The US and South Korea are extending massive aerial war games after North Korea put on a massive show of force in response to the drills.
Washington and Seoul started their Vigilant Storm exercises on Monday, which were initially scheduled to run 24 hours a day for five days. This year’s Vigilant Storm is the largest-ever iteration of the drills, involving nearly 100 American warplanes and 140 South Korean aircraft, and about 1,600 planned sorties.
Pyongyang made it clear it would respond to the Vigilant Storm drills, and it launched 23 missiles on Wednesday, which is said to be the most North Korea has fired in a single day. North Korea also fired over 100 artillery rounds on the same day and launched six more missiles on Thursday.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the extension of Vigilant Storm after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup. “I’ve consulted with Minister Lee and we’ve decided to extend Vigilant Storm, which is our long-scheduled combined training exercise, to further bolster our readiness and interoperability,” Austin said.
It’s not clear how long the war games will be extended, but North Korea is already warning of more consequences. “The irresponsible decision of the US and South Korea is shoving the present situation, caused by provocative military acts of the allied forces, to an uncontrollable phase,” said Pak Jong-chon, the secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party.
During their meeting, Austin told Lee that the use of nuclear weapons by North Korea would result in the “end” of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un. “Any nuclear attack against the United States or its Allies and partners, including the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, is unacceptable and will result in the end of the Kim regime,” Austin said, according to the Pentagon.
Tensions have been growing on the Korean Peninsula throughout the year as the US and South Korea began conducting massive war games after a long pause, and Pyongyang has fired a record number of missiles. The pause in US-South Korean war games came as the result of the diplomacy between the Trump administration and Pyongyang.
The Biden administration refuses to change its approach to the North and is still calling for the “denuclearization” of the Korean peninsula, which is a non-starter for talks with Pyongyang. The US and South Korea have strengthened military ties since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May. Yoon vowed to take a more hardline stance toward the North than his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who was a proponent of Korean reunification.
“The pause in US-South Korean war games came as the result of the diplomacy between the Trump administration and Pyongyang.” — oh, no, it can’t be — TALKING to the difficult OTHER had a positive outcome. How shocking!
Russia could destroy all life on earth by detonating their devices just a few hundred yards above their own ground. Like Russia, China has both hypersonic missiles and anti-satellite missiles. North Korea is ready to eliminate Japan, South Korea, and probably a couple of coastal cities of the US.
Biden couldn’t antagonize these countries one as a time. Instead, he has tried to antagonize all 3 at the same time. He seems determined to see how close he can get to the red line that constitutes an existential threat to Russia. He is supporting an independence movement in Taiwan. And he is hoping that repeated drills to practice invading North Korea won’t accidentally pull the hair trigger of North Korea’s defenses.
Someone needs to tell him that he cannot avoid direct retaliation if he provokes any of these countries too far, that nobody wins a nuclear war, and that there is nothing stopping these countries from forming their own alliance to offset NATO.
Yes, the Washington Neocons have everybody sharpening their knives, … steeling for battle, … all ripe for another insipid Sarajevo, … and Death is in business again.
US foreign policy – it’s all about the Benjamins.
The Neolibs are Pure Greed, but the Neocons, presently in the saddle, are all about global hegemony, the Will-To-Power.
Let’s not forget Biden’s hard work against peace with Iran. He seems to be working hard to start all these wars all at the same time. It’s a bit strange that the warmonger trolls/CIA talking pointers have not inserted a comment yet. …Ahh, they might be off the clock.
It’s the aviator glasses. When he see’s himself in them….
Biden is nuts.
A few years ago, Chine shot down one of their satellites to demonstrate their ability.
Poor South Korea, alleged “ally” of the USA which is always telling SK what to do, who to elect, join us to destroy NK , has been dragooned into more conflict. The only interest of the USA is more control of everyone else.
GROW the F*** UP
That’s it in a nutshell.
The South Koreans need to wake up. The US would like nothing better than for North Korea to nuke Seoul. The neocons would finally get their war and they could use nukes on North Korea and then Iran.
“The US and South Korea have strengthened military ties since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May. Yoon vowed to take a more hardline stance toward the North than his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who was a proponent of Korean reunification.”
The South Koreans hired this nutjob. They have no one to blame but themselves. Seems like a worldwide trend.
The US presumably backed Yoon Suk-yeol and do you think he would have been elected otherwise? Do you think Zelinsky would have been elected without US backing? The neocons openly boast about the billions they spend influencing elections. I doubt there’s a genuinely “fair” election anywhere on Earth they have an interest in, and South Korea is definitely on that list.
Dude, get off fantasy island.
The neocons are obvious sociopaths. They don’t give a sh*t about white people. They would wipe out a city full of Asians without a second thought. And with 9 up votes it’s kind of crowded here on fantasy island, troll.
Amen, brother. You nailed it. SK and US military drills right on the border of NK is not provoking NK? “…Nearly 100 American warplanes and 140 South Korean aircraft…” Is it a peace parade? Is Michael Jackson singing “Heal the World” at the event?
CNN labeled NK missile “test” as a failure against a “backdrop of US and South Korean military drills.” It was a failure because they didn’t nuke South Korea? So, what do they do? SK and US decide to extend their “drills” to further provoke NK to nuke SK?
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/asia/north-korea-missile-thursday-intl-hnk
I wouldn’t put it past the neocons to orchestrate an insider launch from North Korea to get a war started. There won’t be a lot of Q and A when Seoul is gone. Hopefully the North Koreans have tight enough security.
Nuke a city that is 23+ kilometers away? Not sure about that one.
Too crazy for a government? Use that sentence a few times. Besides which politicians will go scorched earth on their own territory. I bet a dollar to a doughnut North Korea has Seoul targeted with at least low yield nukes.
They should take off their “hypocrisy masks” then, and call for a nuclear free Middles East and a nuclear free Western Hemisphere.
In a perfect world Rightstermeister…
“War games”…such a euphemism. Monolopy is a game. Trivial Pursuit is a game.
Shouldn’t these movements be called what they really are?…”War practice”.
Risk is a game…………..
“They don’t like us, anyhow, let’s drop the big one and see what happens”…..
Austin is a general. That is all that is needed to know. After all, generals did so well in Afghanistan. /s
Time for the twenty fifth amendment. Time to get this failure out of the white house. Time the US returned to some kind of sanity when it comes to posing as the world’s supreme bully.
I’m ready to vote for a peace candidate for every federal office, but of course, being somewhat rational, I won’t be holding my breath.
We’re ruled by dangerous idiots.
Is there a “peace candidate”? Or are we speaking in euphemisms?… I understand the dangerous idiots parts very well OB…
Donna, think Libertarian or Green.
‘Cause we ain’t a-gonna find one within the duopoly.
Bear, we need an amendment that would clear the entire f*cking congress.
Ah yes, war games. We play them everywhere, but we would go bat shit crazy if they were ever conducted on our borders but can’t understand why they piss off other countries. At least we pretend we don’t understand.