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<big>World edgy on Korea, Russia sees “colossal danger”</big>
Peter Apps, Reuters
November 24, 2010, 6:31 amLONDON (Reuters) - Major powers expressed concern or alarm at North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island on Monday.
Among North Korea’s neighbours, Russia said it saw a “colossal danger” of an escalation in fighting on the Korean peninsula and China said it was imperative to resume six-party talks aimed at ending the North’s nuclear weapons programme.
Following South Korean firing exercises near disputed waters, North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells at the island of Yeonpyeong. Two soldiers were killed and houses set ablaze in one of the heaviest bombardments of the South since the Korean War ended in 1953.
The United States urged North Korea to “halt its belligerent action,” saying that it was “firmly committed to the defence of our ally, the Republic of Korea, and to the maintenance of regional peace and stability.”The Pentagon said it was not reinforcing U.S. forces stationed in the region but declined to say if it had raised their alert level.
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshito Sengoku, told a news conference that North Korea’s action was “unforgivable.”
A French diplomatic source said the U.N. Security Council could hold an emergency meeting in the next day or two.
“It is necessary to immediately end all strikes,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters during a visit to the Belarussian capital Minsk. “There is a colossal danger which must be avoided. Tensions in the region are growing.”
China, the impoverished North’s only powerful ally, was careful to avoid taking sides.
“It is imperative now to resume the six-party talks,” a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry told reporters.
The senior U.S. envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, said after talks in Beijing that the United States and China “both share a view that such conflict is very undesirable.”
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China’s economic and diplomatic support has been important to shoring up its otherwise isolated neighbour, whose leader Kim Jong-il has visited China twice this year to strengthen ties.
The NATO alliance, the European Union and Britain all condemned the North Korean attack, and Germany joined them in expressing concern and calling for restraint.
TACTIC
Analysts saw North Korea’s action as a calculated tactic.
They said it could be aimed both at boosting its leverage in international talks – an approach it has used in the past – and at reinforcing the domestic standing of the young heir apparent anointed by Kim Jong-il, his son Kim Jong-un.
“The shelling is likely succession-related in that the DPRK (North Korea) is seeking to build political capital for Kim Jong-un by attempting to enhance the perception of Jong-un’s power base,” said Brittany Damora, analyst at the risk advisory firm AKE.
“In the North’s view, Yeonpyeong is a great target in that it can strengthen the perception of its position without a real risk of counter-attack.”
Aidan Foster-Carter, senior research fellow at Leeds University, also said the recent introduction of Kim Jong-un onto the scene could be a factor.
“It might be him, it might be somebody doing it on his behalf. It could be different factions of the army.”
Alastair Newton, political analyst at Nomura in London, noted the South had made clear that it wanted to avoid an escalation, and said that the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March, although the North denied involvement, had arguably been more serious because of the 46 lives lost.
“Bottom line: together with possible preparations for a third nuclear test and the revelation at the weekend of the uranium enrichment facility, this looks like it could be North Korea playing hardball in anticipation of coming back to the negotiating table,” Newton said.
One European diplomat said it was conceivable that the attack could be an attempt by a faction in North Korea’s secretive leadership to sabotage attempts at rapprochement with the outside world.
The political risk consultancy Stratforsaid the attack was at odds with other recent North Korean actions, noting that Pyongyang had sent a list of delegates to Seoul for Red Cross talks due to take place on Thursday.
“With the ongoing leadership transition in North Korea, there have been rumours of discontent within the military, and the current actions may reflect miscommunications or worse within the North’s command-and-control structure, or disagreements within the North Korean leadership,” it said.
(Additional reporting by William Maclean and Reuters bureaux in Minsk, Beijing and Washington; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Ron Askew)
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AND THIS WAS MOMENTS BEFORE NORTH KOREA ATTACKED
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I love the North Korean principle: If the world won’t give you aid, just hold them to ransom with a nuclear arsenal.
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
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@Cultured Bogan:
I love the North Korean principle: If the world won’t give you aid, just hold them to ransom with a nuclear arsenal.
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
One reason - China
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Ah yes, the great protector of Communism.
