A Look At The Military Strength Of North Korea, Japan, And China

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

WNU Editor: A 2010 chart compares North Korean military forces to South Korea's. That link is here.

Picture Of The Day

An F/A-18F approaches the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for an arrested recovery under way in the Mediterranean Sea, March 14, 2013. The Dwight D. Eisenhower is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Andrew Schneider

Britain's New MI5 Chief Announced

Photo: Andrew Parker Is Named As MI5 Director General

Spy Who Foiled Jet Bomb Plot To Be Britain's Intelligence Chief -- Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - A British counterspy who helped to thwart an al Qaeda plot to blow up planes with explosives hidden in soft drink bottles and led the response to the 2005 London transport bombings will be the new head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency, the U.K. government said on Thursday.

Andrew Parker has three decades' experience at the Security Service, known as MI5, countering Islamist militants, violent Irish republicans and organized criminals. He has been deputy chief since 2007, and once served as a British security liaison in the United States.

Read more ....

More News On The Appointment Of Andrew Parker As Head Of Britain's MI5

Andrew Parker named as new head of MI5 -- BBC
MI5 deputy named as director general -- The Guardian
MI5 name birdwatcher as new head of spy agency -- The Telegraph
Keen birdwatcher who led UK response to 7/7 terror attacks takes over as director general of MI5 -- The Daily Mail
Career spy named new head of Britain's MI5 -- AFP

President Obama And VP Biden Swear-In The New Director Of The U.S. Secret Service

President Obama And VP Biden Swear-In The First Female Head Of Secret Service -- Examiner

President Barack Obama announced the appointment yesterday of the first female head of the United States Secret Service (USSS). In making the announcement the President said, “I am pleased to announce that I will appoint Julia A. Pierson to be the next Director of the United States Secret Service. Over her 30 years of experience with the Secret Service, Julia has consistently exemplified the spirit and dedication the men and women of the service demonstrate every day."

Vice President Jose Biden administered the oath of office to Ms. Pierson.

Read more ....

More News On The Swearing-In Of The First Female Head Of The U.S. Secret Service

Historical swearing in secret service appointment -- Examiner
Secret Service gets first-ever female director: Who is she? -- Christian Science Monitor
Obama Has Named The First Female Secret Service Chief Ever, And She's A Total Rockstar -- Business Insider
Why a female Secret Service leader matters -- Jena McGregor, Washington Post
Julia Pierson: pioneer out to restore secret service's tarnished reputation -- Karen McVeigh, The Guardian
Obama: New Secret Service director 'breaking the mold' -- Aamer Madhani, USA Today

U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove To Be NATO's Top Commander

In his 36 years of military service, Gen Breedlove has commanded a fighter squadron, an operations group and three fighter wings. BBC

NATO Approves Breedlove's Nomination As Top Commander -- Reuters

(Reuters) - NATO said on Thursday it had approved the nomination of U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove to be the Western alliance's top military commander.

Breedlove, whose nomination was endorsed by ambassadors from the 28 NATO allies, will succeed Admiral James Stavridis as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. His appointment requires U.S. Senate confirmation.

U.S. Marine General John Allen, who led NATO forces in Afghanistan, was originally nominated to the job.

After being caught up but later cleared in a scandal that forced CIA chief David Petraeus to resign, Allen announced last month he would retire and forgo his nomination because of his wife's health.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove To Be NATO's Top Commander

Air Force General Breedlove nominated for top Nato post -- BBC
Obama Picks Breedlove to Be NATO Commander -- Wall Street Journal
U.S. nominates Breedlove as top NATO commander -- Reuters
Obama taps AF general as new European commander -- Politico
Gen. Breedlove nominated to head US European Command -- Stars and Stripes
Statement by the President on Intention to Nominate General Philip Breedlove for U.S. European Command and SACEUR -- White House

More Contradictory Reports On The Killing Of Osama Bin Laden

Bin Laden Did NOT Reach For His Gun Moments Before He Was Shot Dead By Navy SEAL: Another Member Of Team Six Gives Account Of Night -- Daily Mail

* Latest leak contradicts account given in recent Esquire article
* Navy SEAL source says that story of The Shooter is 'complete B-S'
* Esquire editor-in-chief says: 'We stand by our story'

A third member of the U.S. special forces unit that raided Osama bin Laden's Pakistan compound has come forward to tell his story - with yet another version of how the Al Qaeda chief met his end.

The previous account, given by a Navy SEAL only identified as The Shooter in Esquire magazine, claimed he had confronted Bin Laden in the terror chief's bedroom and shot him twice in the forehead when he saw him reach for a gun.

But now a third member of Navy SEAL Team 6 who says he came face to face with Bin Laden in the Islamist figurehead's final moments has spoken out to say details of Esquire's scoop are 'complete B-S'.

Read more ....

