WAR DRUMS

WAR DRUMS: North Korea Claims Strike Plan Against US Will Be Ready In ‘Days’
AUGUST 10, 2017
North Korean state media has outlined details of the country’s Guam strike plan expected to be ready by mid-August. The attack will reportedly include four missiles fired over Japan and landing within a few dozen kilometers of US territory. Continuing the heated exchange with US President Donald Trump, Pyongyang’s state media outlet KCNA said that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, will be presented with an elaborate plan of the attack by mid-August, Reuters reported.
The plan envisions launching four Hwasong-12 rockets that would “cross the sky above Shimane, Hiroshima and Koichi Prefectures of Japan,” the report says, citing General Kim Rak Gyom. The missiles are set to “fly 3,356.7km (2,085.8 miles) for 1,065 seconds” before practically reaching the shores of Guam, landing in the waters just “30-40km away.” Pyongyang also ridiculed Trump’s promise to counter any incoming threats from the North with “fire and fury,” labelling the remark a “load of nonsense” and in its turn vowing to act with “absolute force.”
READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/399128-nkorea-plan-missile-strike-guam/

‘Missiles to fly over Japan & land near Guam’: N. Korea’s strike plan vs US to be ready in ‘days’
Published time: 10 Aug, 2017 00:01
Edited time: 10 Aug, 2017 04:43
‘Missiles to fly over Japan & land near Guam’: N. Korea’s strike plan vs US to be ready in ‘days’
© KCNA / Reuters
2.7K1
North Korean state media has outlined details of the country’s Guam strike plan expected to be ready by mid-August. The attack will reportedly include four missiles fired over Japan and landing within a few dozen kilometers of US territory.
Read more
US self-propelled artillery during a military exercise in Pocheon, South Korea, March 2016 © Kim Hong-Ji‘You will lose’: Mattis warns N. Korea against starting a war
Continuing the heated exchange with US President Donald Trump, Pyongyang’s state media outlet KCNA said that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, will be presented with an elaborate plan of the attack by mid-August, Reuters reported.

The plan envisions launching four Hwasong-12 rockets that would “cross the sky above Shimane, Hiroshima and Koichi Prefectures of Japan,” the report says, citing General Kim Rak Gyom.

The missiles are set to “fly 3,356.7km (2,085.8 miles) for 1,065 seconds” before practically reaching the shores of Guam, landing in the waters just “30-40km away.”

Pyongyang also ridiculed Trump’s promise to counter any incoming threats from the North with “fire and fury,” labelling the remark a “load of nonsense” and in its turn vowing to act with “absolute force.”

Trump’s initial remark courted controversy, prompting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to reassure Americans that North Korea poses “no immediate danger” to US, while Defense Secretary James Mattis stated that Washington is sure in its military preeminence, urging North Korea to refrain from “consideration of actions that would lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people.”

Trump’s national security aide Sebastian Gorka compared the current escalation between US and North Korea to the Cuban crisis of 1962, calling on US lawmakers to back Trump’s stance in the unfolding crisis.

"This is analogous to the Cuban missile crisis. We need to come together," Gorka said in an interview to Fox and Friends on Wednesday, recalling that “during the Cuban missile crisis, we stood behind JFK.”

Echoing Trump’s remark, Gorka also warned the self-isolated nation against “testing America.”

Read more
FILE PHOTO: An MX intercontinental ballistic missile fills the air with flames during a test launch. © Roger Ressmeyer / Corbis / VCG / Getty ImagesTrump: US nuclear arsenal stronger than ever after I ordered modernization
Speaking about Washington’s military edge, he described the US as “not just a superpower” but a “hyperpower,” at the same time playing down the dangers posed by the North, calling it a “very, very insignificant threat in terms of scale.”

While Trump’s sharp tone has given rise to concern within the part of the US establishment, with Senator John McCain casting doubt that the US leader is ready back up his rhetoric with real actions, others appeared to be quite enthusiastic, estimating US chances in a face-to-face military confrontation.

Retired Gen. Tom McInerney argued that the US would emerge victorious, with its ability to level North Korea within 15 minutes in case it launches an attack on South Korea.

“If he [ Trump] gets our full nuclear retaliatory capability, within minutes after one round going into Seoul, there will be nothing left,” McInerney told Fox News on Monday.

Moscow, meanwhile, once again appealed for both sides to show restraint and to resume dialogue to defuse the tensions building up in the region.

"As we said, we want the tensions to ease, and we have to start seriously devising and inventing ways for a political dialogue on this issue," Russia’s UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, said on Wednesday, as cited by TASS.


Addressing the US administration in particular, Nebenzya said that he hopes Washington will “refrain from any moves that would provoke another party into actions that might be dangerous.”

The Japanese government responded to the new threat by saying that it deems itself to be fully within its rights to shoot down the North Korean rockets heading to Guam, as they pose an existential threat to Japan, the country’s defense minister Itsunori Onondera told Kyodo news agency on Thursday.

Yoshihide Suga, Japan's chief government spokesman, said that Japan’s self-defense forces would “take necessary measures” in case of the military escalation outlined in the plan unveiled by KCNA.

"We can never tolerate this,” he said, stressing the importance of “US deterrent power.”

READ MORE: ‘Small enough to fit in a missile’: US & Japan issue warnings over Pyongyang’s nuclear plans

"President Trump has said all options are on the table and the government welcomes that policy,” Suga said, as cited by the Straits Times. Security experts estimate that the Japanese military currently lacks the ability to intercept the missile on its own.

Eddie Baza Calvo, the governor of Guam, meanwhile, called on residents and tourists visiting the state to proceed with their duties as usual, while admitting that the situation is growing tense.

"Obviously, for our administration, and for the people of Guam, there is concern and worry, but there is no panic," Calvo told Fox News on Thursday, adding that an "America community such as Guam, as well as other American communities, will be protected.”

Bill Clinton’s 1994 Leaked Deal With North Korea:’North Korea Will Freeze And Then Dismantle…'[VIDEO]
http://conservativefighters.com/politics/bill-clintons-1994-leaked-deal-north-koreanorth-korea-will-freeze-dismantle-video/
North Korea has always posed a threat to the U.S., although back in 1994, then-President Bill Clinton tried to conclude an agreement with the Republic that would cease their potentially violent agenda.

The agreement known as The 1994 Agreed Framework concluded that America will provide oil, two water reactors and one electric grid, plus a cash ‘prize’ of $5 billion, just so North Korea won’t practice it regime on the States.

If you’re asking me, this sounds more like a well-paid bribe.

“This is a good deal for the United States,” Clinton pointed out in 1994. “North Korea will freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program. South Korea and our other allies will be better protected. The entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons.”

Due to his own personal fear, Bill decided that rationalizing with North Korea at the time would be much better than actually opposing their nuclear threats.
NKorea Flashback: Bill Clinton on his deal with North Korea "The world will be safer." Whoops.
9:26 PM - Aug 8, 2017
“NKorea Flashback: Bill Clinton on his deal with North Korea ‘The world will be safer.’ Whoops,” stated conservative Youtube entity Mark Dice.

North Korea knew America was already weak, agreeing to this ‘compromise,’ so they didn’t oblige the stipulations. As a result, they conducted their first nuclear test in 2006.

At the moment North Korea is in possession of around 60 nuclear weapons, waiting to be used, most likely against America alone.

Donald Trump didn’t care to see North Korea boost their confidence, so he responded that any potential attack from the Republic will be met with “with fire and fury unlike the world has ever seen.”

“(North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) has been very threatening beyond a normal state, and as I said, they will be met with the fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before,” Trump elaborated.

North Korea has set its gaze on America’s largest cities, that hold and protect the country’s biggest military stations. As far as their missile launch is concerned, if it happens, we can expect it sometime in 2018.

Aside from Trump, Secretary of Defense James Mattis also paid attention to the problem, noting that he won’t rest until North Korea is defeated alongside its people, in case they refuse to rethink their aggressive intentions.

http://conservativefighters.com/news/nbc-just-sided-kim-jong-un-president-trump/
NBC Just Sided With Kim Jong-un Over President Trump 
We not only have a lying, fake news media; they are also vindictive and outright DANGEROUS.

President Trump stood up for the American people by telling the chubby North Korean dictator that if he threatens America, he will deal with “fire and fury,” the likes of which the world has never seen.

As many predicted, the LUNATIC dictator fired back at President Trump, upping the ante by claiming he’d attack Guam.

The man is CRAZY and unstable, does this come as a shock to anyone?

Well, apparently it’s a shock to CNBC, who prefers the feckless Obama approach.

So much so, they slammed President Trump and in doing so, took the side of North Korea’s cruel and evil dictator.

That’s how awful our media is.

https://twitter.com/4DC4USA/status/895288233113772035

Do you stand with President Trump against Kim Jong-un?

https://www.christiannewsalerts.com/spies-report-horrifying-item-inside-nk/?utm_medium=push&utm_source=AP&utm_campaign=onesignal
JUST IN: US Spies Report Horrifying Item Inside N. Korea, Millions In Grave Danger
August 8, 2017 Frank Spear
North Korea has been working hard to try and bring fear into countries around the world. During that time, it appears they developed something that could cause swift military action.

Originally reported by The Washington Post, North Korea has officially moved a step forward in their weapons development. A US intelligence report came to the conclusion that Pyongyang has, in fact, developed nuclear warheads that can be fitted inside their ICBM missiles. This issue is a serious threat.

President Trump spoke out about the sanctions against North Korea in the early hours Tuesday morning via his Twitter account. He put out a tweet stating, “After many years of failure, countries are coming together to finally address the dangers posed by North Korea. We must be tough & decisive.”

The president conveyed that we are aware of the serious problem looming in North Korea. Luckily, Americans are not the only ones aware of the issue and what is at stake.

This news came in not long after North Korea threatened the world with “physical harm” for imposing sanctions against them. The UN Security Council came to a unanimous agreement to cut all ties with the country, aimed at forcing them to stop working on weapons.

