BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS: Game of chicken with N. Korea

[mburbank]

U.S. Orders 24 Bombers to Guam to Deter N.Korea
21 minutes ago


By Charles Aldinger

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is sending 24 B-1 and B-52 bombers to the island of Guam in the western Pacific to deter any aggression by North Korea (news - web sites) in case of a war in Iraq (news - web sites), defense officials said on Tuesday.

The U.S. officials said the deployment was a prudent measure to maintain peace on the Korean peninsula, where tensions have risen sharply over North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions.

But they said it was not prompted by the interception of an unarmed U.S. Air Force reconnaissance jet by North Korean fighters in international air space over the Sea of Japan on Sunday.

"These movements are not aggressive in nature," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon (news - web sites) spokesman. "Deploying these additional forces is a prudent measure to bolster our defensive posture and as a deterrent."

Davis refused to provide any details on the weaponry being moved from the United States, but other defense officials told Reuters privately that two dozen swing-wing B-1 jets and heavy eight-engined B-52s were being moved immediately to Guam under orders signed by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

The additional forces were requested a month ago by Navy Adm. Thomas Fargo, who directs U.S. forces in the Pacific and Asia from Hawaii.

Air Force officials said a squadron of B-1s will go from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and a squadron of B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

Washington says it intends to settle differences with the hardline Communist government in Pyongyang peacefully and officials stressed that any deployment to the region to curb North Korean "adventurism" to take advantage of any war in Iraq would not include ground forces to join the 37,000 U.S. troops now stationed in South Korea

[KevinTheOmnivore]

"Relax, North Korea is being taken care of."

[mburbank]

Well, it's llucky that as a country North Korea tends not to over react. otheriwse they might see us sending bombers to Gum as provocative.

Hopefully, the primitive minbd of the North Korean dicttor has not yet fully understood the concept of 'pre-emption'.

Thank God he's not crazy. if he was, this might be dangerous.

[BombsBurstingInAir]

This will soon pass and be forgotten.

Nothing worthwhile will result from it.

[Anonymous]

The Pentagon issued this statement in connection with the deployment:

"As part of our global efforts to address worldwide requirements, we are deploying additional forces to the Western Pacific as U.S. forces are preparing for possible military action elsewhere in the world. These moves are not aggressive in nature. Deploying these additional forces is a prudent measure to bolster our defensive posture and as a deterrent. As the President has said, we are seeking a peaceful, diplomatic resolution of the international community's concerns over North Korea's nuclear weapons program."

[mburbank]

Wow, Bombs! Thank my lucky stars you're the President of North Korea! Phewsh!

[KevinTheOmnivore]

This will soon pass and be forgotten.

Nothing worthwhile will result from it.

Does the Pentagon pay you to post on message boards?

[Protoclown]

BOY, I HOPE THOSE BOMBERS HEADED TO GUAM SURE GIVE SADDAM "WHAT FOR" :salute

[mburbank]

Now Kev! Don't be silly. I can't see any reason why a standoff with the only member of the Axis of Evil to actually acquire Nukes, who have a long range missile capable of reaching the west coast who retreated from the Nuclear Non Proliferation treaty, threw out UN monitors, took down monitoring devices and started up their nuclear plants WOULDN'T pass quickly and be forgotten. These are not really very consequential matters in the big picture. So their Evil. So they actually HAVE weapons of Mass destruction. So what? How does that compare to a serious issue like Iraq?

[BombsBurstingInAir]

ThBat sIounded liGke a PDentagAon rDespDonse diYdn't it?

[GAsux]

Kev,
I find that remark to be quite offensive! Give the folks at the Pentagon a little credit for god's sake!

If Bombs is the best stooge they could come up with I'm outraged by such a blatant misuse of taxpayers money!

[Protoclown]

Wow, what a subtle and clever secret code! :eek

[mburbank]

That's why the Pentagon has such a big budget.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Hey, if they throw me a few bucks, I'll start on the Colombia agenda:

"Nothing is wrong. The Colombians have no American hostages. Peace keepers have been sent, and you won't even remember this by next Wednesday."

:/

[FS]

"Today, US forces stationed on Guam were attacked by North-Korean forces. Supposedly, the last statement heard over radio was an admiral shouting "I'm a comedy sidekick! Oh shit, I'm a comedy sidekick!"."

...that would be funny if Last Action Hero wasn't such a bad movie. :(

[AChimp]

Wow, there's gonna be, like, no army left in the U.S. main land. :)

Excuse me, there's a truck driving down my street handing out rifles and helmets...

[mburbank]

Our combat troops in the Philipines will blow over and be forgotten.

[Carnivore]

Do we need to recall our troops, Chimp? Was that comment a veiled Canadian threat? :eek

[mburbank]

There's nothing veiled about the threat represented by Canada and Mexico. Their hording of natural resources and cheap labor demonbstrate their hostility and once we have conquered the Middle East they will be annexed. After all, we may be running low on our Volunteer military by then.

[AChimp]

I have said too much. :|

[mburbank]

Soon you'll say exactly what we tell you too or you'll be declared an enemy combatant. There's lot of old growth timber up in your neck of the woods that would make mighty good end tables here is the U.S.of A.