With US support, SKorea cuts trade with North

[Akoto]

Source: Associated Press

EOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea's president slashed trade to impoverished North Korea and pledged to haul Pyongyang before the U.N. Security Council, vowing Monday to make Pyongyang "pay a price" for a torpedo attack that killed 46 sailors.

President Barack Obama offered his full support for South Korea's moves, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton conferred with China - a veto-wielding permanent seat holder on the Security Council - on the next step in what she called a "highly precarious" security situation.

The March 26 sinking of the Cheonan in the Yellow Sea off the west coast was one of South Korea's worst military disaster since the 1950-53 Korean War. A torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine tore the ship in two, an international team of investigators concluded last week.

-snip-

South Korea has been North Korea's No. 2 trading partner, behind China, and the measure will cost Pyongyang about $200 million a year, said Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_SKOREA_SHIP_SINKS?SITE=VTBRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[WileEcoyote]

1. I'm no defender of Kim Jong

but I've seen too many false flag ops to immediately believe everything the U.S. or South Korea says about the submarine attack. If it was an attack.

[Posteritatis]

2. Clearly South Korea's just that eager to get their capital flattened? (nt)

[Imajika]

7. The last thing anyone wanted..

..was to be able to prove North Korea did this.

It would have been better for everyone had it turned out the SK ship had hit an old mine.

This forces South Korea to respond, which probably ends up just making North Korea more belligerent.

There are 20 million brainwashed, starving North Koreans that will have to be dealt with when the North Korean communist regime finally falls. It will either collapse on its own or be defeated militarily. No one, not South Korea, not China, not Japan, not the US, not anyone wants to deal with this problem any sooner than they have to.

Conflict on the peninsula will be bad, but dealing with the sorry state of the North Korean people will be even worse.

[cali]

9. there's little motivation for S. Korea to blow up their own

ship. some skepticism is a healthy thing but not if uncoupled from critical thinking. And I do find it amusing that you find N. Korea more credible than S. Korea or the Obama administration.

[WileEcoyote]

10. Not saying N. korea is more credible

The North has nothing to do with my concern in this regard.

I've just seen too many Black Ops using False Flag Operations to believe anybody.

Obama is far more credible but how do i know he has any control over the CIA or other similar rogue elements in the so-called "Intelligence" field?

[Old Troop]

12. You've seen too many false flag ops? How so?

[WileEcoyote]

14. Gulf of Tonkin, USS Liberty, 9/11 take your pick.

If there is a war that can make someone a few billion bucks to be started somewhere?

Then be very suspicious of anything you hear.

[conspirator]

15. The time square bomber has all the marks of false op n/t

[Robb]

16. When you have a hammer, all you see is nails.

Similarly, when you have a tinfoil hat, you tend to see a lot of mind Ray devices.

[New Dawn]

17. Exactly. In fact there is a large amount of evidence showing US involvement.

Read this analysis for further details: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/LE05Dg01.html

[Ter]

3. Why did they trade with their mortal enemy to begin with?

We still don't trade with Cuba and they're no threat to anyone.

[MellowDem]

5. Sunshine policy...

the idea is that if they trade with NKorea, it will imporve relations, economic dependance, etc. etc. Only thing is, North Korea isn't exactly a rational actor given who leads them. Most of the younger South Koreans who were not alive during the Korean War have been pushing for this kind of policy. They blame the US for most of their problems and see North Koreans as their brothers. Older South Koreans who fought in the wars especially have a loyalty towards the US and a distrust for the North Korean government.

[Robb]

4. Part of me has wanted us to get tougher with NK for years

But standing here right now, I'm a whole lot less certain it's a good idea. Cooler heads need to start prevailing, and quick, on this before it ratchets up much more and we have a shooting war.

[Imajika]

6. When someone torpedo's a nations ship...

...and kills 40-50 sailors in the process, you can't just sit around and do nothing. This is about as weak a response from South Korea as one could expect.

The sunshine policy was the "cooler heads" prevailing and it is pretty clear things still haven't much improved.

North Korea simply has to be allowed to fail. No more aid of any kind should be given to them. If they respond with threats, South Korea and its allies must remain firm. If they respond with violence, South Korea and its allies must respond in kind.

It is far past time to completely isolate the North and let it crumble. If China wants to pay to keep it afloat, fine. Otherwise, no more food aid, no more heating oil, no more anything.

[Robb]

8. Don't get me wrong, we agree here

...but it's still a lot of death to get ready for if NK does what we all expect them to.

[Posteritatis]

11. It's definitely a case of trying to find the least unacceptable option more than anything. (nt)

[WileEcoyote]

18. What puts us in a position to believe anything the military industrial complex says?

They could easily work around Obama. What would stop them?

CIA killed President Kennedy after all. They didn't even like Nixon.

And people who call people like me "tin foil hats" are dumb shits. Nearly as bad as republicans.

[Adsos Letter]

13. That is the same feeling I have had

much as I want the North Korean government/military to lose power, and their people be set free from that regime's terror, an all-out war on the peninsula is horrible to contemplate.

Things appear to be moving quickly into new territory from the more normal rounds of belligerence/condemnation. I hope for a positive, peaceful outcome. I have my doubts.