Two of their biggest suppliers, China and Russia, even agreed that it is time to halt the madness. They understand that the money is not worth the loss of life that would occur if North Korea were to fire a nuclear-tipped missile.

CNN reports that the intelligence community document reads, “The IC assesses North Korea has produced nuclear weapons for ballistic missile delivery, to include delivery by ICBM-class missiles.”

It is unknown whether or not the smaller-designed nuclear missiles have been tested, but the fact that they have missiles in their possession is more than alarming. The Defense Intelligence Agency is likely working hard to see what happens next.

North Korea has become more aggressive in their missile testing over the past couple of months. They have fired a total of 18 missiles during 12 separate tests since February, most of which were medium or short-range missiles. It is unknown whether they managed to perfect their technology through this number of tests.

Perhaps intentionally, one of their tests occurred on July 4th. This was the first intercontinental ballistic missile with which they experimented. During the testing, they boasted that it could reach “anywhere in the world.” The only questionable factor here is how much material was contained in the missiles that they’ve been launching.

A US intelligence report came to the conclusion that North Korea has developed nuclear warheads. Are we being tough enough against this dangerous rogue nation?

Do you agree with tougher sanctions against North Korea?

Yes
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If there isn’t a sizeable payload in missile, it can travel further. If they wanted to inflict significant damage, they might not be able to install enough of the dangerous payload to make the missile travel all the way to the United States.

Now that the threat is looming over the US, South Korea, Japan, and the rest of the world looks on to see what will happen next. There is no official word yet on what Trump’s plans are for dealing with Kim Jong-un or North Korea.

WAR DRUMS: South Dakota Airmen arrive ready to ‘Fight Tonight’ from Guam
AUGUST 9, 2017
Two U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, under the command of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, joined their counterparts from the Republic of Korea and Japanese air forces in sequenced bilateral missions, August 7. This serves as the first mission for the crews and aircraft recently deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence missions. After taking off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the B-1s assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, flew to Japanese airspace, where they were joined by Koku Jieitai

(Japan Air Self Defense Force) F-2 fighter jets. The B-1s then flew over the Korean Peninsula where they were joined by Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets. The B-1s then performed a pass over the Pilsung Range before leaving South Korean airspace and returning to Guam.  Throughout the approximately 10-hour mission, the aircrews practiced intercept and formation training, enabling them to enhance their combined capabilities and tactical skills, while also strengthening the long standing military-to-military relationships in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. 
READ MORE http://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1272434/south-dakota-airmen-arrive-ready-to-fight-tonight-from-guam/
South Dakota Airmen arrive ready to 'Fight Tonight' from Guam
Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs / Published August 08, 2017

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, flew from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (Courtesy photo)
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Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, flew from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (Courtesy photo)

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, prepares to take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)
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A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, prepares to take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, refuels during a 10-hour mission mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Gerald Willis)
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A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, refuels during a 10-hour mission mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Gerald Willis)

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, during a 10-hour mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, August 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Gerald Willis)
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A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, during a 10-hour mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, August 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Gerald Willis)

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, prepare to take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)
5 of 6 DOWNLOAD HI-RES  /   PHOTO DETAILS

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, prepare to take off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, flew from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (Courtesy photo)
6 of 6 DOWNLOAD HI-RES  /   PHOTO DETAILS

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, flew from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, for a 10-hour mission, flying in the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan, the East China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, Aug. 7, 2017 (HST). During the mission, the B-1s were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s as well as Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets, performing two sequential bilateral missions. These flights with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) demonstrate solidarity between Japan, ROK and the U.S. to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater. (Courtesy photo)

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --
Two U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, under the command of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, joined their counterparts from the Republic of Korea and Japanese air forces in sequenced bilateral missions, August 7.
 
This serves as the first mission for the crews and aircraft recently deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence missions.

After taking off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the B-1s assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, flew to Japanese airspace, where they were joined by Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self Defense Force) F-2 fighter jets. The B-1s then flew over the Korean Peninsula where they were joined by Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16 fighter jets. The B-1s then performed a pass over the Pilsung Range before leaving South Korean airspace and returning to Guam. 
 
Throughout the approximately 10-hour mission, the aircrews practiced intercept and formation training, enabling them to enhance their combined capabilities and tactical skills, while also strengthening the long standing military-to-military relationships in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
 
Ellsworth B-1s were last deployed to Guam in August 2016 when they took over CBP operations from the B-52 Stratofortress bomber squadrons from Minot AFB, North Dakota, and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.

“How we train is how we fight and the more we interface with our allies, the better prepared we are to fight tonight,” said a 37th EBS B-1 pilot. “The B-1 is a long-range bomber that is well-suited for the maritime domain and can meet the unique challenges of the Pacific.”
 
Aircrews, maintenance and support personnel, will continue generating B-1 bomber sorties to demonstrate the continuing U.S. commitment to stability and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, providing commanders with a strategic power projection platform and fulfilling the need for anytime mission-ready aircraft, an important part of national defense during a time of high regional tension.

“While at home station my crews are constantly refining their tactics and techniques so that we can better integrate with our counterparts from other nations,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Diehl, 37th EBS, commander. “As demonstrated today, our air forces stand combat-ready to deliver airpower when called upon.”
 
The U.S. has maintained a regular bomber presence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific since 2004 and this mission demonstrated our continued ironclad commitment to regional allies. Further, it increased our readiness and exercised our rights under international law to fly legally in the place and time of our choosing.

WAR DRUMS: North Korea Threatens to Strike US Military in Guam
AUGUST 9, 2017
North Korea’s military is “examining the operational plan” to strike areas around the U.S. territory of Guam with medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic missiles, state-run news said early Wednesday morning. Specifically, the statement mentioned a potential strike on Andersen Air Force Base designed “to send a serious warning signal to the U.S.” The base

is one of two on the Pacific island, which are the closest bases on U.S. soil to North Korea and represent the westernmost tip of the country’s military might. North Korea’s comments were published after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang that if it continued to threaten the U.S., it would “face fire and fury like the world has never seen.”The governor of Guam issued an urgent video message overnight attempting to reassure constituents. 
READ MORE http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2017/august/north-korea-threatens-to-strike-us-military-in-guam

North Korea Threatens to Strike US Military in Guam, Trump Vows 'Fire and Fury'
08-09-2017
Erik Rosales
CBN VIDE0

North Korea's military is "examining the operational plan" to strike areas around the U.S. territory of Guam with medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic missiles, state-run news said early Wednesday morning.

Specifically, the statement mentioned a potential strike on Andersen Air Force Base designed "to send a serious warning signal to the U.S." The base is one of two on the Pacific island, which are the closest bases on U.S. soil to North Korea and represent the westernmost tip of the country's military might.

North Korea's comments were published after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang that if it continued to threaten the U.S., it would "face fire and fury like the world has never seen."

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President Trump: North Korea 'Will be Met With Fire & Fury the World Has Never Seen'
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Dangerous Breakthrough: Rogue Regime's Mini-Nuke Warhead a Major
The governor of Guam issued an urgent video message overnight attempting to reassure constituents.

"I am working with Homeland Security, the rear admiral, and the United States to ensure our safety," Gov. Eddie Bazo Calvo said.

Some nuclear experts doubt the North is actually capable of striking Guam. Still, world leaders are reacting swiftly, with the Japanese and South Korean governments standing with the United States, saying all options remain on the table.

The escalating tensions were made all the more alarming amid new revelations about North Korea's nuclear capability. CBN News confirmed with U.S. intelligence sources that North Korea can now produce a miniaturized nuclear warhead, one that can fit onto an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Harry Kazianis heads up the Defense Studies at The Center for National Interest. He said North Korea had been preparing for this moment for years.

"It's military might be old, but they have 1.1 million troops, 7.7 million in reserve, chemical weapons, biological weapons," Kazianis said. "They have 10,000 artillery troops pointed at Seoul. The damage they could do would be catastrophic."  

The news comes days after North Korea test fired a long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. U.S. intelligence now believes Kim Jong Un could have as many as 60 nuclear weapons.

Many argue the U.S. should have done something to stop the North Korean nuclear program years ago.

North Korea Releases Hyeon Soo Lim From Custody
http://thepoliticalinsider.com/hyeon-soo-lim-release/?utm_medium=web-push&utm_source=os-dashboard-send
By Matt | Contributor | August 9, 2017 4:07PM
Tensions are flaring with North Korea – but are there signs they’re hoping we don’t attack.

It’s hard to get that perception from the public statements made by President Donald Trump and the Supreme Leader. President Trump threatened on Tuesday to unleash “fire and fury” against North Korea if it endangered the United States, while Kim Jong-un said his military is “examining the operational plan” to bomb the U.S. territory of Guam with strategic ballistic missiles.

North Korea has performed five nuclear weapons tests over the past decade—all of which violated past agreements with the communist State. This year alone they’ve conducted 14 ballistic missile tests, some of which are believed to have a range of 4,000-6,200 miles. But should we be fearful?

Keep in mind that we are more than capable of intercepting North Korea’s rockets. We have ground-based interceptors stationed in South Korea that could intercept their missiles mid-course – and there are other interceptors in Alaska, California, and other potential targets. Who knows if North Korea is aware of that reality, but it is interesting to note that they just made a move that’s an unusually positive gesture to the West.

As North Korea and the United States exchange bellicose rhetoric, North Korea has released a Canadian pastor who had been in prison since 2015.
Hyeon Soo Lim, 62, was serving a life sentence for allegedly trying to overthrow the North Korean government, an allegation Canadian officials denied.

Lim’s release came nearly two months after the death of American student Otto Warmbier, who had served a little over a year in a North Korean prison after being accused of stealing a propaganda poster.
Lim’s health has deteriorated, and he has experienced “dramatic” weight loss, said family spokeswoman Lisa Pak.

“We are relieved to hear that Rev. Lim is on his way home to finally reunite with his family and meet his granddaughter for the first time,” Pak said in a statement. “There is a long way to go in terms of Rev. Lim’s healing. Therefore, in the meantime we ask the media for privacy as he reconnects with his loved ones and receives medical attention.”

