I’m sure this is a question that is being debated by Washington War Planners. AIPAC and numerous Arab powers have a vested interest in addressing the Iran issue especially in consideration that 50% of Israel responded in a recent poll they would support bombing Iran. 50% That’s a mighty high figure when you consider the main targets are nuclear facilities, and then missile sites the Iranian’s believe to be hidden. In fact, the odds are that Israel would attempt to destroy or disable any ability the Iranians have to strike back; if they choose to engage in this unnecessary action when they don’t even have the bomb yet (?) we have to ask ourselves if we should get involved. I support the people of Israel but not Zionists or AIPAC, and to me, it’s absurd that Israel has their own state yet deny the Palestinians one…

Poll: Half of Israelis back bombing if needed to stop Iran nukes

JERUSALEM (CNN) — Roughly half of Israelis support bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities if international efforts fail to stop the Islamic republic from developing nuclear weapons, according to a Hebrew University poll released Sunday.

Some 52 percent of Israelis say the country should bomb Iran’s nuclear reactor, while 35 percent are against, the poll found. The margin of error in the poll of Israelis is 4.5 percentage points.

Palestinians are somewhat more evenly divided, with 43 percent saying a nuclear Iran would be good for the Arab world and 33 percent saying it would be bad, according to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, which conducted the poll along with Hebrew University. The margin of error for the Palestinian sample is 3 percentage points.

Hebrew University released the poll shortly before Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to make what he called a major speech to lay out his plan for the country’s peace and security. MORE

The above isn’t new news, however it may impact US policy as we’re being pushed and pulled from several opposing directions. Several Arab nations who have strong diplomatic ties with Washington fear an Iran that each and every day – seems to be attempting to flex its muscle as as the regional source of the true power in the Middle-East. Egypt has complained that Iran has attempted to convert some of its population into their version of Islam, which Iran categorically denies. Those who believe that Israel and several European countries are the only ones supporting taking Iran down a notch or two are mistaken; the Arab interest in accomplishing this task is being supported in the shadows. – and some of those Arab allies are extremely important to the energy concerns of this nation.

Now, with impeccable timing, North Korea is engaging in some of the most provocative moves they can short of an actual declaration of war against a specific country. Did Kim Jong il’s recent stroke make him even more unstable – or is this simply more “nuclear brinkmanship?” Good intelligence coming out of the North is almost non-existent, and contrary to recent speculation, I do not believe Kim Jong il is crazy enough to fire a missile towards Hawaii.

N. Korea warns ships of impending drill

North Korea’s hydrographic department e-mailed Japan’s coast guard Monday, according to coast guard spokesman Shinya Suzuki. Japan monitors that part of the region’s waters.

North Korea plans to hold military shooting practice in the waters northeast of Wonsan, on the country’s eastern coast, from June 25 to July 10, according to the e-mail, Suzuki said.

The reclusive communist nation did not specify consequences of ships entering those waters during the drill, but the dates fall within the timeframe cited by Japanese media last week for a possible North Korea missile launch toward Hawaii. MUCH MORE

Actually, he may be crazier than I had first believed. If it’s the plan of North Korea to demonstrate they can hit US targets, that fact in itself is enough to make a highly unstable North Korea a REAL threat to the United States, and I don’t believe the President or Congress will allow that to happen. I believe North Korea is close to crossing an invisible line that turns them from a loudmouth dictator who’s usually little more than a pain in the butt to an actual threat to the health and safety of the American public. If this should happen, whether the “threat” is real or not, Jim Jong il may be sealing his own fate and ours as well.

Where is the Mainstream News Media’s commentary and editorials in regard China and their refusal to put a halt to North Korea threatening its neighbors and continuing its Nuclear Program? North Korea is China’s puppet, and to end this crisis, China has to merely cut-off their energy supply until the North cries Uncle – and it wouldn’t take long. China is the leading supplier of energy and food to North Korea, and without China’s support, the North would wither and die. I’d hate to see food supplies cut-off, as it would cause the starvation of millions, a crime that Kim Jong il is guilty of – starving his own population and spending valuable money on weapons technology when the people themselves are dying-off with little international condemnation. Whenever, or should I say “if ever” the North opens-up and joins the international community and the brutality of Jim Jong il is fully exposed, I’d guess that he is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths more than Saddam Hussein.

