Endgame for Kim Jong

U.S. Military Set to Intercept North Korean Ship Suspected of Proliferating Missiles, Nuclear Material.

The U.S. is/was planning to intercept a North Korean ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution 1874.

The USS John McCain [Eat that irony, and that would be for the Admiral. John McCain Sr.], a navy destroyer, will intercept the ship Kang Nam as soon as it leaves the vicinity off the coast of China, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

The apparent violation raises the question of how the United States and its allies will respond, particularly since the U.N. resolution has as many teeth as Abe Simpson.

The resolution would not allow the United States to board the ship forcibly. Rather, U.S. military would have to request permission to board. That ought'a work. Maybe they can offer a Snickers bar to the crew?

North Korea has said that any attempt to board its ships would be viewed as an act of war and promised “100- or 1,000-fold” retaliation if provoked.

The U.S. military may also request that the host country not provide fuel to the ship when it enters its port.

The Kang Nam is known to be a ship that has been involved in proliferation activities in the past — it is “a repeat offender,” according to one military source. The ship was detained in October 2006 by authorities in Hong Kong after the North Koreans tested their first nuclear device and the U.N. imposed a subsequent round of sanctions.

And North Korea has detained two American journalists...

And that's after finding out about Kim Jong-Il's 4th of July festivities.

The bombs bursting in air’ this Fourth of July, might be from North Korea. Leading ding-dong Kim Jong-Il, has been shaking his fist and scaring the piss out of Hawaiians planning their Independence Day Luau. A report in Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper says Pyongyang is planning to fire a long-range ballistic missile at Hawaii on July 4. Any shot aimed at the U.S. would be an act of war, but perhaps Kim has taken measure of Obama?

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the military is “watching” that situation “very closely,” and would have “some concerns” if North Korea launched a missile in the direction of Hawaii. But he expressed confidence in U.S. ability to handle such a launch.

Gates said he’s directed the deployment of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense, a mobile missile defense system used for knocking down long- and medium-range missiles. Remember that expensive system that no body wanted, and blamed Bush for wasting millions on? Yeah, that one.

“The ground-based interceptors are clearly in a position to take action. So, without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say … I think we are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect the American territory.”

What might be seen as the ultimate 'dumb move' off the bat, might also be the best hope for North Korea.

Let me explain.

A shot goes out over Hawaii. The missile doesn't even get close, but it is enough for America to have to save face and punch the little guy in the nose.

The Korean War cease fire is officially ended.

There's a scuffle for about a week.

Then the U.S. is on the hook to clean the whole mess up. The humanitarian needs would be solely on the back of the United States.

It's the classic 'Bananas' scenario. You see, Woody Allen had this figured out in the '60s. The best thing you could do as a dictator would be to pick a fight with the United States, and then lose. That way the American taxpayer would have to rebuild your entire infrastructure and feed all your people.

Because you have to ask, why didn't Bush do anything about him? Other than the humanitarian expense - the U.S. also has to deal with China's wishes. It's always been my opinion that China has been using North Korea as their trump card to keep the region agitated for the SEATO and allies. Especially the U.S. If North Korea wasn't there to piss everyone off, like a wasp nest at a picnic, the U.S. wouldn't be involved (spending money) in the area. China uses North Korea to hide behind. Whether it is to hide behind their own activities in Tibet, or to use their divine intervention as a bargaining chip to get Taiwan back in the fold.

And what's a more rational move to let North Korea to keep playing their silly games? Back to the original contention, the massive human aid and refugee situation. The sudden collapse of the North Korean state would mean millions of refugees, many of them armed soldiers, crossing into China.

That would increase instability in some of China’s major industrial and population centers. Finally, it would result in a loss of control over North Korea’s stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium, as well as chemical and biological weapons.

The longer-term consequences of a North Korean implosion are also unwelcome to Beijing. It would probably lead to the unification of the country under Seoul, depriving China of a strategic buffer and, even worse, creating a large US ally. The alternative—military intervention — is a costly and risky option that Beijing would probably prefer to avoid.

Like any rational player, China prefers to stick with a lesser evil.