Lim’s son, James Lim, said he was told that over the weekend Canadian officials carrying a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un went to North Korea to secure Lim’s release.

Lim was detained in February 2015 while on a humanitarian mission, a family spokesperson said at the time. He was acting on behalf of the Light Korean Presbyterian Church, which he had led since 1986.
H/T Western Journalism

The timing certainly is odd, especially given the fact that Lim was supposed to be serving a life sentence.

Meanwhile, three Americans (that we know of) are still in North Korean custody. We are praying for their safe return.

Is It Time To Go To War With North Korea?

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/god.has.given.trump.the.authority.to.take.out.kim.jong.un.says.senior.us.evangelical.pastor/111644.htm
'God has given Trump the authority to take out Kim Jong Un,' says senior US evangelical pastor
James Macintyre 09 August 2017 | 8:41 AM

Video Player

Pastor Robert Jeffres has claimed that God has given Donald Trump the authority to 'take out' the North Korean leader.
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A senior evangelical pastor has said that 'God had given [Donald] Trump the authority to take out Kim Jong-Un' of North Korea, in a controversial statement issued as tensions are heightened between the two countries.

Robert Jeffress, pastor of the 12,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBS): 'When it comes to how we should deal with evil doers, the Bible, in the book of Romans, is very clear: God has endowed rulers full power to use whatever means necessary – including war – to stop evil. In the case of North Korea, God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong-Un.'

He added: 'I'm heartened to see that our President – contrary to what we've seen with past administrations who have taken, at best, a sheepish stance toward dictators and oppressors – will not tolerate any threat against the American people. When President Trump draws a red line, he will not erase it, move it, or back away from it. Thank God for a President who is serious about protecting our country.'

The statement comes after Trump raised the stakes by saying that North Korea would be 'met with fire and fury like the world has never seen' if Kim Jong Un continues to threaten the United States.

The senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas was a member of Trump's evangelical advisory committee during the 2016 presidential election and since has attended several meetings of prominent evangelicals at the White House, including a dinner ahead of the National Day of Prayer at which he said: 'Mr President, we're going to be your most loyal friends.'

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His reference to not backing away from a 'red line' was seen as an attack on the former President Barack Obama's handling of the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Jeffress also recently hosted a Fourth of July concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, at which Trump pledged his support to the military and to people of faith.

First Baptist's choir and orchestra provided a musical rendition of Trump's campaign slogan, 'Make America Great Again'.

RUMORS OF WAR: Tensions Rise Between China and India
AUGUST 5, 2017
China has stepped up its rhetoric in an increasingly tense border row with India, hinting at the possibility of military action in a propaganda push that analysts are calling “genuinely troubling.” For more than a month, Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a standoff on a remote but strategically important Himalayan plateau near where Tibet, India and Bhutan meet. On Thursday, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang warned that Beijing had shown
restraint but had a “bottom line.” “No country should underestimate the Chinese forces’… resolve and willpower to defend national sovereignty,” he said in a post on the ministry website. It is a line that has been echoed almost word for word this week by the foreign ministry, the official Xinhua news agency, the ruling Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily, the official military news website of the Chinese armed forces, and other outlets.  
READ MORE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-4762904/China-ups-ante-high-altitude-standoff-India.html

North Korea threatens to ‘end the US’ as UK warns nuclear provocations could be ‘catastrophic’
AUGUST 6, 2017
North Korea has threatened to “end” the US in its latest war-mongering rant. State-controlled media slammed America’s recent decision to fly two supersonic bombers over the Korean Peninsula.  The B-1 bombers were escorted by South Korean fighter jets as they performed a low-pass over an air base near the South Korean capital of Seoul last month. But Kim Jong-un’s media branded the move a “hysteric fit” and warned against such “provocations”. North Korea’s KCNA
news agency ranted: “The day the DPRK is provoked means the end of the US.” Earlier this week, government-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun declared Donald Trump was sitting on the “knife edge of life and death” and that he should brace himself for “gift packages” from Kim. An editorial said: “Every minute and every second, the new reality that US mainland is on the knife’s edge of life and death is forcing US administration to wave a white flag and fundamentally change her North Korea policy. READ MORE https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4179499/north-korea-kim-jong-un-nuclear-threat-us-uk/

RUMORS OF WAR: North Korea demands America to Surrender or Else….
AUGUST 3, 2017
North Korea has demanded Donald Trump “wave the white flag now” as it promised to deliver “gift packages” to the US. Kim Jong-un launched the thinly veiled threat in the wake of its latest ICBM test as tensions reach breaking point between Pyongyang and Washington. North Korea’s state media declared the US was sitting on the “knife edge of life and death” as
it appeared to threaten nuclear war. The White House led the world in condemning Pyongyang’s unstoppable quest of nuclear weapons, amid fears their new missiles can strike the continental US. Today, one of US President Trump’s top advisors H.R McMaster warned Kim to “not sleep easily at night” as the peninsula faces conflict. 
READ MORE http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/634810/North-Korea-Missiles-Nuclear-War-Donald-Trump-US-Surrender-Kim-Jong-un-Gift-ICBM-Pyongyang

Russia slams US sanctions as ‘Economic War’
AUGUST 3, 2017
 Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev labelled new US sanctions “economic war”, as businesses in Moscow pledged Thursday to shrug off the impact of the measures approved reluctantly by Donald Trump. The US president signed off on the new sanctions Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure after the White House failed to scupper the bill or water it down. Expecting the move, Moscow already responded to the measures last week after they were passed by the Senate,
ordering the US to slash staff at its diplomatic mission in Russia by 755 personnel. The Kremlin said Trump’s formal approval did not “change anything” and no further retaliation was planned. But Prime Minister Medvedev fumed Wednesday evening on Facebook that the move “ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration.” “It is a declaration of a full-fledged economic war on Russia,” Medvedev wrote. 
READ MORE https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-grudgingly-signs-russia-sanctions-law-213125917.html

RUMORS OF WAR: US Deploying 12 Extra F-16 Jets and 200 Troops to South Korea
AUGUST 1, 2017
The US Air Force is to send 12 additional F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighters for a four-month deployment in South Korea. It comes amid heightened tensions in the region over North Korea’s latest missile tests. The aircraft and some 200 airmen will be withdrawn from the 176th Fighter Squadron of the Wisconsin Air National Guard, the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) said Tuesday. They will arrive later in August and will be stationed at the Kunsan Air Base, some 180km south of the South Korean capital, Seoul. “The United States routinely evaluates readiness and repositions forces as needed to
ensure capabilities necessary to meet obligations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,” PACAF said. “These deployments demonstrate the continued US commitment to fulfill security responsibilities throughout the Western Pacific and to maintain peace in the region.” The announcement comes days after the two nations conducted joint drills with Japan, which involved flying a pair of supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers over South Korea. The mission was meant as a demonstration of force in response to North Korea’s latest ballistic missile test last week.  
READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/398188-korea-f16-deployment-washington/  


RUMORS OF WAR: ‘Leave Chinese land or face war’: China MoD official warns India amid border standoff
AUGUST 2, 2017
A combative Indian defense expert who accused Beijing of running bellicose news stories against Delhi drew a strong response from his Chinese TV show counterpart, who said Indian troops must leave the contested Doklam area if they do not want war. The remarks came amid a heated debate between a retired Indian Army major general and now defense commentator, Ashok Mehta, and the director of the Chinese Defense Ministry’s Center for International Security Cooperation, Senior Colonel Zhou Bo. The two officers were apparently invited to comment on the tense border standoff
over the Doklam plateau – a contested area sandwiched between India, China and Bhutan – on a Tuesday news show run by China Global Television Network (CGTN). Offered to speak first, Mehta fired off a lengthy yet passionate tirade, accusing the Chinese of fanning anti-Indian sentiments in an overly aggressive way. “Chinese media, think tanks, Xinhua, Global Times, PLA Daily have written the most aggressive and most belligerent stories about threatening India, taking India to war, opening a two-front conflict, teaching India a lesson,” the former general complained. “I mean, that kind of language is not being used in India!” Mehta added.  
READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/398315-china-threat-india-war-doklam/

 China Sends Strong Warning To America In Latest Missile Tests
AUGUST 2, 2017
In a brazen broadside to America, China performed a dramatic series of missile tests this weekend — targeting mock United States missile batteries and jets — as the superpower flexes its muscles amid global tensions with North Korea and the threat of U.S. intervention, U.S. officials told Fox News. U.S. spy agencies detected the Chinese military launching a series of 20 missiles at mock targets designed to look like American THAAD missile batteries and advanced U.S. Air Force F-22 stealth fighter jets.
China has long protested the deployment of U.S. THAAD anti-ballistic missiles to South Korea, and doubled down on its condemnation after the government in Seoul said they want four more American launchers over the weekend, following North Korea’s Friday test of a second KN-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, a record-setting launch that flew the farthest distance in the regime’s history. 
READ MORE http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/02/china-tests-missiles-during-weekend-us-officials-say.html


China Carries Out Flight Test of Anti-Satellite Missile…
AUGUST 2, 2017
China recently carried out a flight test of a new anti-satellite missile that highlights the growing threat of Beijing’s space warfare capabilities. The flight test of the Dong Neng-3 direct ascent missile was tracked by U.S. intelligence agencies on July 23 from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia, in northwestern China, said U.S. defense
officials familiar with reports of the launch. The officials said the launch was not successful and the DN-3 appeared to malfunction in the upper atmosphere after the launch at night. The launch took place after Chinese authorities posted a notice to airlines to avoid flying near the flight path of the missile. The missile’s flight was captured in photographs and video by several Chinese internet users near the Jiuquan facility. 
READ MORE http://endtimeheadlines.org/2017/08/china-carries-flight-test-anti-satellite-missile/

