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North Korea Vows ‘fire shower’

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

SEOUL, South Korea — Punching their fists into the air and shouting “Let’s crush them!” some 100,000 North Koreans packed Pyongyang’s main square Thursday for an anti-U.S. rally as the communist regime promised a “fire shower of nuclear retaliation” for any American-led attack.

Several demonstrators held up a placard depicting a pair of hands smashing a missile with “U.S.” written on it, according to footage taken by APTN in Pyongyang on the anniversary of the day North Korean troops charged southward, sparking the three-year Korean War in 1950.

North Korean troops will respond to any sanctions or U.S. provocations with “an annihilating blow,” one senior official vowed — a pointed threat as an American destroyer shadowed a North Korean freighter sailing off China’s coast, possibly with banned goods on board.

Neda Agha-Soltan’s Death

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Neda was a philosophy student killed during a protest in Iran this past Saturday. The protest was caused by the results of the 2009 Iranian presidential election, as it is believed that the results were manipulated. Although Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won by a landslide, 14 million unused ballots were missing. Protesters felt that Mir-Hossein Mousavui, the runner-up who lost, would have helped Iran change for the better. Mousavui’s main goal was to “to institutionalize social justice, equality and fairness, freedom of expression, to root out corruption and to speed up Iran’s stagnant process of privatization.”

An innocent bystander, Neda and her music teacher decided to get out of the car only because it was too hot. Shortly afterward, Neda was shot in the chest by Iranian state police. Her death has been replayed on both the television and the internet again and again, in hopes to show everyone what’s going on in Iran, and to show how it’s important that this event doesn’t go ignored. It made me sick to my stomach as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, followed by blood pouring out of her nose and mouth.

Buried a day later, the Iranian government denied Neda a proper burial. Her funeral was also barred off from the public, as they knew that the world knew of her death, and they feared that it would draw a large crowd. They forced her family to bury her in a grave plot that was previously set aside for the protest victims. They also banned collective prayers in mosques for Neda.

The Iranian authorities have blocked websites like Facebook and YouTube, in hopes to prevent citizens from uploading media to keep outsiders aware of everything that’s going on. Anyone who has any footage of the protest is encouraged to upload them to websites like YouTube and Ireport.com. Bloggers are also encouraged to spread the word. A representative of YouTube stated that normally, they don’t allow videos of violent nature, but for the Iranian protests, they will make an exception.

Neda, who’s name means “voice” in Farsi, has now became a symbol for this protest, with some of the protesters holding signs that read phrases like “I am Neda.” Her murder was captured by someone’s cell phone and uploaded to the internet.

Tags: 2009 Iranian presidential election, blogger, Facebook, government, Iran, Iranian, Iranian government, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir-Hossein Mousavui, Neda, Neda Agha-Soltan, Neda Agha-Soltan's death, Neda video, protest, voting, YouTube
Posted in Asia, Conflict, Iran | No Comments »

US Prepares for Missile Launch

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Word has it that the U.S. has deployed anti-missile defenses around Hawaii and that North Korea is set to have their strongest missile hit on the fourth of July. Come on, North Korea. Why would you try to battle while in your early stages? I honestly feel that this is a desperate cry for attention.

North Korea to Attack Hawaii?

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea’s massive stockpile of chemical weapons is as threatening as its nuclear program, analysts said Thursday, highlighting an aspect of the secretive regime’s pursuit of weapons of mass destruction that is rarely talked about.

Adding to already high tensions in the region, a Japanese report said North Korea may fire its most advanced ballistic missile toward Hawaii around Independence Day — the day when the regime test-fired a long-range missile three years ago, though it failed seconds after liftoff.

A new missile launch — though not expected to reach U.S. territory — would be a brazen slap in the face of the international community, which punished North Korea with new U.N. sanctions for conducting a second nuclear test on May 25 in defiance of a U.N. ban.

U.S. May be Within N. Korea’s Range

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

The U.S. may be within North Korea’s missile range in three years.

Reporting from Washington — North Korea may be able to overcome technical difficulties and assemble a missile capable of hitting West Coast cities within three years, a top Defense Department official said Tuesday, but it is unlikely to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead in that time frame.

The U.S. assessment came as North Korea’s rulers show signs of preparing for additional weapons tests in the face of international condemnation and new United Nations sanctions.

Listen to what Obama has said in regards to this:

This is a pattern they’ve come to expect. We are going to break that pattern.

What does this mean? Does this mean that we’re going to take military action? We’ve already tried talking, but that didn’t get through to them. The last resort is to take military action, right?

Read the rest of the article by going here.

Tags: Defense Department, military, North Korea, Obama, Sanctions, Washington
Posted in Asia, Conflict, North Korea, United States | No Comments »