Ken
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Everything posted by Ken
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What exactly can China do? They have turned back deliveries for North Korea's coal and apart from completely cutting off all business ties with them it is too late for China to have any influence which would convince the Norks to sign up to a non-proliferation treaty. Sanctions only make their development efforts more expensive to continue but won't stop it completely. China's influence is completely overstated.
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Yup. Back in the mid 1990's when Clinton instead offered the Norks 2 light water reactors to trade in their plutonium after they refused inspections by the IAEA which the Norks knocked back in the end. If that wasn't enough of an alert for a future flashpoint then Pakistan gave the Norks nuclear technology in the latter part of the 1990's which has allowed them to develop low yield nukes as they have now. They may not have the cutting edge delivery systems yet but crazy gangsters who feel like they are being cornered will find a way to deliver them (one way suicide trips via submarine or plane or saturated missile launches).
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NK do not require nukes to destroy Seoul. They have 10 000 artillery pieces aimed at SK's capital which would do the job.
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China preparing for something to go down. Reported by a South Korean news agency that China has amassed 150,000 troops on its border with NK. Millions of North Koreans will look to cross the border into China if the shit hits the fan - and that is something China does not want. Syria's mass refugee exodus would pale into insignificance.
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Australia put on missile watch. Looks like the US are planning to shoot down test missiles by Kimmy. Expect something to happen in 4 days...
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NK is the genuine concern right now. Kimmy is feeling the pinch and having this carrier group in its backyard could trigger the nutter to respond. Trump's objectives are clear here, he won't allow Kimmy and his cronies to continue on their nuclear deterrence program so something will have to give either way.
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Won't happen. Putin is talking tough to maintain his reputation. The US will not invade as Russia is well embedded in Syria with her bases and port of call and Putin will never give them up. What should happen is that the focal point remain on destroying ISIS and Trump and Putin should agree on the removal of Assad after ISIS is destroyed allowing Syria to remain Russia's strategic asset after he is deposed. The fact no Russian assets or servicemen died in that surgical strike means all is not lost between the two. I think/hope it is just chest beating at the moment and things settle down.
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They've been lobbing ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan quite frequently over the last year. NK are speculated to test fire an ICBM on April 15 - a day they call the Day of the Sun - the founding ruler's 105th anniversary, and they're a about a year away from being able to put one of these nuke tips onto an ICBM which can reach mainland America. They are also planning to detonate their 6th nuke bomb soon. Satellite images suggest they are ramping up efforts to do this.
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What I meant was a successful invasion requires long term occupation and rebuild afterwards. Goes against his mantra of "making America strong again". Russia wouldn't have it anyway. They won't give up their influence there. And China are about to launch their second aircraft carrier and may want to stick their nose in.
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True. But we won't. Trump knows Iraq was a big fuck up that cost loads of money. He won't make that mistake again. If there will be anymore strikes they'll be like the one yesterday and that will only happen if Assad or anyone else uses them again.
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Back then before NK had WMD's is better than now though. Agree, impossible to do anything now. Well, any rational person would think so. But Trump acts on the go and he wants a resolution to this either way - diplomatically or militarily it would seem before he leaves office. China aren't the type to cave in and do what America says. Who is to say what will happen tbh. Genuinely scary times.
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I don't think Trump cares about Syria tbh, but North Korea is different and more serious. He has made it quite clear with his words and now also his actions. More than a coincidence that this missile attack on Syria was happening at exactly the same time Trump and China's Premier were having dinner in his hotel. It is a clear message to China - stop expanding and re-writing the rules in the South China Sea and do something to reign in North Korea or else...
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Yeah spot on. It is designed to show that he is assertive when it comes to international affairs, Assad thought he had free reign when Trump got into power as he stated that he had no business there when he came into office, and recently as last week too, and that he was focused on internal affairs rather than external. It only emboldened Assad which explains why his war strategy includes cruelty like poison gas and blockade/bomb/starvation methods to defeat and oppress his opposition. This strike has allowed Trump the opportunity to get on his moral high horse and to make him look human at the same time. Good guys, bad guys mentality. It also serves as a warning to China and North Korea; Firstly for China who are expanding their influence in international waters within the South China Sea which China claims in its entirety. Also to North Korea who continue to develop nuclear weapons, and who are suspected of having chemical weapons (by the method in which Kim's brother was assassinated in Malaysia) and also the deliver systems (submarines and ballistic missiles) to lob these payloads to their targets which is getting closer to mainland America very month it seems. Like Assad, North Korea's gangster leadership could have been destroyed in the 90's before having developed such dangerous toys. Any military action taken against them now would be catastrophic and unprecedented when it comes to potential loss of life and destruction.
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Chinese President Xi meeting with Trump as well. An indirect message to Xi suggesting that he's willing to go it alone on North Korea if he has to.
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Sad times, being English and from Newcastle. -
Very interesting turn of events. End result; Many of those who voted leave did so with the hope of an empire again. Out of touch poms, like those disenfranchised in Russia, hoping for the return of the CCCP. The leaving of the UK means little for the EU. Germany and France are laughing. Scotland aren't happy are they? They trust the EU over what is now little England. The people have spoken...
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Internment camps. I was laughed at when I brought up the notion a couple of years ago. Doesn't sound so silly now does it? Those numbers you have suggested are a guesstimate. 400 to 600 currently maybe. Could be higher. Much higher. Nobody has screened the million that have crossed into Europe. What about the home grown jihadists who cave into online propaganda?
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Not sure how a 16 year old girl has access to such a large amount of cash but what is most concerning is that she is a third-generation Australian; http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/sydney-schoolgirl-16-wired-is-fighter-thousands-of-dollars-court-hears/news-story/c41dcb609fed37351a71cdfc9de50c50
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The EU will have to consider setting up a centralised counter-terrorism body, a police/security force, and intelligence service. So those with perceived weaknesses in these areas like Belgium and Sweden can come under the one umbrella of those who are strong in these areas ie. Britain, Germany and France. Building internment camps doesn't sound like such a bad idea now either.
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All these things are empowering far right-wing political parties as you know. Even extreme far-right wing ideology. Donald Trump is loving this. This is breeding mayhem externally and internally. Such is life, eh...
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The Wahhabi sect are a direct threat to Western civilisation/democracy. Is it known how many of them have migrated to Europe? But it is much more deep rooted than that. You can have young Muslims born and brought up in a in a normal middle class family in any nominated western country but get on the net and start reading extremist propaganda and turn in an instant. It has happened here, it has/will happen in Europe many times over.
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OK that is France's figure - 80%. I stand corrected.
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Our problems here pale into insignificance to what Europe is facing. Some thought our border security policies were inhumane and racist. We were debating whether 10,000 Muslim refugees was justified. Europe has over a million a year entering it. Many unchecked. Don't you find this the least bit concerning? Angela Merkel the humanist, eh?
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Coexist with those who harbor anti-western values? Sadly this is the only option left on the table for Europe. The damage is done, seeds sown, and terror awaits.
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For a start those that entered Europe without family. Single, male, without identification. Start with them. Or have they now mysteriously become untraceable? Honestly, this mess cannot be repaired. You will just have to live with it.