 Chinese Army vows to protect country’s sovereignty & integrity against ‘all invasions’
AUGUST 1, 2017
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) must be ready to defend China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, warning other nations to steer clear of Chinese interests, President Xi Jinping said Tuesday. Beijing will continue to invest in reforming and modernizing the capabilities of the armed forces, as the PLA is pivotal in protecting the sovereignty of China, he said.  Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 90th anniversary of the PLA, Xi urged the army to set up an elite unit that will be
able to respond swiftly to global challenges. “The Chinese people love peace. We will never seek aggression or expansion, but we have the confidence to defeat all invasions,” Xi said, according to Reuters. Indirectly referencing the expansion of US interests in Southeast Asia, Xi warned Washington and its allies to steer clear of contentious issues in the region, 
READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/398155-china-army-protect-invasion/

RUMORS OF WAR: Could Iran’s Moves in Syria Be the Seeds of the Next War with Israel?
AUGUST 1, 2017
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced a ceasefire in parts of southern Syria.  A cease fire on the surface sounds like a great idea, but some Israeli leaders feel it presents a clear and present danger to the Jewish state. President Trump discussed the ceasefire in an exclusive interview with CBN founder Pat Robertson. “Now I don’t know what’s going to happen, maybe as we’re speaking they start shooting again, but this has held unlike all of the
other ceasefires that didn’t mean anything. So that was a great thing that came out of that meeting,” the president said. CBN News recently visited the area on Israel’s northern border covered by the ceasefire agreement. According to a number of reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t share President Trump’s optimism about the ceasefire agreement for one main reason: Iran. 
READ MORE http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2017/july/could-irans-moves-in-syria-be-the-seeds-of-the-next-war-with-israel

North Korea likely to conduct 6th nuclear test
JULY 31, 2017
North Korea is likely to conduct its sixth nuclear test as well as an additional intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. “There is a possibility North Korea will test its nuclear warhead and missile capabilities through a nuclear test with more explosive power,” the defense ministry said in a report to the National Assembly. “North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site is always ready to conduct a nuclear test at any time.”
The prospect came during an emergency meeting of the Assembly’s National Defense Committee, convened following North Korea’s alleged second ICBM test late Friday night.  Defense Minister Song Young-moo said South Korea and the U.S. are discussing the temporary deployment of four additional launchers of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system here following President Moon Jae-in’s recent order for it during a National Security Council (NSC) meeting.  READ MORE http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/08/103_233920.html

America and Japan Vow to take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect allies from North Korea
JULY 31, 2017
Donald Trump and Shinzo Abe have agreed to take fresh action against North Korea as they pledged to take “all necessary measures to protect allies” from the nuclear-armed state. The US President and Japanese Prime Minister held a telephone call on Monday and agreed on the need for more measures aimed at curbing the country’s military ambitions, just hours after America’s ambassador to the United Nations said Washington was “done talking about North Korea”. Mr
Abe told reporters after his conversation with Mr Trump on Monday that repeated efforts by the international community to find a peaceful solution to the North Korean issue had yet to deter Pyongyang. “International society, including Russia and China, need to take this seriously and increase pressure,” he said. Mr Abe added that he backed Mr Trump’s “commitment to taking all necessary measures to protect allies”.  
READ MORE http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korea-donald-trump-nuclear-shinzo-abe-japan-us-all-necessary-measures-missile-test-a7868256.html

New Russian fighter will employ powerful lasers to burn enemy missile
JULY 31, 2017
Air-to-ground or air-to-air missiles have one thing in common — they have a seeker head, or targeting system on the missile that uses radar or heat-seeking technology to find and lead the weapon to the target to destroy it. The Russian defense industry says it will deploy powerful lasers on its new sixth-generation fighter that will be able to “burn” enemy homing systems on projectiles fired in their direction, to make them unable to hit a target.
“We already have laser protection systems installed on aircraft and helicopters, and now we are talking about developments in the field of powered lasers that will be able to physically destroy attacking missiles’ homing heads. … Roughly speaking, we’ll be able to burn out ‘the eyes’ of missiles that ‘look at us.’ Naturally, such systems will be installed on sixth-generation aircraft as well,” said the Adviser to the First Deputy CEO of Radio-Electronic Technologies Group (KRET) Vladimir Mikheyev, reported Russian state news agency TASS. 
 READ MORE http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/31/russian-6th-generation-fighter-will-employ-powerfu/

RUMORS OF WAR: The U.S. Is Inches From A War With North Korea In Which Millions Could Die
JULY 31, 2017
(Reported By Michael Snyder) We are just inches away from the outbreak of World War III, and yet most Americans seem completely oblivious to what is happening.  On Friday, North Korea conducted a missile test which proved that it now has the capability of hitting major U.S. cities in the western half of the country.  Every diplomatic effort to end North Korea’s nuclear program has completely failed, the Chinese have shown that they do not intend to do much of anything to intervene in this crisis, and the United Nations is a dead end.  Given enough time, the North Koreans will build hundreds of ICBMs capable of

delivering nukes to cities all over America, and the Trump administration has already indicated that they will never accept this.  If no other way can be found to derail North Korea’s nuclear program, President Trump will almost certainly order a military strike, and that could set off a war in which millions could die. Personally, I am stunned that North Korea’s missile test on Friday didn’t receive more attention from the mainstream media, because the truth is that this was the biggest step toward war on the Korean peninsula since 1953… 
READ MORE http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/the-u-s-is-dangerously-close-to-a-war-with-north-korea-in-which-millions-could-die


New Research Reveals Devastating Health Effects of Fatherless Homes
AUGUST 1, 2017
New research shows boys who suffer the loss of a father, such as through death, incarceration or divorce, have worse health than boys whose fathers live in the same home. There are some exceptions, however, such as boys with a sufficient household income after his parents’ divorce. The research was published in the medical journal Pediatrics and was part of the federally funded Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. In this particular case, scientists looked at the DNA obtained through saliva samples from nearly 2,500 children from 20 cities. Scientists used telomere length as a basis for
determining a child’s overall health. Longer telomeres signal better health.Telomeres are caps of DNA on the tips of our chromosomes. Think of them like the cap on a bicycle tire or the plastic tips of shoelaces that prevent the laces from fraying. Certain things cause our telomeres to shorten, and when that happens, we experience cell dysfunction leading to various health problems. READ MORE http://www.charismamag.com/life/health/33438-new-research-reveals-devastating-health-effects-of-fatherless-homes

WAR DRUMS: US & South Korea discuss ‘military response’ to North Korean missile test
JULY 29, 2017
Top US and South Korean military officials discussed “military options” in response to North Korea’s latest test of what the Pentagon called an intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea has requested additional missile defense units from the US. Following Friday’s launch, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and head of
the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris called General Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. “During the call, Dunford and Harris expressed the ironclad commitment to the US – Republic of Korea alliance. The three leaders also discussed military response options,” said a statement from the Pacific Command, confirmed to Reuters by Dunford’s spokesman Captain Greg Hicks.  READ MORE https://www.rt.com/usa/397895-us-seoul-response-north-korea/

Pentagon Warns North Korea could develop nuclear missile to strike US as early as next year
JULY 28, 2017
US officials announced on Tuesday that they believe North Korea will be able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile as early as next year, in an assessment which significantly increases concern about the rogue regime in Pyongyang. The new assessment by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reduces by two years the previous forecast of North Korea’s capability. The timeline was reduced as a result of Kim Jong-un’s recent flurry of missile tests, which showed surprising technical advances by the country’s weapons scientists. It came as North Korea fired its 14th missile this year.

Scott Bray, national intelligence manager for East Asia at the Office for the Directorate of National Intelligence (ODNI), said in a statement that the recent test of an intercontinental range ballistic missile “was not a surprise to the intelligence community” but he described it as a “milestone”. “This test, and its impact on our assessments, highlight the threat that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose to the United States, to our allies in the region, and to the whole world,” he said.  
READ MORE http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/28/north-korea-could-develop-nuclear-missile-hit-us-early-next/


Japan warns, Ships and Planes may have been struck by missile launched by North Korea
JULY 28, 2017
A missile fired from North Korea has landed in Japan’s territorial waters, the country’s government has confirmed, with officials fearing it may have hit ships or planes. The intercontinental ballistic missile is believed to have landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone. It is not yet known whether any vessels or aircraft were damaged. The Japanese government
has established an emergency participation team with members of relevant ministries and agencies.   Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch showed the threat to his country was ‘grave and real’.  He added that there was a need for Japan, the US, South Korea, China and Russia to increase pressure on North Korea over its missile programme. The missile launch came just after Japan had announced it would increase its sanctions on North Korea. 
READ MORE   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4740076/North-Korea-reportedly-launches-missile.html

RUMORS OF WAR: South Korea Considers Nuclear Arsenal to Counter North Korea
JULY 30, 2017
No longer sure they can rely on the United States, an increasing number of South Korean lawmakers say their country should develop its own nuclear arsenal to deter an attack by Kim Jong Un, their belligerent neighbor to the north. North Korea’s rapid missile advances, including successful tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July and again on Friday, are reviving calls for South Korea to assert its “nuclear sovereignty.” South Koreans are wary of President
Donald Trump’s isolationist rhetoric and his calls for Asian allies to shoulder more of the defense burdens borne by the U.S. military. “Trump’s ‘America-first’ policy has triggered this kind of public sentiment,” said Moon Chung In, a top national security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae In. Trump also has wavered on his commitment to defending South Korea, he said, including suggesting during the campaign that South Korea and Japan should develop their own nuclear arsenals. 
READ MOREhttp://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article164177042.html

WAR DRUMS: US commissions largest-ever warship
JULY 30, 2017
The United States has just sent “a 100,000-ton message to the world,” says US President Donald Trump. The message comes in the form of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, a $13 billion behemoth commissioned into the US Navy’s fleet on Saturday. “Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizons, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake
with fear because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong,” Trump said. Although the Ford’s deployments are far off and yet to be determined, it has officially joined a US military arsenal trying to stay supreme in the face of new challenges in an increasingly tense North Asia. China has recently launched its second aircraft carrier and its most-advanced destroyer ever.  
READ MORE http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/23/asia/asia-military-by-the-numbers/index.html


