Signs Pointing to North Korean Role in Sinking (NY Times)

[pinto]

Signs Pointing to North Korean Role in Sinking
By CHOE SANG-HUN
Published: April 8, 2010

SEOUL, South Korea — It could take weeks for the engineers to salvage the South Korean warship Cheonan, which sank in waters disputed by North Korea after a mysterious explosion, and provide a definitive explanation of what caused the disaster. But the signs are pointing more and more to the North Koreans, which is raising uncomfortable questions for the South Korean government of President Lee Myung-bak.

On Thursday, surviving crew members went public with their account, saying they are convinced the explosion came from outside the ship. That follows the defense minister’s remark last week before Parliament that the military had not ruled out the possibility that the ship was hit by a Korean mine or torpedo, and added: “A more likely possibility is a torpedo attack.”

If North Korea is ultimately found culpable, it will amount to one of the most serious military provocations since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, leaving the peninsula technically in a state of war. But what options South Korea may have to retaliate are difficult issues for the South.

The sensitivity of the matter was on full display in the testimony of the defense minister, Kim Tae-young. No sooner had he raised the possibility of a torpedo attack than he was handed a hurriedly dictated note from the president’s office. It warned the defense chief “not to lean too much toward the torpedo attack” and to stick to the official stance: keeping all possibilities open until the ship was salvaged and examined for the cause of its sinking.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/world/asia/09korea.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[Captain Hilts]

1. Uh oh...

[mochajava666]

2. This could get ugly.

South Korea would lose face if it really was a naval attack and they don't do anything to retaliate on a similar scale. I think the only thing worse than a crazy dictator is one that is dying. South Korea's options all suck. I'm really hoping it was an old Korean War mine.

[ManiacJoe]

3. What "signs"?

If paragraph #2 is all they have, then this article seems to have jumped the gun. Lots of "what if" and "could be", real short on facts....

[pinto]

6. The Koreas seem to be the last remnant of the armed cold war. Perception in this may be as important

as truth.

[ManiacJoe]

7. There is a very real possibility of that.

But do perceptions qualify as "signs"? The article seemed to be lots of fluff without much filler with an exaggerated title.

[NNN0LHI]

4. South Korea is not in the war business any more

They have a very low unemployment rate and are making money hands over fist exporting stuff over here. All war will do is destroy their economy. Their money people won't let that happen. No matter what sunk that ship it will be downplayed.

Don

[pinto]

5. Yeah, agree. Sadly this seems to be a publicity play, not necessarily based on facts, even if true.

Seems to be part of the long standing dance between these two.

And if true, retaliation doesn't benefit SK, as you note.

[GreenTea]

8. The U.S. should invade - another war will help the boost 200 plus corporate warprofiteers

profits even more - that's where our tax dollars should be going...