Rumors Of War:

Today's theme: Rumors of war

N. Korea Threatens U.S. With Preemptive Nuke Strike

North Korea threatened the United States on Thursday with a preemptive nuclear strike, raising the level of rhetoric while the UN Security Council considers new sanctions against the reclusive country.

North Korea has accused the United States of using military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear war and said it will scrap the armistice with Washington that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 Korean War.

"Since the United States is about to ignite a nuclear war, we will be exercising our right to preemptive nuclear attack against the headquarters of the aggressor in order to protect our supreme interest," the North's foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

North Korea conducted a third nuclear test on February 12, in defiance of UN resolutions, and declared it had achieved progress in securing a functioning atomic arsenal.

The North's unnamed foreign ministry spokesman also said it would be entitled to take military action as of March 11 when US-South Korea military drills move into a full-scale phase as it had declared the truce as invalid.

It is the latest in an escalation of tough words from both sides of the armed Korean border this week as the UN Security Council deliberates a resolution to tighten financial sanctions and a naval blockade against the North.

North Korea Warns U.S. Of Preemptive Nuclear Strike

North Korea has accused the United States of using military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear war and has scrapped the armistice with Washington that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea, which has one major ally, neighboring China, threatens the United States and its "puppet", South Korea, on an almost daily basis.

"Since the United States is about to ignite a nuclear war, we will be exercising our right to preemptive nuclear attack against the headquarters of the aggressor in order to protect our supreme interest," the North's foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

It is the latest in an escalation of tough words from both sides of the armed Korean border this week as the U.N. Security Council deliberates a resolution to tighten financial sanctions and a naval blockade against the North.

North Korea, which held a mass military rally in Pyongyang on Thursday in support of its recent threats, has protested against the U.N. censures of its rocket launches. It says they are part of a peaceful space program and that the criticism is an exercise of double standards by the United States.

Seoul Vows 'Stern' Response To N. Korean Provocation

The South Korean military on Wednesday vowed to respond firmly to any North Korean provocation. 

"If North Korea pushes ahead with provocations that would threaten the lives and safety of our citizens, our military will strongly and sternly punish the provocations' starting point, its supporting forces and command," said Maj. Gen. Kim Kim Yong-hyun, the head of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The warning came a day after North Korea threatened to scrap the armistice that halted the Korean War over 60 years ago and warned of "precision nuclear strikes" that will create a "sea of fire."

A military source here said Seoul intends to target the highest ranks of the North's regime in the event of an attack. "When we refer to command, it usually signifies divisional or corps commanders," the source said. "But if Seoul comes under attack, the top levels of North Korea's regime including [leader] Kim Jong-un could become targets." 

North Korea continued saber-rattling on Wednesday threatening to turn Washington D.C. into a "sea of fire" and to plant the North Korean flag atop Mt. Halla on Jeju Island off the southern tip off the Korean Peninsula. 

Buses and trains in Pyongyang were spotted draped in camouflage netting. The North also designated no-fly zones over the East and West seas and restricted ship traffic. "There is the chance of North Korea firing Scud, Rodong or KN-02 short-range missiles or coastal artillery," a military source here said. 

Washington: Hizballah Now Has Chemical Weapons

For the first time in many years, voices in the US administration were criticizing the Israeli defense forces for under-reacting and, in this case, also underestimating the chemical weapons threat emanating from Syria and neglecting to pursue counter-measures. This is what visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak heard when he met US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon Tuesday, March 5, as the new defense secretary’s first foreign visitor.

Hizballah has been able to procure a quantity of chemical weapons from Syria – a development which Israel’s leaders have vowed to prevent.

The proliferation of chemical weapons to HIzballah and other armed bands on Israel’s borders was apparently in the mind of Russia’s UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin, UN Security Council president for March, when he cautioned Monday that trouble was building up between Israel and Syria.

At UN Center in New York, Israeli and Russian delegates separately warned Monday, March 4, of a dangerous situation developing in the area of separation on the Golan captured by Israel in the 1967 war. Syrian troops were forbidden to enter this area under a ceasefire formalized in 1974 between Syria and Israel.

Israeli UN Ambassador Ron Prosor complained to the Security Council about five shells fired from this very area which landed in Israel Saturday, March 2. "Israel cannot be expected to stand idle as the lives of its citizens are being put at risk by the Syrian government's reckless actions," Proser wrote in a Note to the council. "Israel has shown maximum restraint thus far."

Russia’s UN Ambasador Vitaly Churkin then spoke of “a very new and dangerous phenomenon” of armed groups operating in the Golan area of separation. “It’s something which potentially can undermine security between Syria and Israel,” said Churkin, who is acting Security Council president for March. He pointed out that the UN peacekeeping force is unarmed and unable to cope with this new situation. Israel and Syria are technically in a state of war.

The Russians fear Israel might embark on military action in response to the round of shells fired from the Syrian Golan Saturday, and force a delay in the talks. The last time this happened, in late January, Israel reacted with a cross-border attack on Syrian military installations.

'Syria Is Spiraling Towards Full-Scale Disaster'

We are watching the implosion of Syria. A horrible situation is steadily deteriorating, and the worst may be yet to come. Assad could decide to use chemical and biological weapons to defeat the rebels. The Assad regime could collapse and the anarchy could intensify. Iran and Hezbollah could seize control of the country. Al Qaeda or another Radical Muslim group could seize control. A war with Israel could erupt. A war between Israel and Iran could erupt, with Syria actively siding with Iran, or with Syria caught in the crossfire.Damascus Countdown is one worst case scenario. Clearly, there are others.

“The number of Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict has reached a million,” the BBC reports, citing UN officials. “The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said the number of people seeking haven in neighbouring countries had jumped since the beginning of the year. Half of the refugees were children, the UN said, most of them under 11 and often traumatised by their experiences. The largest numbers of refugees were seeking shelter in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. The figure includes registered refugees and newer arrivals awaiting registration.”

“Syria is spiralling towards full-scale disaster,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement, warning that the international humanitarian response capacity was “dangerously stretched.” He added: “This tragedy has to be stopped,” he added.