Terrorism & other Man made disasters

The little fat kid is threatening to drop H-bomb over the pacific:

http://www.businessinsider.com/north-ko … omb-2017-9

Statistics: Posted by rickdun — Fri Sep 22, 2017 4:55 pm

Given NK’s responses to Trump’s threats, I’d say they’re not afraid of the big bad US. (whether they should be or not is irrelevant) In fact, they’ve thumbed their noses at him. (to put it nicely)

I don’t worry much about it these days. I’ve settled my mind on the fact we’re going to war with NK, most probably a global conflict.

Obvious NK isn’t going to back down & stop. And they’re already being sanctioned. When we make the first move, China will jump in and our global conflict will have started. That is if LFM doesn’t jump the gun on them first & start it himself.

BTW we’re still at war technically with NK. There was just a cease fire, wasn’t there?

Statistics: Posted by Mollypup — Mon Sep 18, 2017 12:14 am

We have people there watching everything, I know one of them well.
We are not the idiots people make us out to be.

Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:16 pm

I think having someone nicknamed “Mad Dog” in his position is an excellent idea, and I’m thinking he’s called “Mad Dog” for a reason.

Statistics: Posted by anita — Sat Sep 16, 2017 9:40 am

Gen. Mattis is know for his hard-line talk on NOKO. If this gets ‘kicked’ to him, will the SHTF with this? I know some of you have said you don’t think anything will be done against NOKO. Even with Gen Mattis?

Nikki Haley to North Korea: ‘No problem’ letting Mattis deal with you
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09 … -with.html

September 15, 2017

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned North Korea on Friday that she is more than willing to let Defense Secretary Jim Mattis deal with the nuclear threat from Pyongyang if sanctions do not work.

Haley said recent sanctions have “strangled” North Korea’s “economic situation,” calling the impact “dramatic.”

But she said there’s only so much the U.N. Security Council can do “when you cut 90 percent of the trade and 30 percent of the oil.”

“So having said that, I have no problem kicking it to General Mattis because I think he has plenty of options,” Haley said at the White House briefing, where she and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster previewed U.S. efforts at the U.N. General Assembly next week.

North Korea conducted its longest-ever test flight of a ballistic missile Friday, sending an intermediate-range weapon hurtling over U.S. ally Japan into the northern Pacific Ocean in a launch that signals both defiance of its rivals and a big technological advance.

McMaster stressed Friday that the U.S. is still trying to resolve the conflict diplomatically. Joining Haley at the briefing, he said it’s important to employ “rigorous enforcement of those sanctions” in pursuit of that route but acknowledged the United States is willing to use force.

“There is a military option,” he said. “Now, it’s not what we prefer to do. So what we have to do is call on all nations, call on everyone to do everything we can to address this global problem short of war.”

He said “denuclearization” is the only acceptable outcome.

“We’re out of time,” McMaster said. “As Ambassador Haley said before, we’ve been kicking the can down the road and we’re out of road.”

Since President Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury” in August, the North has conducted its most powerful nuclear test, threatened to send missiles into the waters around the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam and launched two missiles of increasing range over Japan.

The Security Council scheduled an emergency closed-door meeting Friday afternoon in New York. On Monday, it unanimously approved its toughest sanctions yet on North Korea over its nuclear test.

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:40 pm

South Korean Preppers: Government Instructs Citizens How to Get Ready for War
http://www.theorganicprepper.ca/south-k … r-09152017

September 15, 2017

The government of South Korea is making every effort to turn its citizens into a country of survivalists. With the ever-increasing threats from the North, South Korean preppers are becoming mainstream, instead of a quirky fringe element.

Just last night, Kim Jong Un fired yet another ballistic missile over Japan, spitting in the face of international pressure. It seems difficult to imagine that he’s going to just eat a Snickers and chill out. So wisely, his closest neighbors are preparing for the worst.

The South Korean President isn’t taking this lying down. “In case North Korea undertakes provocations against us or our ally, we have the power to destroy (the North) beyond recovery.” (source)This threat most likely will not please the Dear Leader of North Korea, so it’s probably safe to predict even greater hostilities on the horizon.

South Koreans have been warned to get ready.

The South Korean Ministry of Public Administration and Security has issued guidelines for a variety of attacks to their citizens due to the ever-increasing risk of an attack by North Korea. Here are some brief quotes from the Ministry. Go here to read the whole thing.

1. The basics

Despite living under constant threat of war, South Koreans rarely possess emergency supply kits at home or know how to assemble one. This may be an opportunity to put one together, since it is helpful not just in war, but in other emergencies, such as an earthquake or flood.

According to the Security Ministry, the kit should at least include these items: necessary medications, a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, a flashlight, candles, gas masks, as well as food and water for at least three days…

2. In case of North Korean artillery barrage

North Korea often threatens to turn Seoul into a “sea of fire.” South Koreans, so used to the regime’s fiery rhetoric, don’t even blink at such threats. To be sure, though, Pyongyang has thousands of conventional artillery lined up toward Seoul, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

In such an attack, the first step is to relocate to fallout shelters. Make sure you know where to head when at home, work, school or places where you regularly spend time.

There are around 24,000 shelters nationwide in public buildings, subway stations and underground parking spaces…

3. If it involves chemical weapons?

When a chemical weapons attack occurs, a person must immediately cover his or her face with a gas mask or other cloth, and seek safety in higher places.

Animal corpses are one of the first signs of such attacks. Usually corpses of birds and fish will be spotted on ground and in the water.

High ground nearby such as a rooftop is the most convenient place to seek refuge when a deadly chemical agent is unleashed. Most chemical gases, such as sarin, are denser than air, which means they will sink to the ground.

