Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Starver]

I've read he got struck down by botulism.

The trouble (or the benefit, according to your POV) is that a year is a long time to have passed between the original decline in health and now, so it may well have been anything from pure fluke, via neglect, to deliberate mis/maltreatment that caused his condition, and the forensic pathology may be unable to discern what lessons are to be learnt and conclusions are to be reached.

[martinuzz]

Trump could interpret it as 'use of biological /chemical warfare against a US citizen'

[Starver]

North Korea says US 'mugged' its diplomats in New York
(Diplomatic power-play by one or the other, probably. But which?)

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Otto Warmbier, allegedly arrested in North Korea for stealing a propaganda poster, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, and suddenly returned to the US in a coma, is dead.

This has been a somewhat strange case. There were, according to his doctors, no signs of either botulism or torture on him. That seems to leave only this mysterious sleeping pill he was given. Intentional, unintentional? Hard to say. NK is pretty awful, but they also do not generally murder foreigners, and even most of the ones taken prisoner are eventually used as political bargaining chips instead of examples. And NK's medical standards are pretty infamous.

Guess we'll never know.

[smjjames]

The sleeping pill could have been contaminated with something, but yeah, we'll likely never know the real story.

It's especially problematic given that whatever happened, happened very shortly after the 'trial'.

IMO, Americans should be disallowed to go there unless maybe they're under protection by the military to keep them from abducting them.

[GiglameshDespair]

The sleeping pill could have been contaminated with something, but yeah, we'll likely never know the real story.

It's especially problematic given that whatever happened, happened very shortly after the 'trial'.

IMO, Americans should be disallowed to go there unless maybe they're under protection by the military to keep them from abducting them.

If people want to be fool enough to go to North Korea, let them go,  they can just do so with the full knowledge that they may get kidnapped and braindamaged by the NK regime. As with every dangerous place one can visit, you should take into account to potential dangers of going there.

When you say 'the military', do you mean the American military? Because there's no way the NKs would ever allow Americans - or probably any national - to tour about with a bunch of soldiers of another government. It wouldn't help, either, as the amount of force a tourist could take with them, even assuming they were inexplicably allowed to do so, is insignificant compared to the force NK can bring to bear internally.
If you mean their safety is assured by military forces outside NK, that simply wouldn't happen, because few if any civilians visiting NK are worth starting a war over.

[Strife26]

The sleeping pill could have been contaminated with something, but yeah, we'll likely never know the real story.

It's especially problematic given that whatever happened, happened very shortly after the 'trial'.

IMO, Americans should be disallowed to go there unless maybe they're under protection by the military to keep them from abducting them.

If people want to be fool enough to go to North Korea, let them go,  they can just do so with the full knowledge that they may get kidnapped and braindamaged by the NK regime. As with every dangerous place one can visit, you should take into account to potential dangers of going there.

When you say 'the military', do you mean the American military? Because there's no way the NKs would ever allow Americans - or probably any national - to tour about with a bunch of soldiers of another government. It wouldn't help, either, as the amount of force a tourist could take with them, even assuming they were inexplicably allowed to do so, is insignificant compared to the force NK can bring to bear internally.
If you mean their safety is assured by military forces outside NK, that simply wouldn't happen, because few if any civilians visiting NK are worth starting a war over.

I think that if we got into kiloRodman levels of civilian losses, we might have to consider it.

[misko27]

You know, after reading this I was inspired to look up the details of Operation Paul Bunyan again, and I just realized that one of the Korean soldiers who participated in that was Moon Jae-in, aka the new President of lesser Korea.

[smjjames]

You know, after reading this I was inspired to look up the details of Operation Paul Bunyan again, and I just realized that one of the Korean soldiers who participated in that was Moon Jae-in, aka the new President of lesser Korea.

That's a heck of a coincidence. Also, his military service was really brief, 1975-1977, and apparentlt at a time when SK was conscripting their military.

[Strife26]

You know, after reading this I was inspired to look up the details of Operation Paul Bunyan again, and I just realized that one of the Korean soldiers who participated in that was Moon Jae-in, aka the new President of lesser Korea.

That's a heck of a coincidence. Also, his military service was really brief, 1975-1977, and apparentlt at a time when SK was conscripting their military.

South Korea has used a conscript army for the 1960's and into today.

[martinuzz]

DPRK launched another missile. It landed in Japanese economic zone waters. NK claims it's a longe range ICBM, with enough range to reach (parts of) the US.
South Korea and the US government are sceptical, claiming it more likely was a medium range missile instead.
According to Japan, the missile reached an altitude of over 2500km before landing 930km from it's launch site.

According to David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, an American think tank that monitors the NK rocket programs, the fired missile, Hwasong-14, could possibly have a maximum range of 6700km. This would put Alaska, and the US isle of Guam within range.

South Korean president Moon Jae-in takes the launch very seriously, and said that it is being investigated if the missile was indeed a long range ICBM.
Japanese PM Abe condemned the test, and announced that he will personally ask the presidents of China and Russia to play an active role in halting the NK rocket program.

Trump wondered in a Tweet if 'he (Kim Jong-un) hasn't got better things to do with his life'. He also Tweeted 'perhaps China will take hard measures, and end this nonsense once and for all'.

[Playergamer]

are you telling me the norks will finally sink Guam?

good. events are proceeding as planned.

[Dorsidwarf]

are you telling me the norks will finally sink Guam?

good. events are proceeding as planned.

No no, they're just going to get rid of those darn US soldiers before they capsize the island. It's basically an environmentally friendly action

[martinuzz]

The Pentagon has confirmed after all, that the missile launched was indeed a long range missile capable of reaching parts of the US, and not a medium range missile.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-Un called the launch a 'present for the US to celebrate their Independence Day'.

In response, South Korea and the US started a large military training excercise at the coast of South Korea.

The UN security council will hold a meeting behind closed doors, requested by Japan, South Korea, and the US.

[smjjames]

Closed doors? I read that it was supposed to be open doors, or in the 'open chamber' as I read it. Either way, Trump is calling for an emergency meeting.