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Korea Tensions Lead To Delay Of Minuteman III Test Flight

An anonymous reader writes "The U.S. plans on delaying 'the test of the Minuteman III intercontinental missile' that was scheduled for launching next week out of the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The reported reason is to prevent 'misperception or miscalculation' by North Korea. North Korea has warned foreign diplomats that 'they could not guarantee their safety from next Wednesday' onwards, but the warning has not caused any plans for evacuation of any embassies so far."

8 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Are You Kidding Me? by rasmusbr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think that it's probably a move meant to give the North Koreans a chance to back down and declare 'victory' to their own people so that the crisis can end before things become unpredictable.

    Even if the US wanted a war with North Korea this would not be the time. A war like that takes months of planning and logistics if it's going to go well. The US and South Korea could defeat North Korea over the next couple of weeks if necessary, but at what cost?

  2. Re:Are You Kidding Me? by Zedrick · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's the responsible thing to do. This is not a video game or some retarded "never back down" action movie for teenagers. If a change of plans might help avoiding a war (or avoid adding to the fuel), good.

  3. Re:Are You Kidding Me? by Kjella · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Even if the US wanted a war with North Korea this would not be the time. A war like that takes months of planning and logistics if it's going to go well. The US and South Korea could defeat North Korea over the next couple of weeks if necessary, but at what cost?

    If the US wanted a war with North Korea, the pretext would be far more important than the planning and logistics. North Korea would be able to do terrible damage to South Korea regardless of timing, so it'd look a lot better if the US came charging to the rescue against a North Korea that has gone bat shit insane than if the US was building up an invasion force that would be seen as another act of US aggression and backing Kim Jong-Il into a corner where he might as well strike first with all he's got.

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  4. Re:here's my prediction by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 5, Funny

    yes, because in a country of 24+ million it is impossible to find a body double

    Kim Jong Un is a fat boy. Fat folks are in short supply in North Korea.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  5. Re:Are You Kidding Me? by r1348 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You seem to underestimate 60+ years of uninterrupted regime propaganda.

  6. Opportunity Cost by sociocapitalist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You have to ask yourself...what is the cost of not going to war against North Korea now.

    Do you want to wait to be certain that he has not only nuclear capability and also medium range missile capability but the ability to launch medium range missiles with nuclear warheads (which may not currently be the case) ?

    --
    blindly antisocialist = antisocial
  7. Re:Battered Wife Syndrome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wouldn't settle for less than both.

    Try to placate him... until you can kill him.

  8. Re:Are You Kidding Me? by adamchou · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What gives you the impression that North Korea doesn't want to kill South Koreans? Hell, the North tortures it's own citizens. What makes you think they'll even second guess bombing the shit out of Seoul? The citizens of North Korea probably have no animosity towards the South, but they're not the ones dropping bombs. And I don't know which South Koreans you're talking to, but I know plenty that would love for us to go and destroy the North.

    Btw, Living in South Korea doesn't mean anything. I live in South Korea too and I'd beg to differ with your position.