RUMORS OF WAR: North Korea missile test puts major US Cities in Crosshairs!
JULY 29, 2017
North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile Friday that appears to have the range to hit major US cities, experts say, and prompted a fresh round of condemnation from the United States, China, Japan and South Korea. A combination of US, South Korean and Japanese analyses of the launch from Mupyong-ni, near North Korea’s border with China, shows the missile flew about 45 minutes, going 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) high and for a distance of 1,000
kilometers (621 miles). If the missile were fired on a flatter, standard trajectory, it would have major US cities such as Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago well within its range, with the possible ability to reach as far as New York and Boston, according to David Wright, a missile expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. However, early analysis of Friday’s test cannot determine how heavy a payload the missile was carrying in its warhead, Wright said. The heavier the payload, the shorter the range. 
READ MORE http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/29/asia/north-korea-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-test/index.html

WAR DRUMS: US & South Korea discuss ‘military response’ to North Korean missile test
JULY 29, 2017
Top US and South Korean military officials discussed “military options” in response to North Korea’s latest test of what the Pentagon called an intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea has requested additional missile defense units from the US. Following Friday’s launch, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and head of

the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris called General Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. “During the call, Dunford and Harris expressed the ironclad commitment to the US – Republic of Korea alliance. The three leaders also discussed military response options,” said a statement from the Pacific Command, confirmed to Reuters by Dunford’s spokesman Captain Greg Hicks.  
READ MORE  https://www.rt.com/usa/397895-us-seoul-response-north-korea/
US & South Korea discuss 'military response' to North Korean missile test
Published time: 28 Jul, 2017 21:31
Edited time: 29 Jul, 2017 19:39
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US & South Korea discuss 'military response' to North Korean missile test
© Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
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Top US and South Korean military officials discussed “military options” in response to North Korea’s latest test of what the Pentagon called an intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea has requested additional missile defense units from the US.
READ MORE: North Korea believed to have conducted new missile test

Following Friday’s launch, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and head of the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris called General Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“During the call, Dunford and Harris expressed the ironclad commitment to the US - Republic of Korea alliance. The three leaders also discussed military response options,” said a statement from the Pacific Command, confirmed to Reuters by Dunford’s spokesman Captain Greg Hicks.

U.S. Pacific Command ✔ @PacificCommand
Chairman @TheJointStaff and Commander @PacificCommand discuss response to #NorthKorea ICBM launch with ROK JCS Chairman Gen. Lee Sun-Jin
8:34 PM - Jul 28, 2017
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US and South Korean militaries staged a “joint ballistic missile exercise” in response to the North Korean launch.

A statement by US military said the missiles were fired into "territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast," Reuters reported.

The missile originated from Mupyong-ni, a weapons facility in the North Korean province of Jangang, around 11:40 pm local time Friday, the Pentagon said. According to Pentagon, it traveled for about 620 miles (997 km) before splashing down into the Sea of Japan.


The missile is believed to be the Hwasong-14, also known as the KN-20. Both North Korea and the US have described it as an ICBM, while the Russian military has described it as an intermediate-range (IRBM) weapon.

The Russian military said that the missile reached the height of 681 kilometers and traveled for 732 kilometers, adding that that it didn’t present any direct threat to Russia, as it was fired in a different direction.

28 Jul
RT  ✔ @RT_com
North Korea missile launch was ICBM – Pentagon, S. Korea military https://on.rt.com/8j07  pic.twitter.com/KHQEBcYTCF
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DETAILS: The ICBM traveled some 1000km & landed in the waters of the Sea of Japan - Pentagon (FILE PHOTO) http://on.rt.com/8j07  pic.twitter.com/WkQxZPlXGJ
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“The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America,” said Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis.

Japanese officials said the missile flew for 45 minutes and reached an altitude of more than 1,860 miles (nearly 3,000 km).

“As a result of their launches of ICBM-level missiles, this clearly shows the threat to our nation's safety is severe and real,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a statement, adding that he would be convening Japan’s National Security Council.

Pyongyang has claimed that it test-fired an ICBM on Friday night, which covered a distance of 998km in 47 minutes at an altitude of 3,724km before landing into the sea, KCNA reports

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned North Korea's launch of a "ballistic missile of possible intercontinental range," his spokesman said on Friday.

Read more
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un © ReutersRussian military says North Korean missile launch was IRBM, flew 732 km
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has requested renewed talks with the US on deploying additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems, his office announced.

Moon was sworn into office in May, having triumphed in a snap election after his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, was impeached on corruption charges. He initially criticized the previous government’s decision to host THAAD systems and announced he would delay additional deployments until environmental concerns were addressed.

Before the July 4 test of the KN-20, US intelligence believed that North Korea wouldn’t have long-range strike capability for four more years. New intelligence estimates, however, suggest the ICBM might have have the range to hit the West Coast of the US, and not just Alaska and Hawaii, the Washington Free Beacon reported Wednesday.

“Time is running out” for diplomatic and political efforts to resolve the standoff with North Korea, US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley warned on Wednesday, adding that there were “no good options” on the table but that a choice will have to be made.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang threatened to “strike a merciless blow at the heart of the US with our powerful nuclear hammer,” if Washington made any moves towards regime change in North Korea, after CIA Director Mike Pompeo made comments to that effect at a security forum in Colorado.

US & South Korea discuss ‘military response’ to North Korean missile test
WAR DRUMS: 
JULY 29, 2017
Top US and South Korean military officials discussed “military options” in response to North Korea’s latest test of what the Pentagon called an intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea has requested additional missile defense units from the US. Following Friday’s launch, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and head of
the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris called General Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. “During the call, Dunford and Harris expressed the ironclad commitment to the US – Republic of Korea alliance. The three leaders also discussed military response options,” said a statement from the Pacific Command, confirmed to Reuters by Dunford’s spokesman Captain Greg Hicks. 
 READ MORE https://www.rt.com/usa/397895-us-seoul-response-north-korea/
US & South Korea discuss 'military response' to North Korean missile test
Published time: 28 Jul, 2017 21:31
Edited time: 29 Jul, 2017 08:13
Get short URL
US & South Korea discuss 'military response' to North Korean missile test
© Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters
Top US and South Korean military officials discussed “military options” in response to North Korea’s latest test of what the Pentagon called an intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea has requested additional missile defense units from the US.
READ MORE: North Korea believed to have conducted new missile test

Following Friday’s launch, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and head of the US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris called General Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“During the call, Dunford and Harris expressed the ironclad commitment to the US - Republic of Korea alliance. The three leaders also discussed military response options,” said a statement from the Pacific Command, confirmed to Reuters by Dunford’s spokesman Captain Greg Hicks.

Chairman @TheJointStaff and Commander @PacificCommand discuss response to #NorthKorea ICBM launch with ROK JCS Chairman Gen. Lee Sun-Jin pic.twitter.com/dUfzhXMMOp

— U.S. Pacific Command (@PacificCommand) July 28, 2017
US and South Korean militaries staged a “joint ballistic missile exercise” in response to the North Korean launch.

A statement by US military said the missiles were fired into "territorial waters of South Korea along the East Coast," Reuters reported.

The missile originated from Mupyong-ni, a weapons facility in the North Korean province of Jangang, around 11:40 pm local time Friday, the Pentagon said. According to Pentagon, it traveled for about 620 miles (997 km) before splashing down into the Sea of Japan.

The missile is believed to be the Hwasong-14, also known as the KN-20. Both North Korea and the US have described it as an ICBM, while the Russian military has described it as an intermediate-range (IRBM) weapon.

The Russian military said that the missile reached the height of 681 kilometers and traveled for 732 kilometers, adding that that it didn’t present any direct threat to Russia, as it was fired in a different direction.

DETAILS: The ICBM traveled some 1000km & landed in the waters of the Sea of Japan - Pentagon (FILE PHOTO) https://t.co/VDgRAEXPwWpic.twitter.com/WkQxZPlXGJ

— RT (@RT_com) July 28, 2017
“The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America,” said Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis.

Japanese officials said the missile flew for 45 minutes and reached an altitude of more than 1,860 miles (nearly 3,000 km).

“As a result of their launches of ICBM-level missiles, this clearly shows the threat to our nation's safety is severe and real,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a statement, adding that he would be convening Japan’s National Security Council.

Pyongyang has claimed that it test-fired an ICBM on Friday night, which covered a distance of 998km in 47 minutes at an altitude of 3,724km before landing into the sea, KCNA reports

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned North Korea's launch of a "ballistic missile of possible intercontinental range," his spokesman said on Friday.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un © ReutersRussian military says North Korean missile launch was IRBM, flew 732 km
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has requested renewed talks with the US on deploying additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems, his office announced.

Moon was sworn into office in May, having triumphed in a snap election after his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, was impeached on corruption charges. He initially criticized the previous government’s decision to host THAAD systems and announced he would delay additional deployments until environmental concerns were addressed.

Before the July 4 test of the KN-20, US intelligence believed that North Korea wouldn’t have long-range strike capability for four more years. New intelligence estimates, however, suggest the ICBM might have have the range to hit the West Coast of the US, and not just Alaska and Hawaii, the Washington Free Beacon reported Wednesday.

“Time is running out” for diplomatic and political efforts to resolve the standoff with North Korea, US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley warned on Wednesday, adding that there were “no good options” on the table but that a choice will have to be made.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang threatened to “strike a merciless blow at the heart of the US with our powerful nuclear hammer,” if Washington made any moves towards regime change in North Korea, after CIA Director Mike Pompeo made comments to that effect at a security forum in Colorado.


https://www.rt.com/news/397523-north-korea-merciless-strike-us/
N. Korea vows ‘merciless blow with nuclear hammer’ if US attempts to topple Kim
Published time: 26 Jul, 2017 05:19
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N. Korea vows ‘merciless blow with nuclear hammer’ if US attempts to topple Kim
FILE PHOTO © KCNA / Reuters
Responding to CIA chief Mike Pompeo’s remark last week that North Koreans would be better off without Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang warned it would not hesitate to launch a nuclear strike at “the heart of the US” if Washington ventures to remove him.
Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday, Pompeo argued that “from the administration’s perspective” it would be desirable to “separate” Kim from the nuclear capacity of the rogue state, calling the authoritarian leader “the thing that is the most dangerous” about the North Korean situation.

