North Korea Attacks South Korea

North Korea has attacked South Korea.

Is this war?

Drudge writes: IT BEGINS.

That sounds ominous.

According to Reuters:

The two Koreas are still technically at war -- the Korean War ended only with a truce --and tension rose sharply early this year after Seoul accused the North of torpedoing one of its navy vessels, killing 46 sailors.

I guess instead of saying, "IT BEGINS," it might be more appropriate to say, "IT CONTINUES."

Was there a "3:00 AM phone call" to the White House?



I can't say I have much confidence in the Obama administration when it comes to managing foreign affairs.

Obama's recent tour of Asia was a failure.

From the BBC: LIVE: Korean crisis

North and South Korea exchange dozens of artillery shells across their tense western sea border, in one of the most serious incidents since the Korean War ended without a ceasefire in 1953.

From the Telegraph:

The attack on Yeonpyeong Island is the latest in a long-running game of diplomatic cat and mouse in which North Korea periodically flexes its military muscle in order to try and win concessions from the international community.

Is this attack likely to lead to another war?

No. Within minutes of the attack, South Korea's president Lee Myung-Bak called on his officials to ensure the "situation would not escalate", a call that was echoed by all the other parties involved in trying to resolve the Korean dispute.

North Korea may possess a million-man army and a nuclear weapon (which it has no means to deliver), but its outmoded armed forces are no match for South Korea which is backed by the United States, which also has nuclear weapons. This week the South even raised the possibility (quickly dismissed) of returning short-range nuclear weapons to the peninsula. Just to make the point to Pyongyang.

The White House issued a statement this morning condemning North Korea's actions.

From Reuters:

"The United States strongly condemns this attack and calls on North Korea to halt its belligerent action," the White House said in a statement.

North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells at the island in one of the heaviest bombardments on the South since the Korean War ended in 1953.

The attack comes just as a U.S. envoy is traveling to the region after revelations that the North is moving ahead with uranium enrichment, a possible second path to manufacture material for atomic weapons.

"The United States is firmly committed to the defense of our ally, the Republic of Korea, and to the maintenance of regional peace and stability," the White House said, adding that it was in close and continuing contact with South Korea over the situation.

A U.S. official, speaking on anonymity, told Reuters that U.S. forces in Korea were closely monitoring the situation. But no U.S. troops were involved in the response to the North's artillery fire, the official said.

Some wars never end.