US escalating spy flights over North Korea

[TexasLawyer]

This is a Pakistan paper picking up the KCNA's report on escalating spy flight. So take it with a grain of salt, since KCNA prints what Kim Jong Il says to print (somewhat like our own US press).


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C05%5C01%5Cstory_1-5-2006_pg4_5
Monday, May 01, 2006

US escalating spy flights over North Korea

SEOUL: North Korea accused the United States of stepping up aerial espionage activities over its territory during high-level inter-Korean talks in Pyongyang this month, the official media reported.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday that US spy planes, including U-2s, had flown an average of more than five missions a day over North Korean airspace during April, totalling 160 sorties for the month.

“Tens of reconnaissance planes carried out their aerial espionage activities during the North-South Korean high-level talks from April 21-24,” KCNA said in a report monitored by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. North Korea, which claims the United States is preparing an invasion, reports US espionage activities each month and said March missions totalled 180.

The United States denies planning to go to war against North Korea, though the two sides have been at loggerheads over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons drive.

<snip>

[TexasLawyer]

1. Never mind the grain of salt-- story in AP/Newsweek

N. Korea alleges 160 U.S. spy flights in April
U.S. doesn’t comment, but has acknowledged monitoring North’s military

Updated: 7:25 a.m. ET April 29, 2006

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea claimed Saturday that the United States conducted about 160 spy flights against the communist state this month.

The United States spied on strategic targets, coasts and sea bottoms in North Korea from skies over the South, using such planes as U-2, RC-135 and EP-3, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said, citing unidentified military officials.

In particular, the United States flew dozens of reconnaissance aircraft for anti-North Korea espionage between April 21-24 when the two Koreas held high-level talks in Pyongyang, KCNA said.

<snip>

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12543493/

[rpannier]

2. As someone who lives in Korea

Take what he says with less than a grain of salt.
We do fly spy planes over North Korea -- of that there is no doubt.
But, to what extent is hard to say. Periodically, the lunatic whose behavior reminds me more-and-more of the reverend moon, says something so he doesn't feel ignored.

[cliss]

6. Thank you for the update,

rpannier.

I tend to take Mr. Jong Il seriously. It's true that he does say a lot, but they better not ignore him in Washington. He's dangerous.

Don't ignore the cobra laying in the bushes.

How does South Korea feel about him? I've read that S. Korea in fact wants to be re-united with the north.

[rpannier]

7. Yes, many do

But without kim.

[Sinti]

3. They probably just want to be sure NK won't throw a monkey wrench

into their plans for world domination, double checking their capabilities. North Korea doesn't really have a lot of natural resources for us to exploit. It seems to me it would be more or less the third wheel in the Axis of Evil. * had to put them in there, because of the stuff they do, but is unlikely to actually do anything about or to them. JMHO

[dustdevil28]

4. keeping a eye on a tyrannical regime...

The N. Koreans only have a million man army and spend a absurd amount of their GDP on their military. Why in the world would we want to keep tabs on them?

In truth, the N. Koreans are suffering heavily from a failing economy and unless Kim is willing to abandon their nuke program, we can look to see more and more people starving while kim sits back and gets fat and continues to shout about U.S. invasion plans.

[Sinti]

5. Perhaps he's using fear of us to keep his people quiet, while they starve

The same tactic used by tyrants the world over.

[daleo]

8. The U.S. spends an absurd amount on its military too. n/t