I was just searching for a link when I stumbled across a great story in OregonLive.com. It was well written on May 26th, however this glimpse of reality never made it into the MSM. We dare not criticize China too much, as they might respond by destroying our economy – which I believe they are in position to at least mortally wound us if not crash the entire economy. I have often alleged that China was the real problem – and this is the first time I have seen that opinion substantiated:

What North Korea wants, the China problem and meaningless United Nations resolutions

by Elizabeth Hovde, Oregonian columnist
Tuesday May 26, 2009, 10:07 PM

Up next is another compelling piece that ran on Forbes.com titled, “We have a Chinese problem, not a North Korean one.”

In it, Gordon G. Chang, author of “The coming collapse of China,” reminds readers that China is North Korea’s primary supplier of oil, goods and food. As such, “If it weren’t for the Chinese, there would be no North Korean missile program, no North Korean nuclear program and no North Korea.”

Chang says the United States has to have a China policy that makes sense if it ever expects to make a difference when it comes to North Korea’s desires to be a nuclear state.

“Unfortunately, the Bush White House did not take advantage of changing circumstances in Asia and was unwilling to make China choose between its future — cooperation with the United States and the international community — and its past — relations with Kim’s Korea. Today, the Obama administration is making the same fundamental mistake,” Chang writes. Much More

So, what is China’s agenda??? We know that Iran and North Korea have had help with their missile and nuclear programs by China and Russia, and even though both countries hold a huge amount of clout within their respective borders in regard Iran and North Korea – what is the real agenda we’re facing? Russia and China are not acting in good faith, something that is frequent in any Security Council Hearing of the United Nations. They consistently vote against the EU and the United States and demonstrate by actions, not words, that they are no friend to the United States. Any war, even if it’s limited, would have a disastrous effect on the price of oil, and that includes war with North Korea. Russia and Iran both have a vested interest in the price of oil rising, as does Venezuela and several Arab countries – although in terms of actual power, a spike in oil prices would likely benefit Russia the most and I wouldn’t put it past them to manipulate China into actions that actually benefit Russia and will place China and the United States at each others throats.

Even though our economy is tanking and China holds a substantial amount of our debt, the sword cuts both ways; The United States is China’s largest trading partner, and a serious rift in our relations would have devastating effects on the Chinese economy. Another possible scenario is that if we are forced to make a preemptive strike against North Korea, what will China’s demands be to avoid a catastrophic nuclear war between China and the United States? This may be a period that we lose Taiwan, bargained away as if they were just another chip on the table.

Furthermore, the IAEA, to the best of my knowledge and belief, has not commented in-depth in regard Iranian Scientists who are present for missile test launches or how far their cooperation exits in regard nuclear technology with the North. It would seem that if one country had the plans for a nuclear device that had already been tested, a similar device could be constructed that would yield the same results if another country had a copy of the detailed plans to build such a device. The Iranians and North Korean’s have been collaborating, so the extent of their nuclear program (Iranian) is nothing more than guesswork by the IAEA. Is it possible that North Korea has already shipped weapons grade plutonium to Iran? The North is strapped for cash – and as they see accounts closed due to sanctions and an ever tightening surveillance of their shipments, the North may have expected these measures and shipped-off nuclear components before the sanctions went into place. Imagine such a bomb being constructed in Iran and then detonated in one of Israel’s or even a United States port – which would ultimately be traced to North Korea.

With this possibility in consideration, it’s no wonder that the hardliner’s stole the Iranian Election – knowing that Moderates were in direct conflict with their radical policies. There’s even a possibility that this could be the beginning of the “Oil Wars” that have been forecast for years which will be closely followed by water wars. North Korea stepping into the international stage in such a dramatic manner was surely calculated to distract us from a larger issue that may be developing before our eyes. I believe we live in dangerous times where almost anything is possible. Right now, everything appears to be too clear, a sure sign that much more lurks under the surface.

