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There is a new Asia Times article out today by William Polk, that discusses North Korea’s nuclear program. The article begins by giving the mandatory why America is the reason for all the bad things in the world that is now prevalent is most Asia Times articles. Then it gets into why certain countries are trying to build nuclear weapons including North Korea. Here is Polk’s reasoning for why the North Koreans want nuclear weapons:

This, in brief, is what I guess a North Korean policy planner would start with. So how would he advise his government. Putting myself in his shoes, I guess that he would advise that, in light of American pronouncements and actions, North Korea would be foolish to give up its nuclear force. Indeed, to deter an American attack, it should enhance its military capacity.

Psychologically, moreover, it should seek to convince the US that it would fight the Americans and their allies, with what the Israelis called the “Samson option”, that is, even to the point of national suicide. Further threats are likely only to convince the North Korean government of its danger and so increase its determination to protect itself at any cost.

Really nothing new here. We all know the North Koreans want nuclear weapons not only to protect themselves from American invasion but also to extract foreign aid to keep the regime a float. Now the trick for them is going to be getting the international aid and secretly keeping their nuclear weapons. The prior disarmament framework by President Clinton that was meant to stop their nuclear program didn’t work because the North Koreans went ahead and kept making weapons anyway while enjoying the free international aid because there was no rigid inspection guidelines to ensure compliance. They just kept real quiet about it and gave the appearance of behaving. This will be the same deal they will be looking for at this next round of talks starting this month on the 25th of July. The North Koreans just want a nice face saving deal that gives them the free food, money, and the oil they need to keep the regime going plus have enough flexibility in the agreement to be able to covertly hide their weapons program.

In turn they will keep quiet and give the appearance of good behavior to the international community, all the foreign diplomats can pat each other on the back about what a great job they did, heck maybe somebody can even get a Nobel Peace Prize out of this like Kim Dae Jung did back in 2000. All the while the North Koreans will be sitting back enjoying their spoils, their people still starving, make no progress on human rights, and continue to covertly make nuclear weapons.

I love this headline, US Equipped With High-Tech Weapons, in the Korea Times. What did they expect, that we are armed with slingshots up here in 2ID land? We are the US Army, of course we have high-tech weapons. Anyway the article goes on to talk about the Second Infantry Division’s transformation into a Unit of Execution or UEX for short. By the way that is the same UEX I’m part of. A UEX is a slimmed down division that is more rapidly deployable than a bulky Division sized element:

In recent months, the 2nd Infantry Division has carried out its incorporation efforts. The 1st Brigade under the division was transformed into the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, which U.S. officials describe as the army’s most powerful and rapidly deployable force. It also created an integrated artillery brigade, the Fires Brigade, which can control up to seven South Korean artillery battalions in addition to its MLRS battalions.

Here is something that IMHO we will not see happen anytime soon or possibly not at all:

The 2nd Infantry Division played a controversial “trip wire” function against possible North Korean invasion. The division is to be relocated to an area south of Seoul after 2006 with the U.S. Yongsan Garrison in Seoul.

There is so much politics involved in this I just don’t see it happening anytime soon.

CNN is reporting that former South Korean soccer coach Guus Hiddink may be offered a job to coach the Australian soccer team:

Guus Hiddink, the Dutchman who steered South Korea to a World Cup semifinal berth in 2002, is among the candidates to succeed Frank Farina as coach of Australia.

“We’re talking to a very small number of candidates, of which Hiddink is one,” Boultbee said. “We’re making good progress.”

Judging Hiddink’s past record is anyone willing to bet that Australia goes to the World Cup semi-finals? Hiddink took the Netherlands to the semi-finals in 1998 and the South Korean team to the semi-finals in 2002.

A 19 year old US soldier who accidental struck a 51 year old Korean woman with his military vehicle last month killing her, has been officially declared on duty at the time of the accident:

A U.S. soldier was on duty when the vehicle he was driving struck and killed a South Korean woman in Dongducheon city on June 10, U.S. military officials told South Korean prosecutors Wednesday.

