The USS Carl Vinson and its carrier strike group are finally heading to North Korea, according to US officials who are struggling to explain why, having announced the deployment weeks ago, the ships never ended up anywhere near the Korean Peninsula.
Officials announced the deployment about two weeks ago, with President Trump hyping the deployment of the “armada” to North Korea, suggesting that the deployment was a major show of force, and fueling international concern that the US is about to attack.
Instead, the ships left Singapore and ended up moving a little bit south. Now, Defense Secretary James Mattis insists the US is going to send the strike group to North Korea, and that they definitely mean it this time. Mattis conceded that there was a change in schedule, but insisted that the Pentagon “don’t generally give out ships’ schedules.”
South Korean media outlets were pretty cynical about the whole thing, saying that the Chinese and Russian presidents probably had a good laugh over Trump’s “lie over the Carl Vinson,” expressing concern that the US is increasing tensions, but bluffing about sending forces into the area.
South Koreans also didn’t seem thrilled with President Trump telling the Wall Street Journal that Korea “used to be part of China.” Though China has at times in its history conquered parts of the peninsula, they never fully occupied Korea, let alone annexed it into China.
If and when the “armada” finally arrives, it’s going to be staying awhile, with officials saying the planned deployment has been extended for 30 more days to prove the US military comment to the northwestern Pacific.
….You do the hokey-pokey and you turn your boats around….
Are they headed there???Seems Japan’s Air Force is combat ready…Death from above…10 M.O.A.B’s then fly home Negotiate on nuclear issue after N.K.dictator disposed of…USA
I think you need to read U.K. daily The Sun’s recent article, “Hidden Army: Most of North Korea’s Military Bases Are Underground”.
There’s like 8000 of them, and that’s just the detected ones so far. MOAB is an airburst weapon, not a nuclear bunker bunker buster.
You’re mis informed doesn’t surprise me at all.The M.O.A.B. was specifically designed for those bunkers hence why it was considered a warning to North Korea.IDK what you folks want from America it doesn’t take a genius to figure out if a country with a dictatorship supported by our adversaries extorts the world with promises to stop it’s development of nuclear weapons than flagrantly continues to violate the agreement it makes they can no longer be trusted.When it starts to threaten our allies and our country shits hit the fan.What are we supposed to do allow this psycho to get a nuke and use it on us.Common sense people.Believe it or not there’s evil in this world even from a man that according to his countries propaganda was born on a magical mystical mountain…USA
Ahem, the MOAB was specifically designed for North Korean bunkers? Demands for a refund are in order.
Its since been reported the U.S. is fighting IS in the vicinity of that MOAB strike.
The IS are not a professional army with anti aircraft defenses having spent 60 years preparing for nuclear war.
…You put the Ronald Reagan in, you pull the Carl Vinson out,
You claim you’re seeking peace while you’re dropping MOABs about…
When one considers the original path of the Vinson then only one order makes sense:”sail to Australia”. When the Commander in Chief erroneously stated that the carrier was heading towards Korea the Pentagon had to bail him out.
… One carrier isn’t going to do very much against the most fortified country in the world except sail in circles looking less and less decisive.
Seems like the Trump-Kushner administration is cycling through the ‘Washington Playbook’ Obama mentioned in his Goldberg interview, trying out the chapters on North Korea.
So far, no to a full Sino-N.K. split, but half a point for when China stopped buying N.K. coal; 0.5 of 1. China seems unwilling to compromise further and create a humanitarian crisis by cutting of North Korean fuel and food.
No to a Russia-China split over Korea; 0 of 1.
No to getting Kim to fire first or even intimidating him very much, but half a point for maybe delaying a nuke test. 0.5 of 1. Seems the only ball North Korea was willing to play was volleyball.
Base score is 1 out of 3
Penalize half-point for starting this mess and being caught bluffing.
USA scores 0.5 out of 3 for Round 1, Where’s the Armada.
Although the U.S. really deserves an additional bonus penalty point for leading with that Syrian airstrike, its balanced by a bonus point for Trump’s improved domestic approval rating.
Well it is going to Korea and faster than it would have, you see while they just went to the Exercise to the immediate North of Australia, the US Navy did cancel the Rest and recreation stop in Sydney Australia!