In 2005, we predicted that Iran was a much greater Security threat to the US than Iraq, and questioned why the nation that was already “contained” was attacked instead of a nation that CIA reports indicated was a far greater regional risk. In 2007, when Pakistan was feeling the full brunt of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, we wrote:
The Situation In Pakistan Is Grave – This Is Where The US Military Has An Obligation To Support Pakistan This is the leading paragraph of that story:

Today’s news is disheartening and presents one of the most viable security risks to the stability of the Middle-East, and in comparison to Iran – the situation in Pakistan is dangerous to US interests, the fight against Al Qaeda, and the stability of the entire Middle-East. I have been attempting to draw attention to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Pakistan through other articles – but the United States has allowed Pakistan to fall into anarchy by ignoring these ominous signs that Al Qaeda has essentially become politically more powerful than the Musharraf government itself – and in consideration of Pakistan’s substantial nuclear arsenal – we need to act and help to diffuse this situation immediately!

The Pakistan issue could have been predicted by a school child. Bush did what he swore he would never allow – a safe haven for Al Qaeda and the Taliban. History has demonstrated that wherever radical Islam exits, extremism and violence follows. It grows like a cancer, and those who refuse to accept the radical concept of Islam risk life itself. Their society in Afghanistan is reversing itself as the Taliban gain more power. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sharia law is being implemented again – and a thief that may have been attempting to get a loaf of bread for his family could have his hand cut-off for the offense. Men can completely dominate women again – and those with the money can purchase the brides they want. This didn’t have to happen; We had the leadership cornered in Tora Bora, and instead of our Special Forces guaranteeing that no one would escape, for reasons that escape military planners is that Bush allowed the Afghanistan Army to handle the Mop-up operation, and a lot of money exchanged hands, and Bin Laden and Omar – along with a large contingency of senior Al Qaeda commanders were escorted to the Northern Tribal areas of Pakistan. That one failed policy has risked the very heart and soul of Pakistan – and it was our negligence and Musharraf didn’t help matters by playing both ends against the middle. We KNOW that once radical Islam gains a foothold, it eventually poses a danger to the government of the host country.

As is if this situation couldn’t get any worse, Kim Jong il has threatened to wipe out the USA once and for all. When I read the story I was fascinated, envisioning Kim pounding his pudgy fist on the table and vowing to wipe-out the United States. But, the North does have the bomb, their technology has reached new levels – and I shudder to think that it doesn’t take an intercontinental missile to reach the US Mainland. With a well coordinated plan, backed by an organization with a long arm of command and control – several nuclear weapons could show-up in US ports hidden in shipping containers. Yes, I know that we X-Ray these containers on a random basis, but we all know it’s haphazard at best. You can also bet that a plot of that magnitude would have non-threatening originating destinations on the containers, further offering a terror organization, whether it’s state sponsored or not – a real probability/chance of smuggling a nuclear device into a US port, and we have too many to mention:

North Korea threatens to wipe out US ‘once and for all’

By Raw Story

Published: June 24, 2009

“North Korea threatened Wednesday to wipe the United States off the map as Washington and its allies watched for signs the regime will launch a series of missiles in the coming days,” the Associated Press reports.

“If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will … wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all,” the official Korean Central News Agency said.

In addition, North Korea will likely fire short- or mid-range missiles in waters off its east coast from which it has banned shipping, a senior South Korean government official has said.

The North has warned foreign ships to stay clear of an extensive area for 16 days starting Thursday because of unspecified military exercises. Much More

The situation appears to be escalating – possibly beyond control, as South Korea has now declared that it may engage in preemptive strikes against North Korea:

S. Korea boosts defense spending, warns of first-strike capability

Raw Story, By Daniel Tencer (Excerpt)

A South Korean defense reform plan, reported on by the Korea Times, describes the country’s plans for a defense network that would link surveillance satellites, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and early-warning radar in an effort “to remove North Korea’s asymmetrical military threat of nuclear and missile programs.”

The paper quoted an official in South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff who said that “in the case of an emergency, the military could conduct pre-emptive strikes against nuclear and missile facilities.”

“Once signs of unusual movement, such as missile and nuclear tests, are detected, F-15K and other advanced aircraft are to conduct surgical strikes against the relevant facilities,” the paper says.

