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North Korea Shells South Korean Island, 2 dead

DieHardBrownsFan

By DieHardBrownsFan
in POLITICAL DISCUSSION

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DieHardBrownsFan

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North Korea Bombards South Korean Island in Deadly Attack

 

Lauren Frayer Contributor

AOL News

(Nov. 23) -- North Korea fired more than 100 artillery shells onto a South Korean border island today, killing two southern marines and wounding 18 others in a brazen attack that prompted the South to return fire and put its military on its highest non-wartime alert.

 

Fires burned out of control on Yeonpyeong Island, off the peninsula's west coast, which houses a South Korean military base alongside the homes of about 1,600 civilians. At least three civilians and 15 South Korean troops were among those wounded, a defense official told The New York Times.

 

Huge plumes of smoke rise from Yeonpyeong Island in the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea on Wednesday. North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto the South Korean island, killing two people, setting homes ablaze and triggering an exchange of fire as the South's military went on top alert.

 

"I ran outside my house when my windows shattered from the blasts," resident Lee Jong-sik told the JoongAng Daily newspaper. She said blasts rang out across the island every five minutes. It was the first time in 50 years the island has suffered any attacks, she said.

 

"Houses and mountains are on fire, and people are evacuating," an unidentified witness told YTN television. "You can't see very well because of plumes of smoke. ... People are frightened to death."

 

Today's exchange of fire marks one of the peninsula's most serious clashes since the Korean War ended without a peace treaty in 1953.

 

Both sides accused the other of firing first.

 

"The South Korean enemy, despite our repeated warnings, committed reckless military provocations of firing artillery shells into our maritime territory near Yeonpyeong Island," the BBC quoted the North's military as saying. Pyongyang "will continue to make merciless military attacks with no hesitation if the South Korean enemy dares to invade our sea territory by 0.001mm."

 

Seoul said that the North Korean barrage began at 2:34 p.m. and that the Southern military returned fire more than an hour later, JoongAng reported. F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to the area, and the entire exchange of fire lasted more than two hours.

 

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak huddled in an underground bunker at the presidential residence after dark, holding an emergency meeting with his national security-related ministers, the Los Angeles Times reported. His government later called today's attack a "clear military provocation" and warned of "stern retaliation."

 

"Recklessly shelling mere civilians can never be tolerated, Hong Sang-pyo, senior secretary for public affairs at the presidential office, told the newspaper. "North Korea will have to bear full responsibility."

 

In a predawn statement, Washington, which has tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, condemned the attack and called on North Korea to "halt its belligerent action," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, according to The Associated Press. He said the U.S. is "firmly committed" to South Korea's defense and to the "maintenance of regional peace and stability."

 

The top European Union diplomat, Baroness Catherine Ashton, issued a statement calling on North Korea to "refrain from any action that risks further escalation and to fully respect the Korean Armistice Agreement," the BBC reported.

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calfoxwc Grand Master

calfoxwc

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I remember being concerned about this, and Sev saying that it was just harmless

 

N. Korean bluster.

 

Crap.

 

so much for all the nonsense hype about ObaMao being so smart, so brilliant,

 

that he'd make all the world come together.

 

I SAID he didn't have any kind of magic "twanger"...

 

but did Sev listen to me? No-o-o-o-o-o. :angry:

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djdawg2010 Newbie

djdawg2010

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This is the problem with allies. They dont want to help us but they want us to help them. It should go both ways but it doesn't. I never heard a single word about any Koreans helping us with Katrina, Iraq, or anything for that matter.

 

 

You're not kidding. It's shit like that, which makes me grow tired of our country attempting to police the rest of the world. It seems like we have to bail everyone else out, but nobody helps us. All though, Great Britain usually stands behind us.

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Speedyd900rr Newbie

Speedyd900rr

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You're not kidding. It's shit like that, which makes me grow tired of our country attempting to police the rest of the world. It seems like we have to bail everyone else out, but nobody helps us. All though, Great Britain usually stands behind us.

 

 

I know the feeling and it drives me nuts to. They could at least give us some cash or maybe some of they're natural resources to compensate us if they wont help us in our time of need since we give them money, troops, weapons, and everything else they ask for. Its sad that were trillions of dollars in debt and the government cant even take care of Americans but they have no problem giving countries like Israel 2 billion dollars a year for doing nothing.

 

If it were my choice I would cut everyone off until we got our problems solved at home first. You would think the people that work and pay taxes would come before countries that just leach off of us, but no.

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djdawg2010 Newbie

djdawg2010

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I know the feeling and it drives me nuts to. They could at least give us some cash or maybe some of they're natural resources to compensate us if they wont help us in our time of need since we give them money, troops, weapons, and everything else they ask for. Its sad that were trillions of dollars in debt and the government cant even take care of Americans but they have no problem giving countries like Israel 2 billion dollars a year for doing nothing.

 

If it were my choice I would cut everyone off until we got our problems solved at home first. You would think the people that work and pay taxes would come before countries that just leach off of us, but no.

 

 

Tell me about it! That and trying to set up other people's governments, when we can't seem to take care of our own house! I wish it were that easy to cut off the rest of the world, but now we're too dependent on China because of the low wages that they pay their workers, and the middle eastern nations for their oil. If you ask me, taking your business offshore when you're already filthy rich to save a few bucks, while taking food out of the mouths of your fellow Americans is nothing short of treason. OK a little extreme, but you know what I mean.

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osusev Newbie

osusev

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....... seriously read my posts about succession and that they will behave similar to keep the succession smooth internally.

 

They did not shell any major cities in South Korea (which they have the capability) this was more of the same like the sub.

 

IF they really wanted to they could level Seoul (which has a higher population that NYC).... They dont, its the same pattern, same playbook.

 

Just relax and Cal Obama and the United States have Little to Zero influence on the North Koreans right now, only the Chinese (which we owe tons of money to) can really curtail them.

 

This is about Dynastic succession and internal consolidation and there is nothing better to keep the military brass and party looking at the world than using that energy to mount their own

 

power grab. This is a communist PARTY ran country meaning their are other power players.

 

This is horrible, but the world is shades of gray in terms of right and wrong strategies and who they affect.

 

North Korea is unstable, poor, and isolated so they are unpredictable because they have less to lose than we do. Those of you who want to point domestic political finger and say gotcha have little to zero grasp on this subject.

 

I expect this behavior to continue and possibly escalate to an uncomfortable degree (they know we are stretched to thin and the american public does not have the money or stomach for another war) probably for quite a while until Un consolidates his power base after his father steps down.

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ballpeen Experienced

ballpeen

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Yep!

And Sin Shu Choo is our best hitter!

North Korea is a royal pain in the ass and a really-really poor excuse for a country.

They make Cuba look like Sweden!

Which side do you think China will come down on?

 

 

 

I think in the end China is leaning west.

 

They are now prospering from our efforts and know we aren't really a threat unless some pip squeek like N.Korea stings us in some way.

 

 

We are working with them and they know it...and they know while we are having our troubles right now, we still have more money and our military can touch from afar.

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