North Korea Attacks South Korea

With the ongoing leadership transition in North Korea, there have been rumors of discontent within the military, and the current actions may reflect miscommunications or worse within the North’s command-and-control structure, or disagreements within the North Korean leadership.  (StratFor)

This aggressive action by North Korea does seem different from their normal   back-and-forth confrontations.

North Korea bombarded a South Korean island near their disputed western border Tuesday, setting buildings ablaze and killing at least two marines and injuring 16 others after warning the South to halt military drills in the area, South Korean officials said.

South Korean president says South will unleash 'enormous retaliation' should North Korea attack again.  {snip}

The United States, which has tens of thousands of troops stationed in South Korea, condemned the attack and called on North Korea to "halt its belligerent action,...(more at Fox)

From StratFor:

While the South Korean reprisals — both artillery fire in response by self-propelled K-9 artillery and the scrambling of aircraft — thus far appear perfectly consistent with South Korean standard operating procedures, the sustained shelling of a populated island by North Korea would mark a deliberate and noteworthy escalation.

The incident comes amid renewed talk of North Korea’s nuclear program, including revelations of an active uranium-enrichment program, and amid rumors of North Korean preparations for another nuclear test. But North Korea also on Nov. 22 sent a list of delegates to Seoul for Red Cross talks with South Korea, a move reciprocated by the South, ahead of planned talks in South Korea set for Thursday.

 

Should be interesting to watch.  One thing is for sure, Barack Hussein Obama wants no part in the conflict.

The Drudge Report is keep on top of the latest reactions:

NKorea's military command vows 'merciless' military strike against SKorea...
Fires artillery onto island...
South denies seeking redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons...
Returns Fire...
May strike NKorea's missile base...
'Intentional, planned attack'...
Japan prepares for 'any eventuality'...
CHINA WATCHES... WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS... OBAMA 'OUTRAGED'... 
Russia Sees 'Colossal Danger'...
FLASHBACK: UK fears NKorean attack on Seoul G20 summit...

 

Comments

[MK]

"South Korean president says South will unleash 'enormous retaliation' should North Korea attack again."

Sure they will, the reality is that the commies have done this before and thanks to the predictably weak response, they know they can do it again and bugger all will happen to them.

"One thing is for sure, Barack Hussein Obama wants no part in the conflict."

That's for sure, if anything he might get hills to say something stern and to call for some sort of international action that'll never happen.

[Skunkfeathers]

If a full-blown shooting war erupts again on the Korean Peninsula, it will be loads worse than 1950-53. Though, perhaps one difference: then, it brought China and the US eyeball-to-eyeball. Perhaps not this time. But in any event, it would make the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq look like childs' play. The amount of raw firepower on both sides of the DMZ is fearsome. Over 2 million people died the last time. This time would likely be worse.