For its part, North Korea today lashed out at Japan on Saturday, threatening to shoot down any Japanese aircraft that attempt to spy on the isolated Stalinist state. AP reports that the North Korean government has instituted a two-week-long “no-sail zone” off its east coast, “raising concerns that it might test-fire short- or mid-range missiles in the coming days, in violation of a UN resolution.” Much More

We need to ask ourselves how China/Russia would benefit from another Korean War that could easily turn into a nuclear exchange. China argues they cannot cut-off the North’s energy because there would be a massive influx of North Korean refugees into China; their argument is nonsense, as China has one of the largest and most highly trained armies in the world – and if they chose to do so, could easily deploy the troops to control their own border. Their failure to control their puppet regime in North Korea, which only exists with the support of China demonstrates that China must have ulterior motives in allowing this crisis to escalate, and so far, no one has come up with a logical reason for China’s actions.

One thing is certain; a war with Iran, whom is under the protection of Russia – or a conflict with North Korea would both raise the price of oil and further destabilize our economy, and now that China’s central bank, after years of manipulating their own currency is arguing to replace the US Dollar and is calling for a new reserve currency, this could be a “tell” as to their motives to cause a conflict in Iran or North Korea that will further the destruction of our so-called economic recovery.

Sadly, most Americans don’t understand that Regan and both Bush administrations have been the greatest security risks to the United States:

HAS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AIDED COMMUNIST CHINA’S SUPPORT OF GLOBAL TERRORISTS?

US nuclear technology and components illegally provided to China, and Pakistan by HW Bush, GW Bush and Neil Bush have also been provided by China and Pakistan not only to North Korea, China, Iran, and Indonesia but also to AlQaeda. Bush and his family have illegally given the Islamic terrorist nation Pakistan, and China the nuclear weapons that they can give to AlQaeda, Hezbollah or Hamas to attack and terrorize and blackmail the US into giving up freedoms under the Patriot Act and domestic spying by the CIA and Pentagon on US citizens. Pakistan, Russia, China and North Korea are high potential sources of nukes to Bin Laden, and terrorist groups like AlQaeda, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and even Iraqi agents still in the US.

Q: We have seen the terror alert warning system elevated recently. Many Americans are edgy and worried about the next strike that most feel is a given, it’s just a matter of when. Based on your years of intense research – and I might add, this is all you do is chase down facts on this critical issue – do you feel American cities are still being targeted for major terrorist attacks?

Pat: According to former FBI agent Paul Williams, Bin Laden has now targeted 6-9 US cities with nuclear bombs, bombs that easily could have been built using US technology and components provided illegally by the Bushes to not only Pakistan but also China. As mentioned earlier, GW Bush has further facilitated the transfer of US nuclear technology to China by deliberately not carrying out the recommendations of the Cox report after the 1998 Chinagate scandal to stop Chinese espionage inside the US of military contractors and nuclear labs by 3000 Communist Chinese front companies set up inside the US according to the FBI. (Emphasis added.)

Break – This issue has also been exposed by journalists Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough in a Washington Times piece dated July 23, 2004 where they reported in part:

“The White House and Energy Department apparently do not want the public to know that China was the source of nuclear warhead design information supplied to Libya and possibly other rogue states by the covert nuclear supplier group led by Pakistani Abdul Qadeer Khan. Much More

Today there is breaking news, and even though South Korea has threatened preemptive strikes if the North continues their provocative behavior – I don’t see either backing down, and I found a commentary that describes in detail the carnage that is possible, and it’s mind-numbing. Korea at DEFCON 1? I have found the silence to be deafening until just a few minutes ago when:

North Korea test-fires more missiles, says Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) — North Korea fired several short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, an act that the U.S. watched closely and South Korea called provocative.

Pyongyang fired seven short-range missiles in less than seven hours, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said.

