk of nukes and chemical warfare. That is what i personally believe. That's all good man, truly. Opinions and beliefs are like arseholes, we all got one. Many times a dork like me with all the "facts" have been proven wrong by a bloke who goes on instinct and gut. The fact you have an interest is more than most have, which means you're way ahead of the pack already. Read bro, read as much as you can get your hands on. It is your key. Gut and knowledge builds kings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 this is where I come in :lol: :lol: Haha, BULLSHIT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Yeah, you are right. Coming on here an talking about work stuff is gay. No one would understand anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Yeah, you are right. Coming on here an talking about work stuff is gay. No one would understand anyways. Sneak coming into work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Yeah, you are right. Coming on here an talking about work stuff is gay. No one would understand anyways. Yeah, you have quite a valid point there. I'm just one of those nerds that loves geopol/IR too much and can't shut up about it. I really got to take a step back some times. I may have been a few jugs of margarita down range last night when posting those last two... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 the floor is lava Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Most awesomest and rational thing I've heard HC say yet. KJI would have HATED hearing that too. Clinton dismisses N. Korean threats as bid to get attention By Hwang Doo-hyong WASHINGTON, July 20 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downplayed North Korea's nuclear and missile threats Monday, saying Pyongyang's recent provocations are meant to attract attention from the Obama administration. "They're no real threat to us," Clinton told the ABC news program "Good Morning America." "We know that our allies Japan and South Korea are very concerned, but we share information," she said. "They watch what we watch and understand what's really going on there." Her remarks came amid heightening tensions in Northeast Asia as the U.N. Security Council slapped fresh sanctions on North Korea Thursday by listing five North Korean officials and as many North Korean firms subject to a travel ban and asset freeze for their involvement in nuclear and missile development programs. The additional sanctions were imposed under the U.N. Resolution 1874, adopted in early June after North Korea's second nuclear test on May 25. In the interview with the ABC News from India, Clinton said North Korea's strategy to get attention with provocations will not pay off. "What we've seen is this constant demand for attention, and maybe it's the mother in me or the experience that I've had with small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention," she said. "We weren't going to give the North Koreans the satisfaction they were looking for, which is to try to elevate them again to center stage." "Don't give it to them," Clinton said. "They don't deserve it. They are acting out in a way to send a message that is not a message we're interested in receiving." Clinton's remarks are in line with her speech made last week to call for patience in dealing with North Korea. In the speech prior to her trip to India and Thailand, Clinton emphasized the need to develop "a tougher joint effort toward the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," adding, "Cultivating these partnerships and their full range takes time and patience; it also takes persistence." Kurt Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said earlier in the day in Seoul that the U.S. is preparing a "comprehensive package" for the North in case Pyongyang takes "irreversible" steps for its denuclearization. Campbell is in Seoul to meet with officials on ways to persuade North Korea to return to the stalled six-party talks on ending its nuclear weapons programs. He also visited Tokyo prior to accompanying Clinton to the annual ASEAN Regional Forum in Phuket, Thailand, Thursday. Clinton is scheduled to meet with her Asian counterparts on the Thai resort island to discuss North Korea and other security issues, but has no plans to meet with North Korean representatives, according to U.S. officials. North Korea reportedly will send an ambassador-at-large in lieu of Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun. North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, said last week that the six-party talks "came to a permanent end" because the U.S. and others refused to respect North Korea's "sovereign rights." Philip Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs, told a daily news briefing that Campbell's remarks reflect the changing environment in dealing with North Korea. "We do have a new situation, so I think that Assistant Secretary Campbell's, you know, comments reflect the fact that we do have a kind of a different reality at the present time, but we are obviously willing to do things if North Korea themselves does their part, which obviously is coming back to a negotiating process, reaffirming their obligations under the 2005 agreement and taking irreversible steps towards denuclearization," Crowley said. Crowley said that "the ball is in North Korea's court," urging North Korea to return to six-party talks and take concrete steps for denuclearization. "I don't think that we are against the concept of action for action, but first and foremost, we need to see North Korea come back -- in other words, if they come back to a negotiation, we're not going to reward them for that step --and that's, I think, a difference reflecting, you know, just the reality of current situation," he said. Crowley told foreign correspondents here Friday, "We are aggressively implementing the provisions of 1874 and we are continuing doing things that we believe have an impact on North Korea" until the North returns to the six-party talks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telo Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Am i correct in saying that