More News On The Contradictory Reports Surrounding The Killing Of Osama Bin Laden

CNN exclusive: New details emerge on who really shot Osama bin Laden -- CNN
Mystery SEAL, Who Could Settle Bin Laden Controversy, Won't -- ABC News
Osama Bin Laden Death: New Details From Third SEAL Team 6 Member Question Previous Accounts, CNN's Peter Bergen Reports (UPDATE) -- Huffington Post
Did he or didn’t he? Doubts raised about bin Laden’s SEAL ‘shooter’ story -- Military Times
Bin Laden shooter dispute: Who really killed Osama? -- Examiner
Bin Laden Shooter Dispute Over Esquire Account -- Epoch Times
Who really shot Bin Laden? -- Hot Air
CNN Debunks CNN's Debunker of Esquire's Bin Laden Shooter Story -- Atlantic Wire
The Official Story of Who Shot Bin Laden Has Given Way to a Stupid Media Feud -- Adam Clark Estes, Atlantic Wire
Esquire stands by its Osama bin Laden story amid storm of criticism -- Foreign Policy
Is Esquire's Osama bin Laden 'Shooter' story a giant fraud? -- Peter Weber, The Week
Now Esquire Calls CNN's bin Laden-Shooter Story BS -- Newser
Who Shot bin Laden: CNN vs. CNN -- Mark Warren, Esquire

War On The Korean Peninsula Unlikely

North Korea's artillery sub-units, whose mission is to strike Daeyeonpyeong island and Baengnyeong island of South Korea, conduct a live shell firing drill in this picture released on March 14, 2013. (Reuters/KCNA)

Serious Armed Clash On The Korean Peninsula Unlikely -- Andrei Lankov, East Asia Forum

If the world media is to be believed, the Korean Peninsula is now on the brink of war. Indeed, over the last few days the North Korean government has been engaged in some seriously bellicose rhetoric.

The DPRK stated that it withdrew from the armistice treaty on 11 March 2013 and cut the phone hotline between Pyongyang and Seoul. It also withdrew from its non-aggression pact with South Korea. Meanwhile, Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North Korean government, ran an editorial in which it stated that the glorious North Korean army, newly equipped with world-class nuclear weapons and missiles, would transform both Seoul and Washington into seas of fire — presumably as soon as the supreme commander gets around to giving the relevant order. According to reports from North Korea itself, the populations of major cities are undergoing frequent, high-intensity air raid drills.

Read more ....

My Comment: I hope to God that Andrei Lankov is right.

Breaking News From Reuters: Increased North Korean Military Activity Detected

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (L) watches soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) taking part in the landing and anti-landing drills of KPA Large Combined Units 324 and 287 and KPA Navy Combined Unit 597, in the eastern sector of the front and the east coastal area on March 25, 2013, in this picture released by the North's KCNA news agency in Pyongyang March 26, 2013. REUTERS/KCNA

WNU Editor: Reuters via through Yonhap News Agency (South Korea) is reporting these disturbing developments ....

.... Increased activities involving vehicles and troops at North Korea's mid- and long-range missile units have been detected by South Korea's military, Yonhap news agency said on Friday, just hours after the North's leader ordered rocket units to be ready to attack U.S. bases.

Is North Korea thinking the unthinkable .... positioning itself to start a major war on the Korean peninsula?

The Reuters live feed on North Korea is here.

Update: What is my take on this crisis .... if the White House puts U.S. forces on Defcon 3 (or lower) .... that is when we start to worry. (The current status is at Defcon 4).

U.S. Secretary Of Defense Hagel Discusses North Korea

U.S. Taking Serious Note Of N. Korea’s ‘Provocative’ Threats, Hagel Says -- Washington Post

U.S. officials are taking seriously a string of provocative threats from the North Korean government, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday, hours after the U.S. military dispatched stealth planes capable of dropping nuclear-armed missiles for a training exercise in South Korea.

The sorties by B-2 bombers marked a rare show of force by the Pentagon on the Korean Peninsula and followed a decision this month to bolster nuclear defenses along the U.S. West Coast by adding 14 missile interceptors in Alaska.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Secretary Of Defense Hagel's Comments On North Korea

North Korea actions have "ratcheted up the danger," says Chuck Hagel -- CBS/AP
US warns ready for 'any eventuality' on N.Korea -- Global Post/AFP
Hagel: U.S. must take 'bellicose' N. Korea seriously -- Detroit Free Press/USA Today
Hagel says U.S. has to take North Korean threats seriously -- Reuters
Hagel says B-2 flights part of normal military exercises with South Korea, not a provocation -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. reaffirms commitment to South Korea -- UPI
Hagel Pledges U.S. Support for S. Korea After North Threats -- SFGate/Bloomberg
Pentagon: U.S. 'Cannot Be Considered a Sanctuary' Amid NKorea Threats -- US News and World Report
US says N Korea's threats 'taken seriously' -- Al Jazeera

North Korea's War Machine On Display (Photo Gallery)

Kim Jong Un uses a pair of binoculars to look towards the South during his visit to the Jangjae Islet Defence Detachment and Mu Islet Hero Defence Detachment, southwest of Pyongyang, on March 7, 2013. (Reuters/KCNA)

North Korea Puts Its War Machine On Display -- The Atlantic

Despite massive international pressure, North Korea has been moving ahead with its long-range missile and nuclear ambitions, launching a rocket in December and conducting a nuclear test in February. International sanctions tightened in response, and even China, a longtime ally, stepped up inspections of North Korea-bound freight. Responding to the crackdown, North Korea's government has been issuing new threats of war nearly every day over the past month, cutting ties to South Korea and ordering military units to prepare for attack at any moment.

Read more ....