The missiles were apparently Scud-type, estimated to have a range of about 500 kilometers (310 miles), according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

“It’s part of military training, but there seem to be no movements of troops or anything that would suggest preparations for military operations. Much More

I’ve been holding off publishing this article until there was a move from either side, and much to my surprise, Kim Jong il does appear to be backing down. The “threat” the United States and the international community have been looking for was a launch of another intercontinental ballistic missile aimed toward Hawaii or another US state or territory – which so far has failed to materialize. As I see it, China is the only country that holds the power to stop North Korea from starting what could be a nuclear conflict – and if they don’t, then it is sanctioned by China – and we need to know what their ulterior motives are – and fast! Hypothetically, if China stands back and doesn’t enter the war, and it’s limited to the Korean Peninsula, how many American lives will be lost in South Korea, and what will the amount of radiation that eventually falls-out on the United States cause in regard our future health and the panic that would occur? Imagine those who are in the projected path of the fallout attempting to move to safer areas, and the possibility of it escalating further…

Right now, I believe the danger of a nuclear confrontation is higher than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis – and I’m not sure why. China’s conduct in the next few days are key to solving this crisis, and if China doesn’t reign-in their puppet – it may be time for millions of people to put their heads between their legs and kiss their butts good-bye. North Korea, by not testing another intercontinental ballistic missile, has backed down to some extent and may be posturing themselves to be the victim if preemptive strikes are carried out because of their so-called war games which in reality – threaten no one. We’re not past the danger period if the North does attempt a launch of a missile capable of hitting US targets, however, in this writer’s opinion, based on the global situation we now face, such a launch would only be carried out if China approves of the action – and that facet of the crisis has yet to manifest itself.

Make no mistake; the provocative actions of North Kore and Iran are being subsidized by China and Russia, and our “intelligence gurus” need to address the source of the problem, not the threats being made by puppet regimes that can easily be controlled by their “benefactors” – Russia and China. I agree with the Oregonian in that we don’t have an issue with North Korea – but with China who is their primary benefactor to a depth that without China’s support – North Korea would cease to exist as anything more than a bankrupt and failed state, which would crumble and such an action might even awaken the North Korean people to the fact the “Dear Leader” is not divine, but a cruel sociopath that has made their lives pure, unadulterated hell while their South Korean neighbors enjoy the fruits of their labor and enjoy a degree of freedom that North Korean’s can only dream about.

If China believes that a nuclear exchange could happen on the Korean Peninsula, and they can claim that they had no hand in the limited war that would follow – it’s imperative that we understand that the nuclear fall-out is more than likely to journey to mainland America and wreck the havoc I earlier described in this article. “Proxy” wars have been conducted throughout our history, and based by the constant backing of Russia and China in regard these two nations, both are destabilizing their respective regions while operating under the protection of Russia and China. Russia needs oil prices to increase and China’s motive(s) still escape me – unless they have written-off North Korea and would be content to witness the nuclear fallout and the subsequent damage to the US Mainland.

One thing is certain. The Bush administration has left the world more unstable than any time in my memory, and if Barack Obama is forced to take radical action to solve an issue which only force will resolve – we can thank the Bush administration for placing “land mines” throughout the world where the Obama administration is attempting to mend fences and bring back some trust and credibility to the United States. Gone are the days when we only negotiated with friends and allies to a policy of attempting to solve most of our problems diplomatically – a tough job in a world that is ever increasing to be anti-American.

I believe the Russians are laughing their butts off in regard Afghanistan, knowing it was CIA funded groups that brought in the crucial “Stinger” anti-aircraft missiles which irrevocably changed the course of the war, which were portable and used with ruthless efficiency. Russia abandoned the Afghanistan War as a broken country – exactly what the Russians are hoping will happen to America. Actions begun during the Bush administration and their refusal to compromise has Russia extremely suspicious of the United States, and through diplomacy, we need to mend our relations with Russia. I hope Hillary Clinton is up to the task, but in all honesty – Bill Clinton is one of our most seasoned diplomats.

In summation, the Chinese need to be approached with velvet gloves lined with steel and point out directly that they hold the power to stop North Korea in its tracks, and we know it. We need to press our message that any conflict of that magnitude would send oil skyrocketing, and China has no fear that North Korea would even dream of attacking China. Dancing around the facts does nothing to strengthen our position and we need a seasoned diplomat – if not Obama himself, to negotiate with China and discover what they want as they risk instability and war on the Korean Peninsula. It’s also time for the Mainstream News Media to bring forth issues such as referred to in this article and let the American people understand that China, who is responsible for approximately 40% of our imports – is no friend of the United States.

William Cormier

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