The Military Thread

[Diomedes]

well, there's 30k troops in South Korea, who could do something.  Not sure how much, and if they get nuked then nothing at all, but yeah....the U.S. is kinda farged if NK kicks off a war

thanks George Bush

[Rome]

the u.s. military presence in s.k. is a token gesture.  they'd be a speed bump if the north koreans ever got it into their heads to invade it would start world war iii without a doubt.

[MMH]

I think the hope there is that China would do something about it, since they don't want to be in the mushroom cloud that would immediately follow.

[shorebird]

Bush had a lot to do with it, but no more than Obama. He hasn't brought troops home, he's sent even more over. Right now it's been projected by Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen that the fighting in Afganistan will get worse as the summer goes on, and the end is over a year away. If then the way I see it. This after two sailors came up missing last Friday and now, the Taliban says they have the body of one and are holding the other captive. Right now it's as bad as it's ever been over there and as bad as I wanted action after 9-11, I want even more now to see our troops home. It's also very disheartening to hear that as long as we've been in Iraq, as we pull out the military and police there are still no were near ready.

link

Iraq's military chief says that without a U.S. presence, the Iraqi forces won't be able to fully fend for themselves before 2020. Anthony Cordesman, a former director of intelligence assessment in the Pentagon, agrees it will take years.

But bombings still happen almost daily across Iraq, often targeting the security forces. Drive-by shootings and kidnappings are common. And despite at least $22 billion the U.S. has spent on training and equipping the forces since 2004, many of the problems that have long plagued the army and police remain unresolved.

The U.S. military, preparing to pull out completely by the end of 2011, has been promoting an image of a capable Iraqi security force. Barely a day passes without an announcement of the arrest or killing by homegrown security forces of insurgents, mostly suspects from al-Qaida in Iraq, as well as ordinary criminals.

Dio, you're right, my bad, the troops are spread so thin there isn't even enough to man the border in California or Texas, and yeah, if the North Koreans let fly with nukes, there is probably not a lot the U.S. could do. Still, you have to think there are big time defense systems at the border and throughout the South. There are an additional 50,000 troops in Japan along with the 28,500 in South Korea, and one other big deterant, probably the only reason it hasn't yet happened, is that there are three other strike groups on the West Coast that would more than likely bomb the North into oblivion. The F-22 Raptor would be in and out of there before anyone in the knew it, 'cause the North has no way to pick it up on radar.

China would do something alright, they're as pissed about the exercises going on as is NK.

link

Beijing has condemned those drills, which many in China feel are also aimed at their country. Zhu Chenghu, a strategic studies professor at the National Defence University, told the China News Service that the U.S.-South Korean drills were clearly aimed at sending Beijing a message as much as they were directed at North Korea. "They will take place in the Yellow Sea, which is the entry point to China's house, and they obviously want to show off their military strength," he said.

It's a farged up situation, and it doesn't seem to be getting better, especially when you hear Hillary Clinton talking about peace in Korea. STFU bitch. When you think about a carrier group, it's been said by the military that they are as close to untouchable as any military force can be. But thats changed, imo. Although still the most powerful Naval group in the world, carrier strike groups are venerable to cruise missiles that travel faster than the speed of sound and have change of direction capability to avoid being hit before they reach their target. They almost think for themselves. Also, NK has a viable Air Force, ships and submarines. The U.S. Navy  wouldn't get through any kind of fight against North Korea without big losses, imo. if anyone thinks otherwise they're living in la' la' land. And if China were to get involved it would be the worst thing that could possibly happen to the U.S. right now. It could mean the loss of tens of thousands of lives in the Pacific.

[Diomedes]

calling the Secretary of State a bitch = classy

[shorebird]

She was a bitch long before that.

[shorebird]

...not to mention I've never been one to be classy or try to use class, like 99.9% of this board. Guess which percentile you fall in.

[shorebird]

Navy and Republic of Korea (ROK) ships transit the Pacific Ocean in a 13-ship formation led by USS Tuscon (SSN 770). The Republic of Korea and the United States are conducting the combined alliance maritime and air readiness exercise "Invincible Spirit" in the seas east of the Korean peninsula from July 25-28, 2010. This is the first in a series of joint military exercises that will occur over the coming months in the East and West Seas.

I wonder why the North Korean's don't have a sub out there sinking ROK ships now?

[shorebird]

US Stalls on Trial for Five at Gitmo

What a mess, like it's never gonna' end.


Self professed 9-11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. I guess he didn't have his blow dryer after he was waterboarded.

[Diomedes]

some take the situation as proof that Obama can't get anything done

others take it as proof that Bush handed the United States a dilemma no president could resolve to everyone's satisfaction

[shorebird]

some take the situation as proof that Obama can't get anything done

others take it as proof that Bush handed the United States a dilemma no president could resolve to everyone's satisfaction

Thats pretty much the way I see it.

[shorebird]

The big thing being were to have the trial. I don't think it would be a good thing to have it in the States, or let the Military hold it. Probably should be an international trial but I don't know how that could be done.

[SD]

China invents Carrier killer missile

Happy to be off a Carrier

[shorebird]

Damn thing travels at 10 times the speed of sound. How do you stop something like that? imo, you don't. The real worry to me is not actually the Chinease, but who they might possibly sell it too.

[shorebird]

Bagdad car bomb kill 8

Just the word of the U.S. pulling out and the violence there gets stepped up. I'll bet that even if a new government is formed it gets overthrown in time. And really, with all the delays, it doesn't look like Iraq will have a new government anytime soon. I'm willing to say that in 5 years after we're gone the only difference will be that there is no Saddam Hussein.