Obviously you wouldn’t take the Chinese on today with them being the powerhouse they are now. But surely they couldn’t back this basketcase… It’s blatant blackmail and China shouldn’t be remiss in remembering if North Korea do have usable nukes, that its more or less happening in their own backyard. It’s one thing to nail your colours to a post, it’s another to endorse or condone state terrorism.
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@Cultured Bogan:
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
Yes, crazy. The same question can be asked about Sheens.
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@Cultured Bogan:
I love the North Korean principle: If the world won’t give you aid, just hold them to ransom with a nuclear arsenal.
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
One reason - China
The reason why Kim Jong Il has not been deposed is because he brags about having WMDs & he aint afraid to use them.
China & N Korean relations have been strained for years.
Its not in China’s interest that N Korea nukes the region -
@Gary Bakerloo:
@Cultured Bogan:
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
Yes, crazy. The same question can be asked about Sheens.
I was waiting for someone to slot in a joke about Sheens. -
@Cultured Bogan:
I love the North Korean principle: If the world won’t give you aid, just hold them to ransom with a nuclear arsenal.
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
One reason - China
The reason why Kim Jong Il has not been deposed is because he brags about having WMDs & he aint afraid to use them.
China & N Korean relations have been strained for years.
Its not in China’s interest that N Korea nukes the regionHe didn’t have a nuclear arsenal fifteen years ago when he came to power.
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@Cultured Bogan:
He didn’t have a nuclear arsenal fifteen years ago when he came to power.
Too true.
Clinton and Albright ended up creating a pretty good agreement with North Korea but it was torn to shreds by the Republicans. We could have known more about their Nuke capability and even stopped it if the Yanks hadn’t been so trigger happy. Now we have a real problem on our hands that they have missiles that can reach Soeul.
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@Cultured Bogan:
I love the North Korean principle: If the world won’t give you aid, just hold them to ransom with a nuclear arsenal.
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
One reason - China
The reason why Kim Jong Il has not been deposed is because he brags about having WMDs & he aint afraid to use them.
China & N Korean relations have been strained for years.
Its not in China’s interest that N Korea nukes the regionRelations might be strained but the only thing that stops major action against the DPRK is the protection of China. If China wanted to it could go in tomorrow and wrap the whole thing up before Kim could clear the fog of his glasses.
The WMD are largely irrelevant. You seriously think that given a free hand the US and others wouldn’t go in and bomb their facilities? Of course they would. They could effectively wipe out the North Korean military structure in a few hours and nobody would be complaining.
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Relations might be strained but the only thing that stops major action against the DPRK is the protection of China. If China wanted to it could go in tomorrow and wrap the whole thing up before Kim could clear the fog of his glasses.
The WMD are largely irrelevant. You seriously think that given a free hand the US and others wouldn’t go in and bomb their facilities? Of course they would. They could effectively wipe out the North Korean military structure in a few hours and nobody would be complaining.
It’s obvious the Chinese are a factor these days.
Do you think that the Chinese will happily let Kim fling nukes at the South though? I don’t think so. It seems to me that they are have their authority stamped on the region.
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@Gary Bakerloo:
@Cultured Bogan:
Why Kim Jong-Il wasn’t deposed decades ago I will never know.
Yes, crazy. The same question can be asked about Sheens.
thats a bit harsh -
i dont think china really wants nth korea to have nukes but they dont want the communist country to be invaded either. nth korea better watch themselves. if they make an attack on american forces in the area and alot of americans die then that could be the start of something big
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i dont think china really wants nth korea to have nukes but they dont want the communist country to be invaded either. nth korea better watch themselves. if they make an attack on american forces in the area and alot of americans die then that could be the start of something big
Yep that’s a pretty good summary. Just because China is the patron of North Korea, doesn’t mean it endorses every action it takes. Likewise, just because North Korea acts stupidly doesn’t mean that China is ready to let it slip from whatever influence it has. Fact is, nearly all of North Korea’s access to the outside world is through the PRC and practically everyone with diplomatic relations with the North has their embassy in Beijing.
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just a thought out of left field …. 8 days to go when fifa decide the host for the 2022 football world cup, south korea / japan are bidding. maybe this might be another type of torpedo to scuttle south korea’s bid or maybe kim jong il is just another fruitcake with nukes.
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