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A view of Honolulu, Hawaii. © Chris Wattie / ReutersNo duck & cover: Hawaii prepares for North Korean missile attack
“The North Korean people I’m sure are lovely people and would love to see him go,” CNN quoted Pompeo as saying.

While Pompeo appeared to soften the statement, saying that he was not supporting regime change in North Korea, but merely the separation of “that regime from this system,” the North Korean authorities were up in arms over what they denounced as Pompeo’s “reckless remarks.”

Saying that the CIA director’s comments “have gone over the line,” North Korea’s foreign minister said in a statement Tuesday that it would “preemptively annihilate those countries and entities” by all possible “kinds of strike means, including the nuclear ones,” if there is imminent danger to their leader’s well-being, the statement, circulated by Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency.  

READ MORE: North Korea unlikely to have ICBM technology, South intel says as Kim celebrates launch
Referring in particular to the rhetoric of the CIA director, the ministry added it would take immediate action “should the US dare to show even the slightest sign of attempt to remove” Kim.

“We will strike a merciless blow at the heart of the US with our powerful nuclear hammer, honed and hardened over time,” it said, adding that “the likes of Pompeo” would face “catastrophic and miserable consequences” if they attempted to overthrow Kim.
Read more 
Army personnel and people gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang July 6, 2017 © KCNA‘Will reduce US to ashes’: N.Korea celebrates first ICBM launch with dance & fireworks (VIDEOS)

Meanwhile, there have been reports from US military sources indicating that North Korea could be bracing for another missile launch to be carried out as soon as this week.

An unidentified Pentagon official told AFP on Tuesday that Washington believes North Korea may launch an intermediate-range missile or Hwasong-14 type of an inter-continental ballistic missile on July 27, ironically, to mark the date of signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement of July 27, 1953.

Earlier, North Korea claimed it had successfully test-fired a Hwasong-14 missile on July 4, saying that the rocket flew 933 kilometers and reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers. Pyongyang alleged the launch was its first ever successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. However, this data was disputed by South Korean and Russian military experts. Following the launch, South Korea’s intelligence service said that it was unlikely the North had succeeded in “securing the technology,” pointing out that the pariah state lacks the appropriate testing facilities and casting doubt over whether the missile reentered the atmosphere.

The Russian Defense Ministry called into question Pyongyang’s assertions that the missile was in effect an ICBM. Citing its own estimates, the ministry said the missile flew just about 535km and reached an altitude of 510km.

Nevertheless, the launch was followed by days of lavish celebrations in North Korea, including a dazzling fireworks display, pop concerts with high-ranking North Korean officials in attendance, as well as Kim Jong-un himself.


https://www.rt.com/news/395974-north-korea-icbm-south/
North Korea unlikely to have ICBM technology, South intel says as Kim celebrates launch
Published time: 11 Jul, 2017 10:53
Edited time: 12 Jul, 2017 08:24
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North Korea unlikely to have ICBM technology, South intel says as Kim celebrates launch
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un © Reuters / Reuters
North Korea does not appear to have the technology to build intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or have testing facilities for them, South Korean intelligence services said, referring to a recent long-range missile test Pyongyang claimed was successful.
"Although North Korea claimed that [the missile's] heat resistance was verified, whether it re-entered [the atmosphere safely] was not confirmed and the country has no relevant test facility, making it look like it has not secured the technology,” South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a report to the parliamentary intelligence committee, as cited by Yonhap news agency. 

The NIS has not been able to confirm that the Hwasong-14 missile test was successful, Yi Wan-young, a member of the South Korean parliament's intelligence committee, said, as cited by Reuters.

READ MORE: Missile launched by North Korea was intermediate range, not ICBM – Russian Defense Ministry

“Considering how North Korea does not have any testing facilities [for re-entry technology], the agency believes [North Korea] has not yet secured that technology,” he said. 

The intelligence agency believes that the missile was a modified version of an intermediate-range missile that North Korea tested in May, Yi added.


On Tuesday North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un joined a pop music concert devoted to the ICBM test launch. 
‘Song of Hwasong Rocket’ and ‘Make Others Envy Us’ were performed at the celebrations, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency reported, as cited by AP. 

Read more
Army personnel and people gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang July 6, 2017 © KCNA‘Will reduce US to ashes’: N.Korea celebrates first ICBM launch with dance & fireworks (VIDEOS)
Earlier in July, North Korea test-launched a Hwasong-14 missile which it said flew 933km in 39 minutes, reaching an altitude of 2,802km.

However, the Russian Ministry of Defense assessed it was an intermediate-range missile (IRBM), saying it flew some 535km and reached an altitude of 510km. 

The North Korean missile test was carried out despite a ban by the UN Security Council and once again caused serious concern among the international community.
Pyongyang has been under UN sanctions since 2006, when the Security Council demanded that it cease nuclear testing and banned the provision of large-scale arms, nuclear technology and related training to Pyongyang. North Korea, however, has continued its research and development in the nuclear area. 
Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested Pukguksong-2 Hwasong-12 IRBMs in May.
The US also said it had tested an ICBM interceptor missile of its own in May. A Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptor was fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, while the target vehicle, designed to resemble an ICBM, took off from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The intercept took place above the Pacific Ocean, the US Missile Defense Agency said.


‘Will reduce US to ashes’: N.Korea celebrates first ICBM launch with dance & fireworks (VIDEOS)
https://www.rt.com/news/395646-pyongyang-celebrate-missile-launch/
Published time: 7 Jul, 2017 19:53
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‘Will reduce US to ashes’: N.Korea celebrates first ICBM launch with dance & fireworks (VIDEOS)
Army personnel and people gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang July 6, 2017 © KCNA / Reuters
Thousands of soldiers and civilians gathered at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang Thursday, dancing to a dazzling fireworks display while marking the launch of what North Korea say is its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"We enthusiastically celebrate the successful test launch of the intercontinental ballistic rocket, the greatest landmark in the history of our republic," read a banner across the square, AFP reported.

READ MORE: US rejects Russo-Chinese proposal to suspend drills in South Korea

Several high-ranking officials including Kim Yong-nam, the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, and Vice-Marshal Hwang Pyong-so of the Korean People’s Army joined in the celebrations.

If ”US imperialists commit even the slightest military provocation,” the North Korean army would "show to the world how the territory of the US will be reduced to ashes,” AFP reported the officials telling the assembled crowd.

People on the square then danced to patriotic songs, the first of which was "Glory to General Kim Jong-un".


On Tuesday, July 4, North Korea test-launched a Hwasong-14 missile which it said flew 933km in 39 minutes, reaching an altitude of 2,802km.

READ MORE: 'N. Korea now has capacity to target heart of US Pacific Command'

The Russian Ministry of Defense assessed it be an intermediate range missile (IRBM), saying it flew some 535km, reached an altitude of 510km, which fell into the Sea of Japan.

The missile test was carried out despite a ban by the UN Security Council and has increased anxieties among the international community.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006, when the Security Council demanded that it cease nuclear testing and banned the provision of large-scale arms, nuclear technology, and related training to Pyongyang. Despite intense political and economic pressure, North Korea defiantly continues to pursue its research and development in the nuclear sphere.



https://www.rt.com/op-edge/395334-north-korea-icbm-us/
'N. Korea now has capacity to target heart of US Pacific Command'
Published time: 5 Jul, 2017 10:45
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'N. Korea now has capacity to target heart of US Pacific Command'
© United States Forces Korea
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The most sensible path, at this point, is for the US to end the Korean War, sign a peace treaty with North Korea, and withdraw its troops from the Korean peninsula, Hyun Lee, a member of the National Campaign to End the Korean War, told RT.
South Korean and US forces fired missiles into the Sea of Japan in a display of resolve toward North Korea as a part of a joint ballistic missile exercise between Washington and Seoul.

According to officials, the exercise used missiles that can be "easily deployed".

It all came in response to North Korea's latest missile test on Tuesday, which the Pentagon said was an intercontinental ballistic missile.

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US & S. Korea launch tactical missiles to show capabilities to North Korea https://on.rt.com/8h0s 
6:15 - 5 июл. 2017 г.
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RT: North Korea is clearly aware the US and South Korea possess a wide range of missiles. Was this show of force really necessary?

Hyun Lee: North Korea has been saying from the beginning of this year, from the beginning of the Trump administration, that it will test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile and it has always said it is a form of deterrence against US threats against North Korea. The US and South Korea conduct annual military exercises, including the collapse of the North Korean regime and the simulation of the decapitation of the North Korean leadership. North Korea has always said these are threats to its sovereignty and that is why it is developing an ICBM as a form of deterrence.

RT: China and Russia have been calling on the international community to try and talk to North Korea to avoid provocation. Why did the US and South Korea decide to stage these exercises anyway?

HL: I think what the US and South Korea are doing is basically flexing their muscles to show ‘We are not afraid of North Korea. We also have big bad weapons.’ But what they are doing is answering fire with fire in a region that is a powder keg. We know that the world’s greatest military powers face off in this region: that is the US, China, Japan, South Korea. Former US army generals have warned that even the slightest miscalculation on the Korean peninsula can trigger a conflict that basically mires the entire region in a protracted war that could have catastrophic consequences not only for the region but also for the global economy. And that is not in anyone’s interest.

