N.Korea: Japan Sanctions Would Be War Declaration

[maddezmom]

TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea (news - web sites) warned Japan on Wednesday that it would treat economic sanctions as a "declaration of war" and threatened to try to exclude Tokyo from six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear arms programs.



Calls are growing from the Japanese public and politicians for the government to impose sanctions on North Korea after Tokyo said bones Pyongyang had identified as those of kidnapped Japanese were from other people.


"If sanctions are applied against the DPRK (North Korea) due to the moves of the ultra-right forces (in Japan), we will regard it as a declaration of war against our country and promptly react to the action by an effective physical method," a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry said.


North Korea handed over the bones at talks in Pyongyang in November, saying they were the remains of Megumi Yokota and Kaoru Matsuki, two of 13 Japanese whom Pyongyang has admitted abducting in the 1970s and 1980s to teach its spies about Japan.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&ncid=586&e=9&u=/nm/20041215/wl_nm/korea_north_japan_dc

[HawkerHurricane]

1. History Repeats.

In 1941, sanctions by the U.S. government against Japan over the Japanese invasion of China were seen as 'an act of war' by the Japanese government.

[Massacure]

2. And Japan got their ass handed to them. I guess N Korea doesn't learn eh?

[HawkerHurricane]

4. Most people don't learn from history.

That's why it repeats, eh?

[alittlelark]

3. The little madman w/ nukes speaks....

.... but he's got nukes, so, uh, maybe someone should pay attn. He is a wretched little dictator being backed into a corner....but he has nukes, so "he is strong" (gratuitous Star Trek: Next Generation reference).

Condi..... are you up to the task?!?!

uh, yeah....

[LynnTheDem]

5. FUNNY how bushCo now say Kim Jong is a RATIONAL LEADER.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A senior U.S. official said on Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is a ``rational’’ leader who would be able to transform his impoverished Stalinist state once he resolves the nuclear standoff with the international community.

``Many accusations that he (Kim Jong-il) is some sort of crazy person are not correct,’’ U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly said in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times at his office in the State Department. He said Kim’s leadership is one that is unique and rational.

Kelly, who heads the U.S. effort to deal with the North Korean nuclear crisis, dismissed the speculation the impoverished nation will collapse anytime soon.

``It would be a mistake to somehow suggest that the country is inherently unstable and its Army-first policy guarantees a kind of built-in stability,’’ said the leader of the U.S. delegation to the past three rounds of six-party talks aimed at peacefully resolving the crisis. The six parties are made up of South Korea, North Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200412/kt2004121317092711950.htm

Guess N Korea PROVED to bush they do have nukes.

[alfredo]

6. Where will we get the troops and supplies needed to

help Japan if N Korea attacks?

[maddezmom]

7. great question

but I'm sure * has planned for this, right??? :eyes:

[alfredo]

8. He could use nukes

instead of troops.

[teryang]

9. I don't think N. Korea will be attacking anyone

Their ability to project power is extremely limited. It is also against their nature. N.Korean paranoia is a sign of weakness rather than strength, it always has been. Their critical shortages of energy and spare parts renders their antiquated armed forces obsolete except for rudimentary defensive purposes. If they have developed any sort of nuclear weapon (which is pure speculation by worst case analyses) it is against common sense to use it because it would result in certain destruction of their regime in very short order.

The real danger would be allowing any Korean Japanese conflict to take place. China will not permit Japanese anywhere on the peninsula, no matter what their justification is.

Kelly is just part of the good cop bad cop routine that has been used to jerk N.Korea around for some time. Too bad the half country is filled with people who are suffering greatly. One day they will realize their only chance is to reunify peacefully with the S.Koreans and throw out foreign intermedlers.