Slashdot Mirror
The US Waged A Secret Cyber War Against North Korean Missiles (tampabay.com)
Early Monday morning North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea of Japan, lending a new urgency to Saturday's revelation from the New York Times of America's "secret cyberwar" with North Korea. Slashdot reader Frosty Piss summarizes its suspected effects succinctly: "Soon after ex-President Obama ordered the secret program three years ago, North Korean missiles began exploding, veering off course, or crashing into the sea."
The Times reports the program was started when Obama "concluded that the $300 billion spent since the Eisenhower era on traditional anti-missile systems...had failed the core purpose of protecting the continental United States," with tests of missile interceptors showing an overall failure rate of at least 56%. But after interviewing government officials, the Times concludes that the U.S. "still does not have the ability to effectively counter the North Korean nuclear and missile programs." Options include escalating the cyber and electronic warfare, trying to negotiate a freeze, asking the Chinese to cut off trade and support, or preparing for direct missile strikes on the launch sites, "which Obama also considered, but there is little chance of hitting every target." The New York Times article concludes: The White House is looking at military options against North Korea, a senior Trump administration official said. Putting U.S. tactical nuclear weapons back in South Korea -- they were withdrawn a quarter-century ago -- is also under consideration, even if that step could accelerate an arms race with the North.
The Times reports the program was started when Obama "concluded that the $300 billion spent since the Eisenhower era on traditional anti-missile systems...had failed the core purpose of protecting the continental United States," with tests of missile interceptors showing an overall failure rate of at least 56%. But after interviewing government officials, the Times concludes that the U.S. "still does not have the ability to effectively counter the North Korean nuclear and missile programs." Options include escalating the cyber and electronic warfare, trying to negotiate a freeze, asking the Chinese to cut off trade and support, or preparing for direct missile strikes on the launch sites, "which Obama also considered, but there is little chance of hitting every target." The New York Times article concludes: The White House is looking at military options against North Korea, a senior Trump administration official said. Putting U.S. tactical nuclear weapons back in South Korea -- they were withdrawn a quarter-century ago -- is also under consideration, even if that step could accelerate an arms race with the North.
"He's immensely scrutinized already."
So you have his taxes yet? Or the Trump co accounts? The missing millions in profit from the Scottish golf course he claimed... did you find them? The contracts separating him from his business, that big pile of paper at the press conference, have you had a look? Has the ethics committee had a look? No?
Do you think all those secrets can stay secret?
I don't think Trump will be impeached, I think he will implode from the scruitiny.
Um, no. The only leverage North Korea has over China is that China doesn't want to deal with millions of North Korean refugees, and doesn't want the US or an ally right on it's border.
China tolerates North Korea in so far as it prevents either of these things happening, but right now the prospect of refugees and a US allied nation on it's border are beginning to look less and less like the worse option for China.
Given how batshit North Korea is China is also very aware of the remote possibility that should China snub North Korea completely that they're just crazy enough to detonate a nuke on China's border as much as South Korea's border in one last suicidal blow out event. Whilst that may be a remote possibility, the chance of a detonation of a nuclear weapon on your border, no matter how small a chance, is still something entirely worth of consideration in political calculation.
But North Korea's actions actually act as justification for increased US military build up in the region, which is the exact opposite of what China wants. If China exerted any worthwhile control over North Korea then the ideal situation for China would be a North Korea that sits there quietly behaving itself acting as a harmless quiet buffer that gives the US no justification of escalation, but that's not what's happening, hence why it's pretty clear China does not control North Korea.