The wind will carry toxic materials, so an escapee must head toward the opposite direction of the blowing wind…

4. To survive a nuclear blast?

A nuclear bomb can only delivered by a missile and South Korean and US militaries here will be able to detect any preparation for a launch. So there will be a loud alarm going on to alert people on the imminent missile attack, whether it is a nuclear attack or not.

Even in a nuclear attack, there is a chance to survive if you manage to go at least 15 meters below ground. Find subway stations. If there is no underground facility nearby, hide inside lead or concrete structures. (source)

Citizens are taking the advice seriously.

An article published in the South Korean Times states, “The number of doomsday pessimists is rapidly growing here, as is shown from the number of relevant YouTube videos and their views.”

The article goes on to describe a video by a popular female comedian that teaches watchers how to create a bug-out bag. But that’s not all. South Korean preppers are becoming mainstream.

When typing “survival bag” in Korean on the video-streaming platform, more than 21,000 relevant videos, mostly uploaded in recent months, are found. This shows that the series of military provocations by Pyongyang in recent months has scared more and more people in South Korea.

“Sales of combat rations, self-powered radios and gas masks surge for a few days after a North Korean provocation,” said Kim Hyun-tak, CEO of the outdoor and prepper goods store Hangangsa.

“The three are considered basic items in the case of war,” he said. “While combat rations have steady popularity for the whole year, gas masks are rarely sold unless the North launches a missile or conducts a nuclear test. The pattern has been almost the same for many years.”

…Other basic items used by preppers include Polar-shield sleeping bags, portable lanterns and emergency medical kits…

The ministry states each household should obtain processed food provisions for 15 to 30 days to prepare for possible war. It also urges households to pile up enough water, and blankets and clothes that can keep people warm. Other recommended accessories in time of war include a portable battery, gloves and personal hygiene products such as toothbrushes and towels, according to the ministry.(source)

It’s nice to see that South Koreans are heeding the warnings. Of course, any person living that close to the DMZ would be insane not to be taking action to prepare themselves.
When the warnings start, it’s often too late.

Generally speaking, the more dependent a citizenry is, the easier they are to control. In my book, The Pantry Primer, I wrote about the history of using food as a weapon of manipulation by governments throughout history. Whenever the government gives up the Nanny stance and tells people that they need to put on their big kid pants and take care of themselves, there’s reason for concern.

We’ve seen this before.

If you’ve been following collapses around the world for the past few years, you know that right before all heck breaks loose, the government issues a half-hearted warning along the lines of, “You’re on your own now.” But by then, it’s already too late. People who try to prepare after the government tells them to will be dealing with limited supplies as everyone else tries to get prepped too.

The lesson that we can take from this is that being prepared far in advance of a collapse is the wisest course of action. If you stock up on emergency food, water, and other vital supplies before the crowd, you’ll do so at better prices with better options.

Hopefully, South Korean preppers will be able to access the supplies they need at prices they can afford before North Korea speeds up the timeline. Once the attacks are incoming, it will be too late.

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:21 pm

Gunns wrote:
Boo

Nothing will happen. Fat boy knows he will be killed if he does anything. This is about negotiation and control.

If we were to leave him alone and let him save face with his elite, sure. But I can easily see him doing something stupid if he thinks it’s the only way to hold onto power in NK. And if he thinks he’s going down then I’m willing to bet he’ll do his best to take as many of us with him as he can.

And swinging back to the OP: At this point I’m very glad the USAF secret shuttle is in orbit…hopefully it’s capable of dealing with any new NK satellites. A bucketful of BBs in a crossing trajectory would do wonders to make sure no EMP threat from that…

Statistics: Posted by dmwalsh568 — Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:28 pm

Gunns wrote:
Boo

Nothing will happen. Fat boy knows he will be killed if he does anything. This is about negotiation and control.

If we were to leave him alone and let him save face with his elite, sure. But I can easily see him doing something stupid if he thinks it’s the only way to hold onto power in NK. And if he thinks he’s going down then I’m willing to bet he’ll do his best to take as many of us with him as he can.

And swinging back to the OP: At this point I’m very glad the USAF secret shuttle is in orbit…hopefully it’s capable of dealing with any new NK satellites. A bucketful of BBs in a crossing trajectory would do wonders to make sure no EMP threat from that…

Statistics: Posted by dmwalsh568 — Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:28 pm

Boo

Nothing will happen. Fat boy knows he will be killed if he does anything. This is about negotiation and control.

Statistics: Posted by Gunns — Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:44 am

A war with North Korea — the American people aren’t ready
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/09/ … ready.html

September 14, 2017

When it comes to North Korea, much digital ink as has been spilled by yours truly on these very pages concerning the dangers and challenges ahead—demonstrated by North Korea’s latest missile launch—when it comes to dealing with and deterring the so-called “hermit kingdom.”

So, let me spare you hours of reading countless articles, op-eds, and tweets.

To be honest, there is only one thing you really need to know: A war with North Korea—meaning a full-blown, all out conflict where nuclear, chemical, biological and large amounts of conventional weapons are used—would be a war like no other.

Such a conflict would be nothing like the First Gulf War, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, the Second Gulf War or Libya.

One way to achieve such a result would be a North Korean attack on South Korea’s vast civilian nuclear infrastructure. Remember Chernobyl or the nuclear tragedy in Japan a few years ago? Well Pyongyang could weaponize such a disaster with ease.

Oh no, this would be an epic conflict where millions of people on the Korean Peninsula, in Japan and even in the U.S. homeland could lose their lives in the most horrific of ways.

Some might call such talk fear-mongering. But I call it reality—and we need to face up to it. Now.