this has been going on for years? North Korea dances around the fact of opening up a bit and having more involvement in six party talks etc, but always returns to their secretive state? Granted i dont know if they have a certain agenda behind doing this but it seems to be a just a cyclical scenario that we go through all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 You are right, just the other way around, though. They get all threatening and isolationist, test a few missiles and nukes and then return to the table looking for concessions from the other players. Right now ROK is offering 40 billion over three years to end their nuke prog, as an example. This behaviour keeps people at arms length, makes the leadership look tough to their people and can exact concessions for the broke and underdeveloped country that they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telo Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 It sure will be an interesting day when KJL kicks the bucket. Who knows how his son will handle the responsibilities. Hopefully he will be a bit more open. He's been known to of traveled across the globe so hopefully that interaction with contemporary culture will have a positive affect on his policy making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewAccount12345 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 this makes me smile actually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Funniest thing I've read in years. IR at its classiest, looks like Clinton's earlier comments (posted above) hit their intended mark. North Korea calls Clinton vulgar, unintelligent Buzz up!0 votes SendSharePrint Featured Topics: Barack Obama 6 mins ago SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea, bristling at being described by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as behaving like an unruly child, responded in kind Thursday, calling her vulgar and less then clever. Clinton is in Thailand for a major regional security meeting where she is urging governments to keep pressing North Korea to give up itsnuclear weapons program and enforce sanctions against the reclusive state. "She has made a spate of vulgar remarks unbecoming for her position everywhere she went since she was sworn in," North Korea's KCNA news agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying. It said her comments earlier in the week that North Korean behavior such as a recent spate of missile launches was like an unruly child demanding attention "suggests she is by no means intelligent." "We cannot but regard Mrs. Clinton as a funny lady as she likes to utter such rhetoric, unaware of the elementary etiquette in the international community. "Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping," the report added. "It is our view that she can make even a little contribution to the implementation of the U.S. administration's foreign policy as secretary of State only when she has understanding of the world, to begin with." The impoverished state insists that it is only trying to develop an atomic weapon to defend itself from what it considers as a hostile United States. However, many analysts say North Korea's autocratic leadership under sickly ruler Kim Jong-il sees a nuclear arsenal as the one asset it can use to extract worthwhile concessions from the outside world without putting its own position at home at risk. North Korea in April announced its second nuclear test, incurring more international sanctions. It has sent a low-ranking official to this week's ASEAN Regional Forum in Phuket who told his Thai hosts that Pyongyang did not want to become a punchbag at the security meeting. (Reporting by Jonathan Thatcher; Editing by David Fox) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telo Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 KJL gets yacht blocked.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telo Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 ROME (Reuters) - Italy has blocked the sale of two luxury yachts which police say were destined for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, in violation of international sanctions on his isolated communist state. Financial police in the city of Lucca in central Italy said the vessels were worth nearly 13 million euros ($18 million) and had been purchased by an Austrian intermediary from the Azimut-Benetti boatyard, one of the world's leading yachtmakers. The Austrian intermediary then ceded the contract to a Chinese company, which in turn paid a Hong Kong business to take delivery of the vessels, police said. "The difficulty was tracing it back to a violation of the sanctions," said Colonel Antonio Leone, the Finance Police's commander in Lucca. Asked if Kim was the intended final recipient of the vessels, he said: "It is an irrefutable fact." "There has been a thorough investigation, partly in Austria, backed up by confessions and investigative breakthroughs." The yachts were initially confiscated by Italy's Economic Development Ministry but have since been returned to the boatyard, which has been allowed to keep the deposit. Azimut-Benetti is not accused of wrongdoing and has cooperated fully in the investigation, police said. The sale of luxury goods to North Korea is banned under a U.N. resolution in retaliation for the country's nuclear testing program. The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted to widen its sanctions after North Korea's May 25 nuclear test. Despite the poverty of his tightly-controlled country, Kim is said by intelligence sources to live a life of luxury. He reportedly uses yachts to host lavish receptions. South Korean television said this month he had life-threatening pancreatic cancer, citing information gathered from Chinese and South Korean intelligence sources. The report fueled speculation about the health of the 67-year-old, the future of his communist dynasty and who will make decisions about its nuclear programs. (Additional reporting by Tim Castle in London; editing by Andrew Roche) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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