North Korea threatened Wednesday to wipe the United States off the map as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles in the coming days.

Off China's coast, a U.S. destroyer was tailing a North Korean ship suspected of transporting illicit weapons to Myanmar in what could be the first test of U.N. sanctions passed to punish the nation for an underground nuclear test last month.

The Kang Nam left the North Korean port of Nampo a week ago with the USS John S. McCain close behind. The ship, accused of transporting banned goods in the past, is believed bound for Myanmar, according to South Korean and U.S. officials.

The new U.N. Security Council resolution requires member states to seek permission to inspect suspicious cargo. North Korea has said it would consider interception a declaration of war and on Wednesday accused the U.S. of seeking to provoke another Korean War.

"If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will ... wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The warning came on the eve of the 59th anniversary of the start of the three-year Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in state of war.

The U.S. has 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect against an outbreak of hostilities.

Tensions have been high since North Korea launched a long-range rocket in April and then conducted its second underground atomic test on May 25.

Reacting to U.N. condemnation of that test, North Korea walked away from nuclear disarmament talks and warned it would fire a long-range missile.

North Korea has banned ships from the waters off its east coast starting Thursday through July 10 for military exercises, Japan's Coast Guard said.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday that the North may fire a Scud missile with a range of up to 310 miles (500 kilometers) or a short-range ground-to-ship missile with a range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) during the no-sail period.

A senior South Korean government official said the no-sail ban is believed connected to North Korean plans to fire short- or mid-range missiles. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

U.S. defense and counterproliferation officials in Washington said they also expected the North to launch short- to medium-range missiles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.

South Korea will expedite the introduction of high-tech unmanned aerial surveillance systems and "bunker-buster" bombs in response to North Korea's provocations, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing unidentified ruling party members.

Meanwhile, a flurry of diplomatic efforts were under way to try getting North Korea to return to disarmament talks.

Russia's top nuclear envoy, Alexei Borodavkin, said after meeting with his South Korean counterpart that Moscow is open to other formats for discussion since Pyongyang has pulled out of formal six-nation negotiations.

In Beijing, top U.S. and Chinese defense officials also discussed North Korea. U.S. Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy was heading next to Tokyo and Seoul for talks.

South Korea has proposed high-level "consultations" to discuss North Korea with the U.S., Russia, China and Japan.
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Send "Blackwater" in to take the little fuqqer out of power.... or do they only kill civilian women and children?

Where did you see this article?

Exactly! A well planned and executed covert mission to take a few key people would end this problem easily unless China were to interfere.

another article about this from the AP...sounds like it might be over the 4th of July...

http://rokdrop.com/2009/06/18/is-north-korea-preparing-for-a-4th-of-july-missile-test/


North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese news report said Thursday, as Russia and China urged the regime to return to international disarmament talks on its rogue nuclear program.

The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers), would be launched from North Korea’s Dongchang-ni site on the northwestern coast, said the Yomiuri daily, Japan’s top-selling newspaper. It cited an analysis by the Japanese Defense Ministry and intelligence gathered by U.S. reconnaissance satellites.

The missile launch could come between July 4 and 8, the paper said.

While the newspaper speculated the Taepodong-2 could fly over Japan and toward Hawaii, it said the missile would not be able to hit Hawaii’s main islands, which are about 4,500 miles (7,200 kilometers) from the Korean peninsula.

A spokesman for the Japanese Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report. South Korea’s Defense Ministry and the National Intelligence Service — the country’s main spy agency — said they could not confirm it.

Tension on the divided Korean peninsula has spiked since the North conducted its second nuclear test on May 25 in defiance of repeated international warnings. The regime declared Saturday it would bolster its nuclear programs and threatened war in protest of U.N. sanctions taken for the nuclear test.

U.S. officials have said the North has been preparing to fire a long-range missile capable of striking the western U.S. In Washington on Tuesday, Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it would take at least three to five years for North Korea to pose a real threat to the U.S. west coast. [Associated Press]

I hope any effort is thwarted. I hate that there are so many leaders allowed to terrorize other countries at will, big bully style.
This smacks so much of what the Bible and so many other seers have predicted.
Very sad.
Thank God for Heaven and for forgiveness.

All prophets talk in generalities so that you will fill in the details yourself. They are self fulfilling. You will see to it in your mind that the pieces fit even if they don't, but only if you choose to believe.

You can think what you want and I'll think what I want.

Where's the fun in that? It's much more exciting if we get into a knock down drag out fight and throw insults at each others religious beliefs.

G20....

A 20 nation "over the top" Battle Royale, no holds barred, winner take all!

I think we need to take all our leaders who think war and conflict, oppression of their peoples, and theft of peoples rights is the right way to lead a nation, and do what the Romans used to do to christians.... turn them into lion food or gladiators! The rest of us will watch and cheer them on.... or "chub" the lions

Perhaps this? If a leader wants war, have them gather their followers and like the crusades, go battle for their cause..... but they LEAD their troops into battle, heading the charge!

Maybe, we put them all in a room with one club..... and see who walks out?

Perhaps we all just refuse to be their pawns, laugh at them when they yell "FOLLOW ME!", and see if their attitude doesn't change a bit....

Any other suggestions?

I like these ideas! perhaps there could be an Olympic style to the festivities..the leader would then be able to compete in the 'sport' that they are the best at.

or like a triathlon...

possibilities!!

"Gentlemen....choose your weapons!"

Let's make it an "anyone can enter" tournament.....get them all in one event!

Kind of makes me think of the "SAW" movies...... hmmmmmmmmm

possibilities indeed!

I am not the brightest bulb on the tree, nor the coldest beer in the fridge...but did they really think this through?

I am sure they can read the papers...people know their "plans".

I just cannot understand why people spend so much time, energy, and money on violent means...and I probably never will...

Think greed, or POWER.....

explains much!

Small people usually have large egos! (talking brain power here....not size.....but if the shoe fits.... )

Politicians can't create with their hands.... not enough creativity.... no imagination.... government suits them!