Imagine large cities like Seoul, Tokyo, and perhaps Los Angeles turned to atomic ash before it’s all over. Imagine the millions of internally and externally displaced refugees whose lives would be destroyed from the sheer carnage. Then, imagine the trillions of dollars needed to put back together the economics pieces, to say nothing of the hopes and dreams of countless millions of people that would be wiped out in a nuclear nightmare that seems almost unthinkable.

Accept this nightmare is all too real.

And thanks to administration after administration—Democrat and Republican—who decided taking on North Korea was just not worth the risk, who thought patience, appeasement or bribery were better choices, we now face a crisis with no easy solution.

While I have already gone into specific detail over just how horrific just a conflict would be thanks to war games I have conducted over the years, such a war would be waged on many different fronts and have many pathways towards a humanitarian disaster that this planet has not seen in decades.

For example, North Korea does not need to launch a full-out nuclear attack on America and its allies to kill scores of people—it just needs to get a little creative.

One way to achieve such a result would be a North Korean attack on South Korea’s vast civilian nuclear infrastructure. Remember Chernobyl or the nuclear tragedy in Japan a few years ago? Well Pyongyang could weaponize such a disaster with ease.

Seoul operates 24 nuclear power plants that could all come under North Korean attack. And while these plants are relatively far from the north, Kim Jong Un does not have to be a military mastermind to conceive of a way to destroy such nuclear reactors, spreading atomic materials across the Korean Peninsula and into Northeast Asia. With many of these facilities lumped together, Pyongyang could fire a salvo of missiles at these plants with devastating impact.

Or, Kim could utilize his special forces who could infiltrate the south from tunnels or who could already be in place, launching terror attacks against such facilities. If North Korea were to destroy just a few reactors, imagine multiple Chernobyl-style nuclear disasters while South Korean and U.S. forces are trying to fight North Korea’s other forces. With millions of people trying to flee the inevitable radioactive fallout, fear might just be Kim Jong Un’s best weapon.

Considering the dangers America and its allies face, the Trump Administration needs to do all it can to contain the North Korea threat. As I have said on a few occasions here, our best strategy is to eliminate any possible funds going into North Korea, driving up the costs for Kim to deploy his military assets and develop new even more dangerous weapons of mass destruction.

Team Trump should begin by asking for a new and much more robust sanctions package at the UN—something that makes Pyongyang finally pay for its risky actions. As an oil embargo is unlikely to pass and could destabilize the regime—something that could be even worse than a war—North Korea should be stopped from exporting its slave labor that it uses to make important hard currency, currency that of course goes into funding its military machine. Such a practice is nothing but revolting, and should have never been allowed in the first place.

President Trump should also announce that any entity that is caught helping the North Koreans evade sanctions, whether it’s Chinese banks or businesses or any private firm or entity from any nation, would be immediately banned from doing any business in the U.S.

In fact, President Trump should embrace a bipartisan bill crafted by Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, called the North Korean Enablers Accountability Act. The bill, if passed, would “ban any entity that does business with North Korea or its enablers from using the United States financial system, and impose U.S. sanctions on all those participating in North Korean labor trafficking abuses.” The president should push for such legislation to be passed without delay, but include a 30-day grace period so such entities could be given a chance to halt their activities. But after that, it’s time these entities suffer for enabling a regime that has as many as 200,000 in prison camps and treats their citizens like prisoners.

But whatever the Trump Administration decides to do—they need to do it now. Letting North Korea slip off our collective national security radar once again for whatever the other challenge of the day is would be a big mistake. We could end up paying for such a mistake with countless innocent American lives—a tragedy we have the power to avoid.

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:33 am

Straydog wrote:

TRex2 wrote:…
After he does those things,
it’s pretty much just a matter of time till he starts
(or restarts, depending on how you look at it) the war.

I think you are on the right path. I’m just not convinced that he is going to emp us uniess we do something major first. If he does i think he understands we can and will respond. We likely would not take the path of an emp as they dont appear to have enough grid to bother with. Interesting times for sure.

If you don’t think he will “EMP” us, what do you think he is going
to do with those nukes and his variety of ballistic missiles?

Equivilant:
Right now, you are in a large room that is very full of school children, and there is a madman who has been talking about blowing all of you up. He has a bomb big enough to do it and merely needs to pick up and plug in a couple of wires to detonate it. You cannot reach him to stop him, but you have a gun in your hands that is more than enough to stop him.

Your move. Are you convinced he won’t blow up the room full of school children if you don’t shoot him?
What do you think he will do, instead?

Now, granted, the bullet from your gun will overpenetrate him and probably hit one of the chlldren.
But the ball is in your court.

Your move.
(This is this situation Omama left Trump with.)

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:19 am

TRex2 wrote:
Since this thread is about EMP-Korea Concerns, I will discuss North Korean behavior, its threat towards us, rather than what we may or may not do to stop him.

I don’t have time, this morning to link to all of the appropriate source material, but I have been studying this guy for a while and I think he needs to do:
at least one more nuclear detonation test, and
at least two more test flights for Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles
(not medium or intermediate range),
before he will launch on us.

I think he needs to do at least one more submarine launched ballistic missile also,
but maybe not.

After he does those things,
it’s pretty much just a matter of time till he starts
(or restarts, depending on how you look at it) the war.

I think you are on the right path. I’m just not convinced that he is going to emp us uniess we do something major first. If he does i think he understands we can and will respond. We likely would not take the path of an emp as they dont appear to have enough grid to bother with. Interesting times for sure.

Statistics: Posted by Straydog — Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:32 am

Since this thread is about EMP-Korea Concerns, I will discuss North Korean behavior, its threat towards us, rather than what we may or may not do to stop him.

