“Mark my words,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”
“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you – not financially to help him – we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”
Communist North Korea has said it is scrapping all military and political agreements signed with the South, accusing Seoul of hostile intent.
The South’s government had pushed relations “to the brink of a war”, the North’s cross-border relations body said on state media…
The BBC’s John Sudworth in Seoul says some analysts believe that Pyongyang is trying to build up tensions with the South in order to give itself more negotiating power with the new US administration.
A more pessimistic analysis suggests that the rising tension does raise the possibility of small-scale military clashes, says our correspondent…
“Never to be condoned are the crimes the Lee group has committed against the nation and reunification by bedevilling overnight the inter-Korean relations that had favourably developed amidst the support and encouragement of all the Koreans and ruthlessly scrapping the inter-Korean agreements,” the North said on Friday.
Joe Biden: Prophet.
Well, that didn’t take long.
Please, please don’t remember this turkey made his prophecy in our fair city!
Yeah, might be. I always liked Bismark’s comment, when asked what worried him most, he replied “Some damned thing in the Balkans”.
I have often reflected that Korea is Asia’s answer to the Balkans.
They recognize an empty suit when they see one. S. Korea is on its own, alas.
It is that time of year. January is when the alliance meets to figure out its variations on the OPLAN. Followed by an exercise in March. The NORKS usually turn up the rhetoric.
Biden: Cause.
Predicting mischief somewhere in the world in a six month period is akin to predicting the sun will rise tomorrow. In the east.
Yawn.
The idea that N. Korea is aiming their latest exercise in bellicosity at our freshman prez is pretty self centered, but here is his chance to cancel Rimjob ’10 now and “usher in a new era of rapprochement.”
Gag.
My concern with the whole situation is that North Korea understands completely that South Korea is where the food is. There comes a point where they will need to act in order to prevent a complete collapse of their economy.
If “Dear Leader” believes that Obama will not respond quickly and with extreme prejudice to an attack into South Korea, then they may as well chance it. After all, “Dear leader” loves to play poker. If he truly thinks he can draw a winning hand, he’ll go for it.
After all, what has he got to lose?
This really isn’t that unexpected from the DPRK – they get all belligerent and accuse Seoul of pushing for war about as often as Joe Biden saying something incredibly stupid.
I think the real test for President Obama is going to be Russia. If he is serious about ramping up operations in Afghanistan, he will need to develop an alternate supply line. The border region with Pakistan is becoming increasingly unstable and all other feasible routes go through former Soviet satellites. None of those satellites are going to be interested in working with us without Moscow’s blessing (after watching the public spanking of Georgia). Moscow isn’t going to help us without first getting something it wants – namely us out of central Asia. They want to rebuild their sphere of influence and they need us out of the way. The EU is in no position to help us here (they need Russia’s natural gas) and probably wouldn’t even if they could.
Sadly, I fear that President Obama will be greatly outmatched by Putin when it comes to strategic thinking, long-term planning, and negotiating.
Yep, in the land of Bidensanasstan it’s necessary and patriotic to stand behind the President from his side of the aisle in the face of international dust-ups. But it’s OK to undercut the Prez if he’s from the other side of the aisle during the last 8 years despite the USA having been attacked to start the whole mess.
I am fairly skeptical of the new Prez, but I truly detest Biden.
I’d leave off the Putin and change it to: just about anyone.
At least when it comes to foreign policy. Sweet jebus P.BO’s chief adviser in this area is Biden? That’s why he picked him for VP – and Biden practically does an “I triple dog dare you” to just about anyone with an axe to grind against the U.S.
How does that ancient curse go about living in interesting times???
Skippy-san is right on this one. While there may be more to it, you can put your money on wild pre-ex rhetoric from the mouthpieces of the Dear Leader.
Makes great material for exercise press releases, among other things…
Scraping all agreements is not the way NK normally raises the level of bellicosity. NK has been a client state for many years, of both the SU and Red China. As such they have also been a proxy.
In the final analysis, we will have to wait to see who’s right. At this point, I would not put anything down on Skippy’s position.
JDAM Par-tay !
There is good info on this over at ROKDROP. While everyone is pointing to President Obama this could be more directed at South Korean President , than ours. Since taking office he has taken more of a hard line with the North than his predecessor.
Then again, this could be all because no pays attention to them anymore. Again from GI Korea:
North Korea has been making many provactive statements lately to get the Obama administration’s attention, but clearly no one is paying much attention to their threats anymore. This means North Korea will have to up the ante if they want to get Obama’s attention.
Besides, the real question is why was every juicy bar in Songtan placed on the USFK off limits list?
Now that’s something unusual………………….
The bar owners got so up in arms they have been demontrating in front of the gate.
Wonder if there is a connection between the NORKS and that?
My $0.02:
Obama isn’t concerned with North Korea, and the Kim family wants people to pay attention to it. They are ranting again, as they would like another bribe to keep quiet. While communist in name, they are really more like a monarchy, with hereditary control. They’ll do something stupid to get attention, probably at sea along the NLL. You’re also right that this is aimed more at South Korea.
There have been troubles in Korea for sometime with anti-Americanism. When my Son-in-law was there, they were told to go in pairs, at least, but groups of 4 or more were preferred. Still, Skippy has pointed out something rather unusual. There’s a question mark over my head at the moment.
Not unexpected, maybe a little earlier than expected. But heck, it’s a tried and true process. Worked for them numerous times, most recently starting with the 94 agreed framework and forward.
claudio