 
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#Pentagon vows to protect US & allies after Pyongyang’s ‘escalatory ICBM test’ https://on.rt.com/8h0w 
8:51 - 5 июл. 2017 г.
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RT: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said North Korea launching an intercontinental ballistic missile is a new escalation of the threat against the US. Is Pyongyang's new launch a game changer?

HL: Yes, but not because it will attack the US; Washington doesn’t truly believe that. But more because this changes the US strategic calculus in the region. North Korea now has the capacity to target the heart of the US Pacific Command, which is located in Hawaii, as well as the West Coast of the US continent. This means US policy of basically intimidating countries through military might and collapsing uncooperative regimes as it has done in the Middle East for decades: this is not going to work vis-à-vis North Korea.
And if this encourages other countries around the world to follow the example of North Korea, it threatens the nuclear non-proliferation regime, which is essentially intended to ensure that only the prominent five countries of the UN Security Council, and its allies, like Israel, can have nuclear weapons and no one else. North Korea is obviously not a party to the NPT; it is not a US ally but now appears to have the capability to threaten a nuclear attack on the US. This is why this missile test is a big deal and it makes Washington very nervous. If the US wants North Korea to stop, then the path is very clear – it has to stop its provocations and its military exercises and then resolve the conflict fundamentally by signing a peace treaty to end the ongoing state of war between the US and North Korea.

If you are the Pentagon, and you are Donald Trump, you are not about to pass up on the opportunity to fire off a few of the guns and show the people what they are spending their money on. The North Korea thing is filled with a lot of theatrics... What Russia and China basically said is that North Korea has to stop its nuclear program, and the US and South Korea have to stop their war games, and we have to sit down and begin the negotiations. - Jim W. Dean, managing editor at Veterans Today

RT: Is there an end to this vicious circle where opposite sides just fire missiles trying to up the ante on each other?

HL: I think there is a clear path: North Korea, we should note, has repeatedly offered to freeze its own nuclear and missile program in exchange for a freeze of US provocation, including the very provocative military exercises. I think the most sensible path at this point is for the US to end the Korean War, sign a peace treaty with North Korea, finally withdraw its troops from the Korean peninsula. That is the only way to put the nuclear crisis to rest. Washington knows that this is the answer. The only thing that is standing in the way is, not surprisingly, the interest of the military-industrial complex, which feeds off of perpetual war.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

RUMORS OF WAR: Hawaii seeks to prepare residents for threat of nuclear missile strike from North Korea
JULY 25, 2017
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is kicking off an educational campaign aimed at helping residents and visitors figure out what to do if the state is the target of a nuclear missile attack from North Korea. Hawaii is the first state to prepare the public for the possibility of a ballistic missile strike. The state’s emergency management agency said the threat to the islands from the rogue nation is “currently assessed to be low.”  But officials added ongoing North Korean
missile tests — and growing public concern — have prompted officials to work on preparedness and disaster management plans. Vern Miyagi, administrator of the emergency management agency, stressed that the public shouldn’t be alarmed by the planning. Rather, he said, the public should see the preparation and education much like the work being done to prepare the public for hurricane and tsunami, which pose a greater risk to the state. 
READ MORE http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/35936105/hawaii-to-kick-off-campaign-to-help-residents-visitors-plan-for-missile-attack-from-north-korea

China warns India not to ‘push its luck’ amid border stand-off in Himalayas
JULY 24, 2017
China has warned India not to “cling to fantasies” amid a tense border stand-off, which also involves Bhutan, involving disputed territory in the Himalayas. Earlier, China staged live-fire drills in the area while India deployed troops there. “China’s determination and resolve to safeguard national security and sovereignty is unshakable,” Defense Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian said in a statement on Monday, as cited by AP and local media. His words come
ahead of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). “Don’t push your luck and cling to any fantasies,” Wu said. “The 90-year history of the PLA has proved but one thing: that our military means to secure our country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity has strengthened and our determination has never wavered. It is easier to shake a mountain than to shake the PLA.”
 READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/397299-china-india-military-border/

RUMORS OF WAR: America Banning All Citizens from Traveling to North Korea
JULY 21, 2017
Dennis Rodman will be disappointed to learn that the US is set to ban all citizens from traveling to North Korea, according to two agencies that operate tours there. Koryo Tours and Young Pioneer Tours said the ban would be announced on 27 July to come into effect 30 days later, the BBC reported. “After the 30-day grace period any US national that travels to North Korea will have their passport invalidated by their government.” The ban comes one month after US student Otto Warmbier died following his imprisonment by the Kim regime. China-based Young Pioneer Tours, which
had taken Warmbier to North Korea, and Koryo Tours said the ban will come into force on July 27 – the anniversary of the end of the Korean War – with a 30-day grace period. Koryo Tours added that the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, which handles consular affairs for the United States in the North, informed it of the ban, but did not say how long it would last. The U.S. embassy in the South Korean capital, Seoul, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  
READ MORE http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-21/us-urges-all-nationals-north-korea-depart-immediately-bans-tourists-visiting
US Urges All Nationals In North Korea To "Depart Immediately", Bans Tourists From Visiting

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by Tyler Durden
Jul 21, 2017 8:11 AM
Dennis Rodman will be disappointed to learn that the US is set to ban all citizens from traveling to North Korea, according to two agencies that operate tours there. Koryo Tours and Young Pioneer Tours said the ban would be announced on 27 July to come into effect 30 days later, the BBC reported. "After the 30-day grace period any US national that travels to North Korea will have their passport invalidated by their government." The ban comes one month after US student Otto Warmbier died following his imprisonment by the Kim regime.

China-based Young Pioneer Tours, which had taken Warmbier to North Korea, and Koryo Tours said the ban will come into force on July 27 - the anniversary of the end of the Korean War - with a 30-day grace period. Koryo Tours added that the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, which handles consular affairs for the United States in the North, informed it of the ban, but did not say how long it would last. The U.S. embassy in the South Korean capital, Seoul, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rowan Beard said that the 30-day grace period would "give leeway for any [Americans] currently in the country as tourists or on humanitarian work". Simon Cockerill, of Koryo Tours, said: "It remains to be seen what the exact text is, but the indication is it's just a straight up ban on Americans going." Mr Cockerill told the BBC the agency would still conduct tours and take Americans until the ban came into effect.

Additionally, Rowan Beard of Young Pioneer Tours, told the BBC the embassy was urging all US nationals to depart immediately. He said the embassy was trying to check on the number of US tourists left in the country.

For now there has been no official confirmation from the US: the state department continues to have an alert dated 9 May strongly warning US citizens not to travel to North Korea.
As the BBC adds, there has been movement towards a ban for a while in the US, which increased with the Warmbier death.

In May, two congressmen introduced the North Korea Travel Control bill to cut off the foreign currency the country earns from American tourists. The House foreign affairs subcommittee is scheduled to take up the draft legislation on 27 July but it would still have to go to the Senate. So there could be an executive order. Last month, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: "We have been evaluating whether we should put some type of travel visa restriction to North Korea. We have not come to a final conclusion, but we are considering it." Apart from the treatment of Americans in North Korea, tension has been increasing over Pyongyang's nuclear programme.
Some are suggesting the US is using the date the ban is set to be announced - 27 July - to cloud North Korea's Victory Day on the same day. It was not clear if the urge to clear out US citizens from North Korea is a precursor to more "aggressive" (or kinetic) action by the US government.

 
Chinese military vessels enter Russia’s Baltic for first time as joint drills kick off
JULY 21, 2017
The ‘Joint Sea 2017’ drills of the Russian and Chinese naval forces have begun the first stage of major exercises, marking the first time they have taken place in Europe. As the Chinese ships entered the Russian sea port of Baltiysk on Friday, the first phase began, with the active phase commencing on July 24. While the Baltic stage of the exercises is set to last through July 28, the second phase of the Joint Sea maneuvers will be held in the Russian Far East, the Sea of Japan, and
the Sea of Okhotsk in September. “This is the first visit of Chinese fleet in Baltiysk in the history of the Russian-Chinese relations,” Tass agency quoted Russian Baltic Fleet spokesman Roman Martov as saying. Joint Sea 2017 will feature China’s most advanced military vessels, including the Type 052D missile destroyer Changsha, missile frigate Yungchen, and the Luomahu supply ship, which concluded live-fire drills in the Mediterranean last week. 
READ MORE http://endtimeheadlines.org/2017/07/chinese-military-vessels-enter-russias-baltic-first-time-joint-drills-kick-off/

RUMORS OF WAR: Israel Prepares To Counter Iran and Hezbollah Build-Up In Syria
JULY 19, 2017
One of Israel’s most highly-regarded national security experts has warned Iran and its proxies — Hezbollah in Lebanon and President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Damascus — that the Jewish state will not hold back on using military force to counter Tehran’s growing presence in Syria. Retired IDF Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror — who served as the national security adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and currently is a senior fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for
Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University — said that if the Iranians continued exploiting the recent Syrian ceasefire negotiated by Russia and the US to boost their presence in the country, “that might lead the IDF to intervene and to destroy every attempt to build infrastructure in Syria.” “We will not let the Iranians and Hezbollah to be the forces which will win from the long and very brutal war in Syria and to move the focus into Israel,” Amidror declared on Monday, speaking on a conference call organized by The Israel Project. 
READ MORE http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1394

Kim Jong-un says USA ‘bluffing’ over war threats…
JULY 17, 2017
North Korea said despite Donald Trump’s calls for tougher action against Kim, the US would not be prepared to start a full-scale war. Speaking through the state-censored newspaper Rodong Sinmun, Kim’s associates said North Korea was “unfazed” over Trump’s threats. “The U.S. is crying out for mounting a military attack on the DPRK, terming its steps for
bolstering the capability for self-defence a ‘threat to the world’ in a bid to escalate international sanctions and pressure on it,” the article read. “This is just a ridiculous bluffing of those taken aback by the invincible might of the DPRK. “The DPRK remains unfazed by the desperate moves of the US to stifle it.” Kim’s threats come as military personnel from the US and Australia will be taking part in beach landings that will be the largest seen since World War 2.  
READ MORE http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/630211/North-Korea-world-war-three-Kim-Jong-un-claims-US-Donald-Trump-bluffing