I don’t have time, this morning to link to all of the appropriate source material, but I have been studying this guy for a while and I think he needs to do:
at least one more nuclear detonation test, and
at least two more test flights for Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles
(not medium or intermediate range),
before he will launch on us.

I think he needs to do at least one more submarine launched ballistic missile also,
but maybe not.

After he does those things,
it’s pretty much just a matter of time till he starts
(or restarts, depending on how you look at it) the war.

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:57 am

Lets face it. We are not going to do anything about them. Their nuclear program is fully established now. We will not be attacking them nor will we nuke them as they seem to fear. The window has passed and if we were or are going to respond our country needs to stfu. If we are going to attack then do it. No warnings, rhetoric, nothing. Put all the toys on the table for all to see with the notice that they have been given to option to correct the path they are on. If we respond then do so in a no holds barred method so that others thinking this is a good choice understand that it is not a game and we will meet force with overwhelming force. That is all anyone will understand in my opinion.

Statistics: Posted by Straydog — Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:59 pm

North Korea launches ballistic missile over Japan – live updates
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ … ve-updates

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:05 pm

Blondie wrote:
News reports early this evening have NK launching what appears to be an ICBM over Japan.

North Korea launches missile from its capital after threat to send Japan ‘into the sea’
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/n … -1.3495728

September 14, 2017

North Korea fired another ballistic missile over Japan before landing in the Pacific Ocean, South Korea’s military said Friday.

The missile was launched from Sunan – the location of North Korea’s international airport in Pyongyang – around 6:57 a.m. and traveled about 2,300 miles, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Japan’s state broadcaster NHK said the recent missile was fired toward the northeast of Japan.

President Trump was briefed on the North’s missile launch Thursday, the White House said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called out China and Russia for not standing up to North Korea.

“China supplies North Korea with most of its oil. Russia is the largest employer of North Korean forced labor,” Tillerson said in a statement. “China and Russia must indicate their intolerance for these reckless missile launches by taking direct actions of their own.”

An emergency UN Security Council meeting on North Korea has been scheduled for Friday afternoon.

The latest launch comes as North Korea’s propaganda arm suggested the hermetic nation could send Japan “into the sea,” ruffling feathers in an already tense region.

“The four islands of the (Japanese) archipelago should be sunken into the sea by the nuclear bomb of Juche,” the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee said in a statement carried Thursday by the Korea Central News Agency. “Japan is no longer needed to exist near us.”

Juche is North Korea’s term for its ideology of self-reliance.

The North’s propaganda threat came after the UN Security Council passed its toughest sanctions yet against North Korea, which earlier this month conducted its sixth nuclear test.

The statement Thursday referred to the 15-member UN Security Council as a “tool of evil” comprised of “money-bribed” nations led by the U.S.

North Korea additionally threatened to “reduce the U.S. mainland into ashes and darkness.”

“Let’s vent our spite with mobilization of all retaliation means which have been prepared till now,” reads the statement from the Peace Committee, which is tied to the Workers’ Party that runs North Korea.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga called the remarks provocative and said this “escalates tensions in the region.”

“If North Korea stays the course that it is on, it will increasingly become isolated from the world,” Suga told reporters, according to Bloomberg.

Thursday’s tension flareup also came amid reports that its Sept. 3 weapon test diminished the peak of a mountain.

The test appeared to be done on an 85-acre side known as Punggye-ri, the Washington Post reported.

Synthetic Aperture Radar images captured via satellite on Aug. 26 and Sept. 6 showed changes to Mount Mantap before and after North Korea tested what it said was a hydrogen bomb.

“Prior to the test, Mount Mantap was 2,205 meters high; the mountain has since diminished in height,” Jeffrey Lewer of James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies wrote on the Arms Control Wonk blog.

North Korea likely tested the hydrogen bomb in an older tunnel complex below the mountain, he continued.

The isolated dictatorship’s mounting weapons program has spooked neighbor South Korea.

A Gallup Korea poll published last week found 60% of the nation’s citizens favor it developing its own nuclear weapons, while 35% opposed the idea.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in threw cold water on that suggestion.

” “I do not agree that South Korea needs to develop our own nuclear weapons or relocate tactical nuclear weapons in the face of North Korea’s nuclear threat,” Moon told CNN on Thursday in his first interview since North Korea’s latest weapons test.

He did, however, say South Korea “needs to develop our military capabilities in the face of North Korea’s nuclear advancement.”

Tillerson arrived in London on Thursday to discuss North Korea — as well as Libya — with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

A day earlier, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned North Korea its nuclear weapons were no match for the U.S. arsenal.

“You can leave no doubt at all,” Mattis told reporters during a trip to a nuclear weapons base in North Dakota. “Don’t try it. It won’t work. You can’t take us out.”

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:05 pm

Today, there was a report that notes a NOKO ‘expert’ is stating that there is “no way to stop” NOKO! QUOTE from the article: “the warning coming amid Pyongyang’s continued threats to sink Japan and blast the U.S. “into ashes and darkness.”

North Korea expert: ‘No way to stop’ Kim Jong Un’s regime
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/09/14 … egime.html

September 14, 2017

There’s “no way to stop” Kim Jong Un’s regime and its missile and nuclear program, a North Korea expert told Fox News on Thursday, the warning coming amid Pyongyang’s continued threats to sink Japan and blast the U.S. “into ashes and darkness.”

Leading Seoul-based North Korea expert Andrei Lankov told Fox News that Kim Jong Un is accelerating his missile and nuclear program “much faster than anybody expected.”