U.S. Forces Korea officials provided the “official duty certificate” in response to a query from the Uijongbu city prosecutor, according to a USFK statement issued Wednesday evening. The certificate gives U.S. authorities “the primary right to exercise criminal jurisdiction” in the case, according to the statement.

This means that under the Status of Forces Agreement that he cannot be charged with a crime in a Korean court. Korean police forwarded charges last week knowing full well this was an obvious on duty incident:

South Korean police said they forwarded charges of “duty-related accidental homicide” to the Uijongbu city prosecutor’s office more than a week ago.

The Korean police did this just to cover themselves and blame their lack of action on the soldier on the SOFA agreement to keep the anti-American protesters off their backs.

Here is the reasoning USFK gave for not forwarding charges on PFC Bryant:

USFK officials are not compelled to prosecute because “each case is evaluated and addressed individually,” according to the statement.

The police said the 51-year-old victim, Kim Myung-ja, jaywalked across Peace Street while Bryant sat at a traffic light in a 2.5-ton Army vehicle. Bryant’s passenger, 28-year-old Pfc. Cassandra Daryliell, spotted Kim as she crossed the street, police have told Stripes, but Bryant apparently failed to hear Daryliell’s warnings.

Why can’t the police just be mature about this and admit that it was an accident and seek compensation from USFK for the accident? The Korean family involved have already forgiven the soldier, why can’t everyone else do the same?

North Korea has agreed to restart negotiations to end their nuclear program this month:

The six-nation talks will resume July 25, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday.

“The U.S. side clarified its official stand to recognize (North Korea) as a sovereign state, not to invade it and hold bilateral talks within the framework of the six-party talks,” KCNA reported.

It looks like China put some leverage on the North Koreans to continue the negotiations. I will be very surprised if anything comes out of the July 25th meeting with the North Koreans.

The Japundit is reporting about a bikini controversy in Buan county:

Women’s right activists are up in arms in Korea over a campaign at a popular resort area that offers incentives to women wearing bikinis.

The campaign is being advertised by posters reading: “Show off your beauty and get a 10-percent discount.”

I initially had images of a beach filled with bikini clad Ms. Korea’s but I then began to think about it. What if the beach is filled with bikini clad ajumas looking for discounts? I don’t think a 10% discount is enough to get young Korean women to wear bikinis but it appears I am going to have to check out this beach to make sure. Purely for professional curiosity of course.

Could this beach one day be filled with women in bikinis?

The Party Pooper is at it again. He gives his take on the Korean Konglish craze. Funny stuff.

If you have some spare PATRIOT missiles for sale I know a buyer for you:

From next year, South Korea will replace its ageing ground-to-air Nike missiles, introduced 40 years ago, with Patriot missiles, the defence ministry said. A decision on whether to buy new missiles directly from the United States or second-hand ones from Germany has yet to be taken, it added.

“We may buy US-made Patriot missiles from Germany,” a ministry official said. The South Korean military had planned to buy 48 Patriot missiles from the United States in 2000, but the plan was scrapped because of a dispute over the cost.

Currently there are PATRIOT missile units located in Suwon, Osan, Kunsan, and Kwangju providing air and missile defense to those areas. The missiles located in those areas are called PATRIOT PAC-3 missiles which are much more advanced than the PAC-2 missiles that would be sold to the South Koreans. Still it is a good sign that the ROK military is looking to increase their own idependent defense capabilities. However, will this lead to the US PATRIOT missile batteries leaving Korea? I seriously doubt that will happen any time soon.

Recently there has been some joint military training going on here in Northeast Asia between the two bitter neighbors Japan and Korea. On Thursday, the ROK and Japanese militaries conducted a anti-terrorism exercise in the Korea Strait:

The Korea Coast Guard and Japan’s Maritime Safety Agency each deployed one 3,000-ton patrol ship, a helicopter, a speed boat and special forces team members in the Korea Strait.

