By USFK Commander General Sharp is now weighing in on the recent escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula by North Korea:
USFK Commander General Walter Sharp
Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said at a security forum in Seoul that Pyongyang should stop its missile exercises and moves to proliferate its nuclear weapons technology.
Sharp’s remarks came amid growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to the North’s provocative statements and military moves in recent weeks. News reports said Tuesday that a U.S. military satellite had recently spotted a train carrying a long cylindrical object believed to be a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile heading toward a missile launch site in North Korea.
The Taepodong-2 is believed to have a maximum range of 6,700 kilometers enough to hit the U.S. continent with a light payload.
“We’re prepared for any contingency, any provocation,” Sharp, who concurrently serves as chief of the United Nations Command, was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying. “We watch North Korea along with the Republic of Korea very, very closely.”
“It’s not only the U.S. and the Republic of Korea that are watching North Korea very carefully. It is the entire world, to see if North Korea will ever come to the point where they become a responsible nation,” said Sharp
The four-star general said North Korea must “stop the provocations that have been going on, whether it is declaring old agreements to be no longer valid or missile technology that they continue to develop.”
South Korea and the United States “call upon North Korea to abide by the agreements they have made in the past, which includes the complete denuclearization,” he added. [Korea Times]
One Free Korea has the Google Earth images posted of where the Taepodong-2 site is located that are worth checking out. This image from Global Security.org shows the current range of the Taepodong-2 missile:
These missiles can range parts of Alaska and Hawaii, but keep in mind that their guidance systems have never been proven to actually accurately target anything that far out. The real threat of Kim Jong-il’s missiles would be Japan where his missile can accurately target locations throughout the country.
Kim Jong-il appears to be going back to one of his usual bag of tricks, which is firing off missiles to create a “crisis”. If that doesn’t work to get people to give him his usual blackmail payment then he may try his other usual crisis creation techniques, which are a naval battle along the NLL or even possibly go for a DMZ shootout. The final thing he will do would be a 2nd nuclear test.
I’m sure that Kim Jong-il is thinking that if Hollywood movie producers can get $246 million dollars in the current economic stimulus plan to buy motion picture film, then why can’t he get a few million dollars for a bailout as well? It will be interesting to see if the Obama administration will try and payoff Kim Jong-il here in the short term in order to get some peace and quiet in the long term in order to deal with the economic crisis that is his current priority.
2:21 am on February 4th, 2009 1
just wondering why the picture of Gen. Sharp has Obama in the filename.
2:03 pm on February 4th, 2009 2
Sounds to me like the new administration in Washington trying to ‘look’ tough. If the North launches one of these, what is the United States really going to do? It sounds to me like just a lot of rhetoric.
3:07 pm on February 4th, 2009 3
I for one, look forward to the launch. It will tell if the NKs have a viable missle or not. Or at least to what degree. I will take bets as to whether the NKs launch or not. It makes for wonderfull propaganda.
12:59 am on February 5th, 2009 4
Ever hear of the Navy's SM-3 or Army's GBI?
Muahahahahaaaaa….
8:32 am on February 5th, 2009 5
Oh, I know the United States has weaponry, Mark. My thought is that President Obama may simply vote present—if you know what I mean.
11:40 am on February 5th, 2009 6
IN SEOUL.
Think positive, General Sharp has not been reprimanded for speaking out. so far. Lets see what happens from here.
1:19 pm on February 5th, 2009 7
Gerry,
My thought is that General Sharp is simply a messenger for President Obama. I find it hard to believe he would strongly speak out against the North Korean leadership on his own initiative. With this in mind, I believe President Obama is quoted as saying he is willing to sit down with dictators, unconditionally, and negotiate issues as significant as nuclear proliferation. Thus, it’s a little hard for me to believe there is much substance to the tough talk. I’m assuming General Sharp had a little nudge to say something. However, I could be mistaken.
1:35 pm on February 5th, 2009 8
IN SEOUL,
Possible, however the tough talk, was tough talk. And the general was not reprimanded. So it does have meaning.
3:19 pm on February 5th, 2009 9
General Sharp's words are not all that different from what prior USFK commanders have said when North Korea has tried to create a crisis. I don't think there was really anything controversial he said that would draw any ire from President Obama.