“They want to get the point of having a sufficient number of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of destroying a sufficient number of American cities,” Lankov said.

The expert expressed doubt about reining in North Korea’s trajectory in achieving its military goal, adding the use of any “military force” would send the peninsula into war. He said sanctions and regional diplomacy wouldn’t work, either.

“I don’t think, unfortunately, there is no way to stop them,” Lankov said. “No way…A use of military force, but that would result in a second Korean war. That would be an absolute disaster.”

He added: “They will not want to talk about denuclearization…they could talk about a nuclear freeze…in exchange for political and economic concessions.”

Lankov provided a glimmer of hope amid the dour analysis, saying he’s only “mildly worried” and believes Kim is rational and knows a war with the U.S. would end his regime.

“It is alarming, there is the probability of mistakes, misunderstandings, stupidity…just bad luck,” Lankov added.

North Korea continued its bombastic and bellicose threats against the U.S. and its neighbors on Thursday – this time vowing to sink Japan with a nuclear bomb and reduce the U.S. “into ashes and darkness.”

“The four islands of the archipelago should be sunken into the sea by the nuclear bomb of Juche. Japan is no longer needed to exist near us,” a statement released by the state’s official Korean Central News Agency said. “Let’s reduce the U.S. mainland into ashes and darkness. Let’s vent our spite with mobilization of all retaliation means which have been prepared till now.”

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga called the threat “extremely provocative and outrageous” and said it “significantly escalates tension in the region and is absolutely unacceptable.”

South Korea President Moon Jae-in on Thursday dismissed the notion of developing or receiving nuclear arms in an attempt to deter the North, according to Yonhap News Agency.

“I share the view that the South has to increase its defense capabilities in response to the North’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, but I don’t agree to the idea of South Korea developing nuclear arms on its own or seeking the redeployment of tactical nukes,” he said.

A new round of sanctions against North Korea was issued on Monday after the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to pass the resolution which bans all natural gas liquids and condensates but caps crude oil imports. All textile exports are also banned and countries are prohibited from authorizing new work permits for North Korean workers.

But despite efforts to sink the regime’s economy, North Korea seems to be moving forward with its nuclear and missile program, reportedly resuming work at its underground nuclear testing site, according to defense analysts. A report by 38 North said satellite images captured a large cargo truck at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site on Sept. 8, possibly prepping for another nuclear detonation. The regime conducted its sixth nuclear test earlier this month.

“Such activity, coming shortly after the largest underground nuclear test conducted at Punggye-ri to date (via the North Portal), suggests that onsite work could now be changing focus to further prepare those other portals for future underground nuclear testing,” the report said.

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:55 pm

North Korea Nuclear Test May Have Been Twice As Strong As First Thought
http://inhomelandsecurity.com/north-kor … t-thought/

September 13, 2017

SEOUL — North Korea’s powerful nuclear test earlier this month may have been even stronger than first reported, equivalent to roughly 17 times the strength of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, according to a new analysis by a U.S. monitoring group.

North Korea’s Sept. 3 nuclear test, its sixth and biggest, showed how much progress it has made on its nuclear and missile program.

Preliminary estimates had found the yield, or the amount of energy released by the blast, to have been about 100 kilotons. In comparison, the bomb detonated over Hiroshima in 1945 released about 15 kilotons of energy.

But a new analysis by 38 North, run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, found North Korea’s test may have been much stronger.

Updated seismic data showed the magnitude of the resulting earthquake was greater than initial estimates — between 6.1 and 6.3. That means the yield of the latest test was roughly 250 kilotons, reported 38 North’s Frank V. Pabian, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Jack Liu.

In other words, the North Korean test may have been almost 17 times stronger than the bomb detonated over Hiroshima. This is close to what 38 North previously calculated as the maximum yield that could be contained at the underground Punggye-ri test site.

This new estimate by 38 North is much higher than those of the U.S. government and its allies at the time. The United States intelligence assessment put the blast at 140 kilotons, Japan at 160 kilotons and South Korea at 50.

Satellite imagery showed the test resulted in many more landslides than after any of the previous five tests, according to the 38 North analysis.

North Korea described the device it had detonated as a hydrogen bomb designed to be carried by a long-range missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. The international community widely condemned the test and within 10 days, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved its toughest sanctions on the country to date.

In the wake of the North Korean test, both the United States and South Korea are highlighting their own military readiness.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is traveling Wednesday to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the epicenter of American nuclear arsenal, with more than 100 land-based nuclear missiles and aircraft to carry them.

While the South Korean Air Force on Wednesday conducted its first live-fire drill to test its preemptive strike capability, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry.

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:51 pm

Radioactive gas has been detected in So Korea! They are trying to determine if it came from the hydrogen bomb set off in NOKO. -sigh-

Radioactive gas detected in South Korea from North Korea’s nuclear missile launch
http://americanmilitarynews.com/2017/09 … le-launch/

September 13, 2017

South Korea could not determine if the gas was from a Hydrogen bomb or not.

South Korea has detected a radioactive xenon gas from a nuclear missile that North Korea launched earlier this month – the country’s sixth ever nuclear missile launch. The North had also threatened that it now has a Hydrogen bomb it can place on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), but South Korea was unable to determine if the gas it detected is from an H-bomb.

Xenon gas is used to make certain types of lights; it is colorless and odorless. The type of xenon gas that South Korea detected has been connected to North Korean missile tests in the past. Xenon-133 – the type of gas detected in South Korea – does not occur naturally.

“The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission [NSSC] said its land-based xenon detector in the northeastern part of the country found traces of xenon-133 isotope on nine occasions, while its mobile equipment off the country’s east coast detected traces of the isotope four times,” according to a report.

“‘It was difficult to find out how powerful the nuclear test was with the amount of xenon detected, but we can say the xenon was from North Korea,” said Choi Jongbae, executive commissioner, according to the report.

The gas has no impact on the environment and people in South Korea, the report added.

The United Nations Security Council on Monday voted unanimously to pass its strongest sanctions yet on North Korea following its sixth ever successful nuclear missile launch and the country’s H-bomb claims.

The sanctions, while watered down from original drafts, fully ban the country’s textile exports and reduce its oil and petroleum exports. This means about 90 percent of North Korea’s exports are now banned, as well as a complete ban on the country’s overseas laborers that provide nearly $500 million in revenue. Additionally, all foreign investment with North Korea is cut off, and the regime’s assets will be frozen.

The United Nations in August unanimously approved sanctions against North Korea in response to Kim Jong Un’s two successful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July.

Then, North Korea threatened “thousands-fold” revenge on the United States following those sanctions, which cut North Korea’s export revenue by $1 billion, or about a third. The sanctions banned North Korea from exporting coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood.

North Korea’s sixth nuclear missile test caused a 6.3 earthquake and was roughly five times as large as the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, Japan. The test came hours after North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un claimed that it now had an H-bomb to put onto its long-range ICBMs.

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:49 pm

I was away for a few days, visiting our son, down in Texas. Playing catch up with NOKO news/headlines now. Here’s one report about Japan’s concerns regarding NOKO directing missile at them:

Japan explores options after Pyongyang threatens EMP blast
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Pyong … -EMP-blast

September 12, 2017

TOKYO — Japan has begun seriously considering how to withstand and counter an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, blast that would disable electronics and infrastructure, following North Korea’s boast of having the means to mount such an attack.

On Sept. 3, the day Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said the country had developed a nuclear warhead that could also deliver an EMP attack. The powerful waves from such a blast would instantly overload electrical circuits within a certain range. The pulse would likely not cause direct bodily harm but could bring chaos in such areas as power supply and public transportation networks.

An EMP attack could come in two forms, broadly speaking. A high-altitude nuclear explosion, such as that mentioned by Pyongyang, at 30km or above would scatter electromagnetic waves across an extremely wide area. A 1962 nuclear test by the U.S. military, about 400km above the northern Pacific Ocean, caused blackouts as far as 1,400km away in Hawaii.

The second method would be dropping a bomb designed to trigger an EMP blast from a plane, for instance, at a low altitude. Such an explosion would cover a smaller area but be easy to train on a specific target, according to the Ministry of Defense. The U.S. military and others are said to possess such technology, which may have been used in the Iraq War in 2003.

Whether North Korea has indeed made EMP weapons a practical reality is unclear. Tokyo appears skeptical, with Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera describing a “sense of suddenness” about the KCNA report. But some countries certainly could possess such weapons — such as Russia, believed to have been developing the technology during the Soviet era, and China, hurrying to add to its arsenal. Tokyo “would like to consider” EMP countermeasures, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has said.

Self-Defense Forces defense equipment and communications systems are prepared for an EMP attack, according to a Japanese government source. Certain equipment and circuits have apparently been covered with metal shielding or other protection so that they can work even in emergencies. The Defense Ministry has requested 1.4 billion yen ($12.8 million) in the government’s fiscal 2018 budget for such steps as the production of an EMP weapon prototype for preparation of defenses.

But protections for civilian infrastructure are seen as lacking. An attack targeting nuclear power infrastructure, for instance, or such public transportation as aircraft could cause immense damage. The government convened Cabinet Secretariat members Friday, as well as representatives from relevant ministries — such as for defense, the economy and transport — to start planning countermeasures.

Unlike a cyberattack, an EMP attack could render critical infrastructure and systems permanently unusable. In the event of a situation effectively amounting to an armed attack, “depending on the scale of the damage, an armed counterattack by the Self-Defense Forces” would not be ruled out, a Cabinet Secretariat official said.

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:44 pm

Blondie wrote:
News reports early this evening have NK launching what appears to be an ICBM over Japan.

It is another Intermediate Range Missile.
Not the kind that can reach U.S. but maybe Guam.

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:01 pm

News reports early this evening have NK launching what appears to be an ICBM over Japan.

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:16 pm

News reports early this evening have NK launching what appears to be an ICBM over Japan.

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:16 pm

Of Interest (for those whose threat profile is gangs that have acquired police riot gas):

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/02/numb_and_coke.html
Does this really work?

No one knows for sure. Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are acidic, and insurgents and protesters around the world have used acids to minimize the impact of tear gas for decades. Communist Salvadoran guerrillas, for example, used lemon juice in the 1980s, while anti-globalization activists soaked bandanas in vinegar at the Free Trade Association of the Americas summit in 2001. (In terms of pH, Coke and Pepsi are similar to lemon juice, with a pH level of about 2.5. Other types of soda are more basic.) The practice might help prevent the irritant from entering the respiratory system. “Tear gas” isn’t a gas at all, but a cloud of suspended particles that don’t dissolve easily in water, and any kind of wet rag could serve as a filter. It’s possible (but unproved) that an acid-soaked rag would be advantageous given the chemical properties of tear gas. Either way, the tactic has become commonplace among rabble- rousers, and a Pentagon-funded report on nonlethal weapons from 2009 noted in its chapter on tear gas that “a handkerchief soaked in lemon juice can mitigate the weapons’ effects.” That said, no serious medical researchers have tried to demonstrate its efficacy.

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Tue Sep 12, 2017 1:33 pm

Of Interest (for those whose threat profile is gangs that have acquired police riot gas):

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/02/numb_and_coke.html
Does this really work?

No one knows for sure. Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are acidic, and insurgents and protesters around the world have used acids to minimize the impact of tear gas for decades. Communist Salvadoran guerrillas, for example, used lemon juice in the 1980s, while anti-globalization activists soaked bandanas in vinegar at the Free Trade Association of the Americas summit in 2001. (In terms of pH, Coke and Pepsi are similar to lemon juice, with a pH level of about 2.5. Other types of soda are more basic.) The practice might help prevent the irritant from entering the respiratory system. “Tear gas” isn’t a gas at all, but a cloud of suspended particles that don’t dissolve easily in water, and any kind of wet rag could serve as a filter. It’s possible (but unproved) that an acid-soaked rag would be advantageous given the chemical properties of tear gas. Either way, the tactic has become commonplace among rabble- rousers, and a Pentagon-funded report on nonlethal weapons from 2009 noted in its chapter on tear gas that “a handkerchief soaked in lemon juice can mitigate the weapons’ effects.” That said, no serious medical researchers have tried to demonstrate its efficacy.

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Tue Sep 12, 2017 1:33 pm

Of Interest (for those whose threat profile is gangs that have acquired police riot gas):

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/02/numb_and_coke.html
Does this really work?

No one knows for sure. Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are acidic, and insurgents and protesters around the world have used acids to minimize the impact of tear gas for decades. Communist Salvadoran guerrillas, for example, used lemon juice in the 1980s, while anti-globalization activists soaked bandanas in vinegar at the Free Trade Association of the Americas summit in 2001. (In terms of pH, Coke and Pepsi are similar to lemon juice, with a pH level of about 2.5. Other types of soda are more basic.) The practice might help prevent the irritant from entering the respiratory system. “Tear gas” isn’t a gas at all, but a cloud of suspended particles that don’t dissolve easily in water, and any kind of wet rag could serve as a filter. It’s possible (but unproved) that an acid-soaked rag would be advantageous given the chemical properties of tear gas. Either way, the tactic has become commonplace among rabble- rousers, and a Pentagon-funded report on nonlethal weapons from 2009 noted in its chapter on tear gas that “a handkerchief soaked in lemon juice can mitigate the weapons’ effects.” That said, no serious medical researchers have tried to demonstrate its efficacy.

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Tue Sep 12, 2017 1:33 pm

I have been issued several types of gas masks over 30 years of law enforcement and fire dept duty. I have several M-17 masks and extraa filter sets for them. I also have several Isrearli surplus masks with the screw on filter which is what I carry in my “get home bag”. It takes a standard screw type filter which can be easily and cheaply replaced. it also comes with a cap that goes on the mask when the filter is removed.This cap
has a hole in it that allows the same amount of air into the mask that the filter does and is designed for being able to train using the mask without having to break the seal and install the filter.The mask is reasonably priced too. Good luck.
Jim

Statistics: Posted by koeelvry — Mon Sep 11, 2017 8:29 pm

Thanks, me too, he is our only son, we only have 2 kids.

I read in the WSJ that now fat boy is talking about doing an EMP against the
US, now that is scarey poo poo!

Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Sat Sep 09, 2017 11:31 pm

Thanks, me too, he is our only son, we only have 2 kids.

I read in the WSJ that now fat boy is talking about doing an EMP against the
US, now that is scarey poo poo!

Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Sat Sep 09, 2017 11:31 pm

PatrioticStabilist wrote:
Son is not being allowed to come home for Christmas, in fact keeping him in S Korea till about 2 weeks before his report
date in January. I’m thinking things are bad there. Would have been his first Christmas home in many a year, he and
all of us are disappointed. We are hoping things will change before then.

He has a lot of leave time he planned to use. But I’m sure they are not wanting to change people right now.

PS I’m keeping him in my prayers.

Statistics: Posted by Mollypup — Fri Sep 08, 2017 7:10 pm

It’s looking more & more like he’s going to launch another one, on Saturday:

North Korea may launch ICBM on Saturday, South Korean president warns
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/09/07 … warns.html

September 07, 2017

With South Korea predicting North Korea could launch an intercontinental ballistic missile Saturday, a South Korean expert warned “hot-tempered and reckless” Kim Jong Un will not cease his beloved missile and nuclear program until he is “eliminated.”

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Thursday its neighbor may launch a missile Saturday while celebrating its founding day. The volatile regime is known to put on a show for its citizens during national holidays to display its strength.

“I believe that now is the time to strengthen sanctions to the maximum level while securing military deterrence means. Dialogue is ultimately necessary, but now is not the time to talk about dialogue with North Korea,” Lee said.

North Korea reportedly moved an ICBM toward its west coast earlier this week, according to the South Korean paper Asia Business Daily. The rocket was moved overnight, apparently to avoid detection.

If the test is conducted, it would be the fourteenth one since February. North Korea has fired 21 missiles this year and Sunday’s nuclear test, where it claimed it detonated a hydrogen bomb, will be the sixth one in its history.

Kim Jong Un’s push for full nuclear capability may have developed when he was a “hot-tempered and reckless” teenager, Nam Sung-wook, a Korea University professor who formerly ran the Institute for National Security Strategy said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

“The latest development [North Korea’s latest sixth nuclear test] is largely attributable to Kim’s wild character. If Kim is not eliminated, this issue [the North’s provocation] will persist,” Nam told South Korean lawmakers.

Nam, part of Seoul’s spy agency between 2008 and 2012, said the dictator had a short temper, recalling a time he “exploded with foul language” because his girlfriend asked him not to smoke.

“As Kim was smoking at a young age, his girlfriend advised him to quit smoking. Then, Kim exploded with foul language, which was quite shocking [to her],” Nam recalled.

A previous report by Japanese magazine Nikkei Asian Review also recalled talking to sources commenting on Kim’s anger. The leader reportedly “flew into a rage” when he discovered his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was planning a coup with Chinese officials to have him ousted in 2013.

Jang was executed a short time later.

Nam added: “Any vague fear of Kim is not desirable. Likewise, any simple evaluation of Kim is a no-no.”

Experts fear Kim’s unpredictable rage could drive him to launch a nuclear war as he spews bombastic threats toward neighboring countries and the U.S. Lee also said Thursday that North Korea reaching its nuclear goal threatens the “security of the world.”

“North Korea’s nuclear armament poses threats not only to the security of Northeast Asia, but also to the security of the world,” Lee said. “It is urgently needed for the international community to make concerted efforts.”

Statistics: Posted by ReadyMom — Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:05 am

Blondie wrote:
@Patrioticstabilist @Mollypup Ask what type of visa they are attempting to obtain.

All visas issued by our State Dept have an annual quota. I don’t know if that is calendar year or budget year which expires Sept 30th.

Once the quota is met, it’s a waiting game. Tourist/visitor visa is usually the easiest to obtain and for most countries, limited to 30-90 day stay in the US.

Friends fiancee isn’t due to visit until around the holidays. He traveled to Russia last time, this time she visits here. They’ve done this for years. He went last spring. I know her passport is up to date but I’m not sure about visas & such. I can ask. They have considerable experience with such things. Friend has always found the Russian officials to be quite helpful. He has a 3 yr visa……just acquired this spring. I know they were working on hers, I’m not sure if they got it yet. Since all her family is in Russia, they hope to have the wedding there. Then spend their time between the two countries. They’re both approaching retirement age.

I didn’t see him tonight at work. I’ll try messaging him this weekend.

Statistics: Posted by Mollypup — Fri Sep 08, 2017 2:36 am

I assume tourist or visitor, her mom usually went to S Korea annually to visit. Not sure they have
been to US before.

Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Thu Sep 07, 2017 11:07 pm

I assume tourist or visitor, her mom usually went to S Korea annually to visit. Not sure they have
been to US before.

Statistics: Posted by PatrioticStabilist — Thu Sep 07, 2017 11:07 pm

@Patrioticstabilist @Mollypup Ask what type of visa they are attempting to obtain.

All visas issued by our State Dept have an annual quota. I don’t know if that is calendar year or budget year which expires Sept 30th.

Once the quota is met, it’s a waiting game. Tourist/visitor visa is usually the easiest to obtain and for most countries, limited to 30-90 day stay in the US.

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Thu Sep 07, 2017 7:04 pm

@Patrioticstabilist @Mollypup Ask what type of visa they are attempting to obtain.

All visas issued by our State Dept have an annual quota. I don’t know if that is calendar year or budget year which expires Sept 30th.

Once the quota is met, it’s a waiting game. Tourist/visitor visa is usually the easiest to obtain and for most countries, limited to 30-90 day stay in the US.

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Thu Sep 07, 2017 7:04 pm

@Patrioticstabilist @Mollypup Ask what type of visa they are attempting to obtain.

All visas issued by our State Dept have an annual quota. I don’t know if that is calendar year or budget year which expires Sept 30th.

Once the quota is met, it’s a waiting game. Tourist/visitor visa is usually the easiest to obtain and for most countries, limited to 30-90 day stay in the US.

Statistics: Posted by Blondie — Thu Sep 07, 2017 7:04 pm

All news sources edit according to what they feel is important, what they judge their audience wants / needs to know. There is no such thing as unbiased or objective news. Never has been. Once you understand that & learn to do your own research, you’ll be fine.

I have found some tend to try to be more objective than others, however.

Typically? I read / listen to both sides, do some research to fill it in……..and the objective view is somewhere in the middle, which you have to come up with via the research to balance it out.

Statistics: Posted by Mollypup — Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:21 pm

oldasrocks wrote:
Wish it would hurry up. My preps are getting old as I am. At the rate things are coming to an end I’ll die of old age before it’s happened.

I so want to be around to tell the unbelievers–” I TOLD YOU SO!

Statistics: Posted by DR1VENbyKNOWLEDGE — Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:30 am

PatrioticStabilist wrote:
There are a lot of facts that I have checked over time, fox never covers or reports it. I don’t know why, they
don’t want you to know or just afraid if folks hear the truth they may abandon them. It’s probably different
reasons but I want to actually know whats going on, right, left, or middle.

There may be things on the right that they may think the public is not ready to hear, and therefore omit, but if they ignore something on the left, it is more likely than not, fake news.

Here is how I think the MSM comes up with stories that aren’t on Fox:
How do the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post. NYTimes, Washington Post, CNN and NBC each come up with a story to embarrass the Trump administration, each with 5 anonymous sources?
Well, it starts with a representative from each all in one room, making up stories…

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:12 am

PatrioticStabilist wrote:
There are a lot of facts that I have checked over time, fox never covers or reports it. I don’t know why, they
don’t want you to know or just afraid if folks hear the truth they may abandon them. It’s probably different
reasons but I want to actually know whats going on, right, left, or middle.

There may be things on the right that they may think the public is not ready to hear, and therefore omit, but if they ignore something on the left, it is more likely than not, fake news.

Here is how I think the MSM comes up with stories that aren’t on Fox:
How do the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post. NYTimes, Washington Post, CNN and NBC each come up with a story to embarrass the Trump administration, each with 5 anonymous sources?
Well, it starts with a representative from each all in one room, making up stories…

Statistics: Posted by TRex2 — Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:12 am