A U.S. Navy Lockheed EC-121M Warning Star (BuNo 143209 ?) of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1 (VQ-1) "World Watchers" accompanied by a McDonnell F-4B Phanton II of Fighter Squadron 151 (VF-151) "Vigilantes" from Attack Carrier Air Wing 15 (CVW-15). An EC-121M of VQ-1 was shot down by North Korean Mikoyan-Gurevitch MiG-21s on 15 April 1969, killing all 31 crewmembers. Wikipedia
The Warzone/The Drive: Last Time North Korea Shot Down A U.S. Military Plane It Could Have Led To Nuclear War
North Korea's threat to shoot down U.S. bombers operating in international airspace is eerily reminiscent of the downing of a EC-121 in 1969.
As part of the firestorm of rhetoric and provocative tit-for-tat military displays of force between the North Korea and the United States and its allies, which has included near constant flights of B-1 bombers and fighter escorts near North Korean borders, Pyongyang highest ranking diplomat now says the reclusive country has the right to shoot those bombers down—even when they are operating in international airspace.
DPRK foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said the following to reporters while in New York for the U.N. General Assembly:
"Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country... In light of the declaration of war by Trump, all options will be on the operations table of the supreme leadership of the DPRK."
Ri was referring to not only Donald Trump's speech to the U.N. last Tuesday, but also to a tweet that the President sent out on Saturday:
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WNU Editor: If this was to happen today .... considering how high tensions are .... the U.S. would quickly respond, and after that .... who knows.
3 comments:
Yes, tensions are high. This still could be defused though.
North Korea has threatened us with annihilation. Essentially they have threatened genocide against the United States of America. They are not the first country to threaten such mass slaughter of Americans. Yet the world remains virtually silent in the face of this outrage. It is as though American lives are worth less than the rest of humanity. If such were threatened against anyone else with the possible exception of Israel, the world would be outraged and there would be universal action to stop North Korea or anyone else making such threats.
Furthermore North Korea has the means to carry out such threats that have been made against America and Americans. What is the world going to do about this? Crickets chirping!! Apparently the world will do nothing!! Obviously POTUS had to respond hence the threat to greet the North Korean threat with "fire and fury."
As stated, this problem can be defused. When Vladimir Putin stated that North Korea needed to "feel safe," either deliberately or accidently he approached the problem from the wrong direction. North Korea has very powerful supporters. The United States does not. As such, North Korea is perfectly safe. It is the United States who needs to feel safe. Once America and Americans can feel safe, negotiated settlements are possible here and elsewhere.
Whets going to be more interesting is this:
There are people who will benefit a lot if the US gets drawn into another war. It will cost the US trillions for sure. It will take their focus of other countries and what they are currently doing. This is a huge huge opportunity and I wouldn't be surprised if one of our "competitors" / adversaries will exploit this tension somehow and push us over the edge. For example the fake text messages army personnel received about evacuating. Who was that? This in itself could have led to panic and accidental war. Who is selling everything including oil and rocket fuel to north Korea while tying or hands and tell us they will take side with north Korea if we attack? Who. ..hmm..so difficult to know ;-))
North Korea has threatened us with annihilation.
- The US has threatened NK with annihilation.
Essentially they have threatened genocide against the United States of America.
-You can make that claim, but only one party in this tussle has the ability to "totally destroy" the other as the president put it, and that's the USA. NK doesn't have the nukes required to 'genocide' America. Not even close.
Yet the world remains virtually silent in the face of this outrage.
- No is isn't. Condemnation has come fast and thick. You are obviously ill informed.
It is as though American lives are worth less than the rest of humanity.
- Oh get a grip. Have you written to your Sentor to demand he does something about the war and man-made famine in Yemen?
If such were threatened against anyone else with the possible exception of Israel, the world would be outraged and there would be universal action to stop North Korea or anyone else making such threats.
-No there wouldn't. Utter nonsense.
Furthermore North Korea has the means to carry out such threats that have been made against America and Americans.
-No, it doesn't. Their confirmed capabilities could target a dozen west coast targets at best, with warheads in the low tens of kilotons. Their hydrogen bomb is too heavy for any of their missiles to carry it as far as the continental USA. Less than 1 million deaths in total, quite possibly less than 100k if their missile targeting is as bad as experts claim. That's horrendous and tragic but not genocide. To put it in perspective, 1 million is less than 5% of the civilians killed around the world by the USA in the 20th during America's wars and bombing campaigns. (Bet you didn't know that, Mr. Moraliser-in-chief.)
What is the world going to do about this? Crickets chirping!!
-Right, I'll get Swaziland and Djibouti on the phone and demand they do something. Idiot.
Apparently the world will do nothing!!
- Well the world never stopped the USA from blowing the **** out of dozens of innocent countries over the years. A million+ dead Iraqis would have loved the world to step in and stop the USA.
Obviously POTUS had to respond hence the threat to greet the North Korean threat with "fire and fury."
- No, he could have offered NK a peace treaty or dialogue, after they've been asking for both for 60+ years and continually been rejected.
North Korea has very powerful supporters. The United States does not.
-OK, now I suspect you're trolling us. Nobody is as stupid as you're making yourself out to be. This is the single most ignorant comment I've read this year.
As such, North Korea is perfectly safe.
-Apart from this comment. Which is even more ignorant.
It is the United States who needs to feel safe. Once America and Americans can feel safe, negotiated settlements are possible here and elsewhere.
-I... I barely know what to say. It's like you're trying to set a world record for implausibly ignorant statements. I'm almost in awe of you. You're ignoring America's military hyperpower status, its refusal for 60+ years to open regular diplomatic channels with NK, its refusal for 60+ years to sign a non-aggression peace treaty with NK, its stationing of nukes in South Korea, its massive nuclear arsenal, its aircraft carriers and strategic bombers, its history of being the only nation to use nukes in war, its history of boming the **** out of any nation that so much as looks at it funny, and its history of suffering less violence from terrorism and war than almost any other nation on earth. Even with 911, Americans have, proportionately, suffered far less from terrorism and external attack, from war and death, than most other nations. Period. Ask a Russian or Chinese or Brit or German or Ukrainian or Angolan or pretty much ANYONE about their nation's history of war and terrorism and 'feeling safe' before you mouth off.
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