Patrol boats first blocked the ferry’s course, and special forces then boarded the vessel from helicopters and high-speed boats. Simulated injured passengers were flown to land by helicopter, while fleeing “terrorists” were hunted down by speed boats.

This exercise is being used as a train up for South Korean security forces leading up to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan this November.

Chinese Naval Vessel

Also on Thursday their was another military exercise going on off the coast of China. This one remarkably involved China, Korea, and Japan:

China on Thursday conducted its largest ever maritime search-and-rescue drill off the coast of Shanghai, with the participation of South Korea and Japan, in a rare sign of renewed cooperation between the Asian powers.

The Chinese Ministry of Communications and the China Sea Search and Rescue Centre coordinated the reaction to the emergency drill, with the rescuing of sailors, fire fighting, the containment of oil spills and even the thwarting of a terrorist attack.

So what was Korea’s and Japan’s role in this exercise? Well, not really much:

Japan’s 1,200-tonne Satsuma joined a fleet parade and its crew exchanged views with Chinese maritime safety officials, while a guard ship from South Korea’s maritime police was also presenet during the exercise.

Hey, at least it is a start to building some kind of cooperation between these three countries.

In the wake of the London Terrorist bombings that has now reportedly killed 49 people, the US State Department has decided to fly the Union Jack over the State Department building in a show of solidarity with the people of Britain. This is the first time a foreign flag has ever flown over the US State Department building. The US government has also decided to restrict travel to London for all US military members. Both President Bush and Prime Minister Blair have come out strongly condemning the terrorists attacks that were executed to spoil the G8 summit going on in Scotland.

It appears the bus bombing may have been the work of a suicide bomber while the bombs used in both the bus and subway attacks weighed as little as 10 pounds a piece and could of been easily transported in backpacks.

When I came back from Iraq I took a week of leave and traveled around England. I really like the country and it’s people. I wouldn’t mind be stationed there one day. Though I found many people critical of the war in Iraq the people there were very respectful of the military and the United States in general. I really despise these terrorists cowards who target innocent people. If they were real men who wanted to fight for their cause of Islamic extremism they should go to Iraq where the US and British militaries can give them an express ticket to see Allah.

Over here in Korea, the South Korean government has condemned the terrorist attacks:

South Korea on Friday condemned the bombings in London and pledged to support an international drive to root out terrorism.

“Our government expresses deep regret that the series of bomb terror attacks in the city of London left a number of innocent victims and extends deep condolences and sympathy to the victims and their families,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-Hyung said in a statement.

Korean security forces have also decided to temporarily boost security around the country in places such as the US embassy and Inchon International Airport in response:

South Korea has tightened security and taken stepped-up measures to prevent possible terrorist attacks after a series of deadly blasts in London on Thursday. Security guards stepped up checks at Inchon International Airport and other major facilities around the country yesterday, while keeping on high alert.

The authorities said that the airport, the nation?s main gateway, is feared to be vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Police will take additional measures to mobilize special units and armored vehicles as well as riot police, if any sign of a terror threat is detected.

If I was a terrorist the US Embassy or Inchon International Airport would not be where I would target. Using the Taegu Fire incident in 2003 that killed over 130 people as a template, any knowledgeable terrorist could inflict more casualties here in Korea than what was caused in London’s bombings. Korea needs to understand that the terrorists would love to target Korea because they know they would get a large backlash from the public here not against them but against America.

This is what the terrorists are hoping to accomplish with the bombings in London. Some in London are already blaming Tony Blair for the attacks instead of the terrorists themselves. In fact some people believe it is time to send in the clowns. Do you think the Insurgent Rebel Clown Army is ready to protect you from the terrorists.

These Idiots Protest Blair and Bush But Keep Quiet On London Terrorist Attacks

With the APEC summit coming up in November Korea needs to begin a heavy security preparations to crackdown on any potential terrorist threats. Good police work, intelligence, immigration control, and security SOPs will do more to deter a potential terrorist attack here in Korea than sending in the Insurgent Rebel Clown Army.