US demand for return of seized spy ship adds twist to Korean nuclear saga

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - As diplomatic efforts to end a nuclear standoff between Washington and Pyongyang make little headway, a resolution has been introduced in the US Senate demanding North Korea (news - web sites) return an American intelligence ship seized by the hardline communist state 37 years ago.

The attack on the USS Pueblo by North Korean naval vessels and MiG jets on January 23, 1968, left one American dead and several more wounded while 82 surviving crew members were captured, held prisoner and tortured for a year.

The Senate resolution demands the return of the vessel, believed still in North Korean hands.

"North Koreas inhumane treatment of our sailors, and the refusal of Pyongyang to return this vessel should not be forgotten," said Senator Wayne Allard, who filed the resolution this month after the Stalinist state stunned the world by publicly boasting about its nuclear weapons arsenal.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&ncid=1278&e=1&u=/afp/20050224/pl_afp/usnkoreanavy

[HereSince1628]

1. Gessus save us. We are going to pick a fight over that???????

The communications and cryptographic gear is long, long compromised.

The abused crew has been returned.

If the bucket of bolts still floats...give it up. This "Remember the Alamo" sort of horseshit is wrongheaded.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. The Pueblo is nothing but a bucket of rust by now.

It's probably not seaworthy enough to tow it to the scrap yard. So why the hell are we letting it get in the way of these talks? It seems pointless to me. What am I missing here?

[gratuitous]

4. A pointless distraction?

Well, it's not pointless if you don't really want to enter into negotiations. Then it's an absolutely vital diversionary tactic.

And apparently Sen. Allard is hoping we've all forgotten one of the first rules of espionage: When your spy gets caught, you lose the spy and everything he or she has.

[HereSince1628]

5. We're missing the importance of a fabricated excuse to

cause trouble with N. Korea.

We're missing an understanding for the "let's stir up some hatred about the Red horde" approach.

[NYC]

15. "Stir up the hatred"

is what I suspect. Why else would we want the Pueblo back? Do we actually want it back, or do we just want to remind people that the crew was tortured. Torture proves that the North Koreans are bad guys. (I guess Abu Ghraib, etc. doesn't exist.)

[HereSince1628]

16. Personally, I'd rather not test Pongyang's nuclear capacity

Even a conventional attack could be terribly bloody.

A pre-emptive strike on the south might reasonably involve the South Korean capital.

North Korean War on the pennisula would be terrible though doomed to fail.

[Toots]

17. According to those on the Right..They are all Gooks anyway

Let them blow themselves to smitherines. :shrug: Do you truly think any on the right care about one Korean vs. another? It is no skin off our nose if they blow Korea off the map. By the way these are not my sentiments just my perception of the right-wings.

[HereSince1628]

18. Which is why this admin wants to pull back from the DMZ

I suppose.

But then I'm just an internut

[denverbill]

3. So, we infiltrate their territorial waters to spy on them.

We get caught, and them blame them and demand our spy ship back.

Yeah, I'm sure if we caught China spying on us we'd happily return their spy ship.

[Richard Steele]

6. This NONSENSE is the best they can come up with? Whatta LOAD!

[DinahMoeHum]

7. Wayne Allard - just another grandstanding Republikan asshole.

n/t

[Festivito]

8. Invasions of Iran, Syria, Korea, will quash discussion of a DRAFT.

$ @ #_&^ No time to talk about any of it. We have to move and move fast. We praise our brave young soldiers. Everybody knew the draft was necessary. Go shopping. Watch the Micheal Jackson trial.
{end procedure RepubliCONspin}

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. Good grief....not even our own Navy wants that POS back again.

[amber dog democrat]

10. This is too funny.

One of the crew I served with was a signalman on the PUEBLO. I knew him during the early 70s while on a destroyer stationed in Galveston Texas.

I'd say let them keep it. If the Navy had not screwed up with such a poor job of planning Operation Clickbeetle, we would have never lost her in the first place.
We need to be reminded that fiascos happen.

Also this is an important symbol for the North Korean people. In some way I think they will take better care of her than the US ever would. In time she is going to be a valuable example of Cold War Era special operations technology.

Senator Wayne Allard can go fuck himself.

[Tempest]

11. A great post from the Yahoo board on this story

The Pueblo would
by: stayn_offshore (55/M/SV Dream Catcher)

The Pueblo would make a great Republican Theme Park, its history mirrors Republican Values and credibility.....

The North Koreans captured the Pueblo in North Korean Waters, they demanded that the U.S. acknowledge that it was a Spy Ship, the US refused to do so for more than a year....the crew was beaten and tortured during the whole time the U.S. government lied about the ships status.....there was a news photo of the Pueblo crew giving the "finger" to the photographer, Captain Bucher explained to the North Koreans that it was an American Greating, like waving...for the whole time the crew for the most part was defient a stood up against the beatings and torture.....after a year of threats and denial the U.S. Government finally admitted tthat the Pueblo was a Spy Ship....the Crew was released and the U.S. government Court Martialed Captain Bucher....for doing his duty.....

Deny, Deny, Deny, Lie, Lie, Lie.....the New Repubicans have developed that into a science....deny and lie about things long enough and the Sheep will believe....punish all those who cause the Regime embarassment....the Pueblo would make a good shrine to Bush policy

[drummer55]

12. hmmm torture policy and how to deal with it

"North Koreas inhumane treatment of our sailors........should not be forgotten,"

[Igel]

13. People here really don't know how to haggle, do they?

You go to Nogales, you see a cheap Mexican guitar, you don't ask if Segovia played it, if it's a Ruck or Hauser, or even a Smallman. You point out how cheap it is, and say you don't need it; the shop keeper says how wonderful it is. You both overstate your case in order to find a compromise; don't participate, you get snookered.

When faced with mounting demands in negotiation--bargaining chips on the other side--you find bargaining chips.

Don't want to return the Pueblo? Well, fine, drop your demand for apologizing for "Team America" and insulting the Divine Leader, and we'll drop ours for the return of the glorious naval vessel, it's been such a humiliation having it in N. Korean hands.

Bleah.

[Massachusetts]

14. When will this insanity end?

Answer: :nuke: