Breaking: South Korean navy ship sinking after possible torpedo attack. BBC

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8589507.stm

A South Korean navy ship with about 100 personnel on board is sinking off the west coast near North Korea, possibly due to a torpedo attack, reports say.

The ship was sinking near Baengnyeong island, Yonhap news agency quoted navy officials as saying.

It also said the South Korean ship had fired shots toward an unidentified ship from the North.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but a rescue operation was said to be under way, Yonhap reported.

The incident happened late on Friday night local time.

[unhappycamper]

1. From The Korea Herald:

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/03/26/201003260083.asp

Navy ship sinking in West Sea after explosion

A Navy patrol boat with 104 crew members on board was sinking in the waters near the western maritime border with North Korea after an explosion, officials said.

Sources said another South Korean naval boat fired at a North Korean ship.

The 1,200-ton Cheonan ship began to sink between 9:40 p.m. off Baengnyeong Island in the West Sea. There was an explosion in the rear of the ship, sources said.

President Lee Myung-bak called an emergency security ministers’ meeting at 10 p.m.

Twenty-four sailors were rescued, officials said.



2010.03.26

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. This is not good.

[krispos42]

3. Uh-oh. This could get ugly.

Might be a nice little flare-up.


Might be a big flare-up if a new dictator is running North Korea and decides to follow the Bush/Cheney model of getting the masses in line.

[ZombieHorde]

4. This sounds really bad. nt

[mikelgb]

5. damn History has been rearing it's ugly head recently

[Pavulon]

6. Crazy ass communist north korea

trying to start a war. Any shooting war there will involve NATO.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. North Korea's crazy-assness is a unique gem.

You don't see China or Vietnam doing that crazy shit.

Hell, a dead guy is "Eternal President", and the current one says he converses with his spirit! :crazy:

Here's a highly recommended read: http://www.amazon.com/Pyongyang-Journey-North-Guy-Delisle/dp/1896597890

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. BBC breaking: South Korea president calls urgent cabinet meeting.

[Pavulon]

8. Would be interesting to know what us forces

are doing now. This could easily turn into a shooting war involving NATO.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. They're all shooting up Afghanistan to "protect" us from the bogeymen.

[Pavulon]

24. Negative. Hit up janes defense

there is at least one fleet in that area and plenty of bad news to deliver if the norks decide a shooting war is a good idea.

[Statistical]

11. They are on alert.

I was stationed in South Korea at Camp Casey for a year.

Within minutes of the event they camps would be on lockdown and all personnel recalled.

when I was stationed at Casey one company was on 24 hour lock-down ready for rapid alert.
They likely have already moved into strategic positions near the DMV. When I was there North Korea did an unannounced missile launch and we were ready to engage in about 30 minutes.

Bad news is things like this can get out of hand quickly. When I was in a Bradley on "our side" of the DMZ I always thought a war would start "accidentally". We were ordered to not return fire unless ordered to but I figured a soldier on one side or the other would shoot accidentally then the other side would shoot back and then Americans would hear on CNN about "an invasion of South Korea and 10,000 dead Americans".

The American force in South Korea can't hold back the North. The strategic reason for their presence is the North can't attack the South without killing tens of thousands of American soldiers. Once that happens well anything is on the table including nuclear weapons. Remember the outrage, fear, and militarism immediately after 9/11, it would happen again.

[OnlinePoker]

13. Sorry for laughing but this struck me funny.

"They likely have already moved into strategic positions near the DMV."

We need to keep those driving license examiners safe for democracy.

P.S. I knew what you meant and you used DMZ later in your post.

[Statistical]

15. Ah yeah. LOL. I'll leave it that way.

[Posteritatis]

26. Hey, I think we can all get behind shelling the DMV for awhile. (nt)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. More from the Guardian UK

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/26/south-korea-navy-ship-attack

[RonSunn]

12. Crickets on the boob tube

?????????????????????????

[Statistical]

14. Breaking update: Second South Korean warship fires on North Korea Warship in response to torpdeo.

South Korea's navy opened fire at an unidentified ship near the North Korean border in the Yellow Sea after one of its own ships was sunk, Yonhap news agency said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/27/2857759.htm

[RonSunn]

16. Why no news channel mentions

????????????

[Statistical]

18. It is crazy. The link I used was ABC Australia but ABC "US" has no mention.

I guess since it isn't American Idol it doesn't matter.

On Edit: looks like Fox finally has reprint of AP report on site.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/03/26/south-korean-navy-ship-sinking-near-border-n-korea/

Sorry for link to Fox but google news shows that as the only American source reported it so far.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. They don't have any film, or reporters who can go there

therefore it is not considered a good TV news story.

The BBC has mentioned it in their headlines just now, but it's down the running order, and they could only illustrate it with a map.

[Posteritatis]

27. BBC's saying that one at least is a false alarm:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8589507.stm

[TwilightGardener]

17. Well...that's just great. That's what the world needs right now.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. AP is now reporting.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_re_as/as_skorea_ship_sinks

Minutes later, Yonhap reported that another South Korean ship fired shots toward an unidentified target in the direction of North Korea. The Joint Chiefs official said he could not confirm the shooting but said the military was strengthening its vigilance in the area.

The incident comes amid heightened tension between the two Koreas, which remain in a state of war because their three-year conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, in 1953.

President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency meeting of security-related ministers, Yonhap said, citing presidential spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye.

Six naval ships and two coast guard vessels were rushed to the waters to rescue the crew of 104 on board the sinking ship, Yonhap said. More than 50 had been saved so far, the report said.

[IScreamSundays]

22. I have read a couple of google new stories that it has in fact sunk

here is one of them:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/s-korean-navy-ship-sinks-near-dmz-reports-2010-03-26-1137100

[Ichingcarpenter]

23. Being covered now on the evening TV news in Europe.

Not enough information yet on what happened but it has to do with
the Free Firing Zone the North proclaimed back in February

The western sea border is a constant source of military tension between the two Koreas. There have been three deadly exchanges between them in the past decade.

[tekisui]

25. Very bad, may cool heads prevail.

[Obamanaut]

28. No reason for the US to be involved. An unarmed EC121 was shot

down in the late 1960s and nothing was done. No survivors.