Chinese spy ship lurking off coast of Alaska during missile defense test…
JULY 14, 2017
A Chinese spy ship has been sailing in international waters off the coast of Alaska for several days, having first arrived in the area shortly before the test of a US missile defense system, multiple US officials have told CNN. US Navy Capt. Scott Miller, a spokesperson for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said the ship is believed to be a “communications” or “intelligence” vessel and confirmed it has been in the area for the last few days. Miller would not
speculate on the reason for the ship being there. Two US military officials told CNN that the ship is operating approximately 100 miles off the Alaska coast in international waters. The officials pointed out that the Chinese ship is operating legally and said the US does not have security concerns about the vessel. US ships also regularly operate in international waters near China. READ MORE http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/13/politics/chinese-spy-ship-coast-alaska/index.html

WAR DRUMS: Pentagon says test of THAAD missile defense system in Alaska hits target…
JULY 11, 2017
The United States said on Tuesday it successfully tested its THAAD missile defense system against an intermediate-range ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and Alaska, a key area as tensions with North Korea mount. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) near Kodiak, Alaska, intercepted the ballistic missile target that was launched
north of Hawaii, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said in a statement. Although the test was planned months ago, the U.S. missile defense test has gained significance following North Korea’s July 4 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that raised concerns about the threat from Pyongyang. 
READ MORE http://news.trust.org/item/20170711112013-e4oyx


North Korea’s new nukes capable of destroying US naval base 6,000 miles away in California
JULY 11, 2017
North Korea’s new nukes could soon be capable of destroying a US naval base some 6,000 miles away in California, a leading expert has warned. Kim Jong-un caused a stir once again when he test-fired his Hwasong-14 rocket on July 4 – America’s Independence Day. The missile is currently estimated to have a range of 4,000-5,000 miles – enough to reach Alaska or Hawaii, according to aerospace engineer John Schilling. He said: “If the Hwasong-14 is put together the way we
think it is, it can probably do a bit better than that when all the bugs are worked out.” Speaking to 38 North – a monitoring project linked to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA – Schilling warned the rocket is “likely” to be able to deliver a half-tonne warhead to San Diego within two years. Schilling added: “The North Koreans won’t be able to achieve this performance tomorrow, but they likely will eventually.” 
READ MORE https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3992390/north-korea-nukes-nuclear-weapons-capable-destroying-us-naval-base-california/

WAR DRUMS: North Korea warns it will turn America into ‘pile of ash’…
JULY 12, 2017
North Korea has vowed to “turn the US into a pile of ash” if Donald Trump tries to curb the nation’s nuclear ambitions by force. State-run newspaper Minju Choson warned military confrontation will “inevitably lead the US to self-destruction”. It comes after Kim Jong-un’s regime launched what it claimed was an intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of reaching the West coast of America. Cackling Kim hailed the July 4 test of the Hwasong-14 launcher as a “gift for
American b******s”. The regime has also conducted several underground tests of atom bombs, although it is not known if it has succeeded in shrinking the device to a size that could be carried on a missile. Last week America’s UN ambassador Nikki Haley said Washington was prepared to use the full range of its capabilities to defend itself and its allies from a threat coming from North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.
 READ MORE https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4000126/north-korea-latest-news-threat-america-donald-trump-nuclear-attack/


China sends ships, troops to 1st overseas military base in Horn of Africa
JULY 12, 2017
Chinese troops have been deployed to the country’s first overseas military base, in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. Beijing says the base will be used for logistical purposes, such as resupplying ships taking part in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Ships carrying personnel from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were dispatched to set up the base in Djibouti on Tuesday, state news agency Xinhua reported, declining to mention the number of troops that were deployed.
Referring to the facility as a “support base,” the Chinese media outlet said its purpose will be to ensure China’s successful performance of missions in the region, including peacekeeping and humanitarian aid in Africa and western Asia. It did not say when operations would begin at the base. It went on to state that the base will also assist with overseas tasks including military cooperation and joint exercises,  
READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/396090-china-djibouti-base-troops/

RUMORS OF WAR: US sends missile warships, Navy Seals to massive war games off Ukraine coast
JULY 10, 2017
Several US missile warships, over 800 sailors and a Navy SEALs team have arrived in the Black Sea to take part in the 12-day Sea Breeze 2017 naval exercise off Ukraine, which will include maritime forces from 16 countries. The multinational war games are taking place in the northwestern part of the Black Sea near the Ukrainian port city of Odessa. They will feature 31 vessels, 29 aircraft, and over 3,000 troops, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
Naval forces from 16 nations, including the US, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Poland and Turkey will practice “planning and conduct operations in compliance with NATO standards,” focusing on anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, air defense, mine clearance and hostage rescue. The US Navy has sent its Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser ‘USS Hue City’ and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer ‘USS Carney’, along with a P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft, the Sixth Fleet said in a press release.
 READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/395866-sea-breeze-drills-ukraine-us/

Are we witnessing Ezekiel 37 Coming to Pass?
JULY 10, 2017
In our generation, we are witnessing the restoration of apostolic and prophetic ministry (Eph. 4:11-13) in the body of Messiah worldwide. Little by little, apostolic and prophetic ministry is also being restored within the local remnant in Israel. Much of what is called apostolic or prophetic is inflated or phony. And much of what would be valid internationally is imported and not indigenous to Israel.
Paul (Saul) spoke of powerful supernatural warfare in  2 Cor. 10:3-5. The overall theme of chapters 10 – 12 is the battle to discern between true and false apostles (2 Cor. 11:13). Paul’s primary spiritual warfare in these three chapters concerns the validity and integrity of apostolic ministry. What an eye-opening thought!
A great spiritual challenge before us and a deep passion of my heart is the integrity of authentic, indigenous, apostolic authority in Israel. To have authority, it must be authentic. To have integrity, it must be indigenous. A popular expression in Israel is to produce “facts on the ground.” Our spiritual version of this same saying would be to produce real fruit in real people here in the land of Israel. 
CONTINUE http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/standing-with-israel/66083-restoring-apostolic-prophetic-ministry-in-israel-mdash-is-ezekiel-37-coming-to-pass


Russian submarine activity monitored in Arctic…
JULY 11, 2017
A tiny stretch of Arctic water has become a hotbed of military activity amid fears it could become the next flashpoint in a global conflict between the US and Russia. Locals on the tiny Norwegian island of Vardo have seen an increase in military action through the upgrade of a critical radar system, Globus III, due to be completed by 2020. The windswept outpost is
just 30 kilometers from Russia’s Kola Peninsula, from where a fleet of nuclear-armed submarines operates, in a bid to strengthen Russian presence in the Arctic region. Norwegian author Bard Wormdal, who wrote The Satellite War, about the close and secretive military and intelligence alliance between Norway and the US, said there has been a significant uptick in activity recently from both sides.  
READ MORE http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/arctic-outpost-becomes-hotbed-of-russian-military-activity/news-story/25108f508fd511205cac25f6d6371e70

WAR DRUMS: Pentagon plans to test THAAD missile defenses as N. Korea tensions mount…
JULY 8, 2017
The United States plans to carry out a new test of its THAAD missile defense system against an intermediate-range ballistic missile in the coming days, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, as tensions with North Korea climb. Despite being planned months ago, the U.S. missile defense test will gain significance in the wake of North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4 that has heightened concerns about the threat from Pyongyang. The
test will be the first of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to defend against a simulated attack by an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), one of the officials said. The THAAD interceptors will be fired from Alaska. The United States has THAAD interceptors in Guam that are meant to help guard against a missile attack from a country such as North Korea. The officials who disclosed to Reuters the precise nature and timing of the upcoming test spoke on condition of anonymity.  
READ MORE http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-usa-defenses-excl-idUSKBN19S2XQ?il=0
Exclusive: U.S. plans to test THAAD missile defenses as North Korea tensions mount
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is seen in Seongju, South Korea, June 13, 2017. Picture taken on June 13, 2017.  REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is seen in Seongju, South Korea, June 13, 2017. Picture taken on June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
By Phil Stewart | WASHINGTON
The United States plans to carry out a new test of its THAAD missile defense system against an intermediate-range ballistic missile in the coming days, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, as tensions with North Korea climb.

Despite being planned months ago, the U.S. missile defense test will gain significance in the wake of North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4 that has heightened concerns about the threat from Pyongyang.

The test will be the first of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to defend against a simulated attack by an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), one of the officials said. The THAAD interceptors will be fired from Alaska.

The United States has THAAD interceptors in Guam that are meant to help guard against a missile attack from a country such as North Korea.

The officials who disclosed to Reuters the precise nature and timing of the upcoming test spoke on condition of anonymity.

Asked by Reuters, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) confirmed that it aimed to carry out a THAAD flight test "in early July."

Chris Johnson, an MDA spokesman, said the THAAD weapon system at the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska, would "detect, track and engage a target with a THAAD interceptor."

"The test is designated as Flight Test THAAD (FTT)-18," Johnson said. He did not elaborate.

Still, in recent testimony to Congress, Vice Admiral James Syring, then the director of the Missile Defense Agency, said FTT-18 would aim to demonstrate THAAD's ability to intercept a separating IRBM target.

MDA said THAAD had a 100 percent successful track record in its 13 flight tests since 2006. After previous tests, the U.S. military has publicly disclosed the results.

SOUTH KOREAN DEPLOYMENT

THAAD is a ground-based missile defense system designed to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

Lockheed Martin Corp, the prime contractor for the THAAD system, said it has the ability to intercept incoming missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.

This year's U.S. deployment of THAAD in South Korea to guard against North Korea's shorter-range missiles has also drawn fierce criticism from China, which says the system's powerful radar can probe deep into its territory.

Earlier this month Moscow and Beijing, in a joint statement, called on Washington to immediately halt deployment of THAAD in South Korea.

The statement said Washington was using North Korea as a pretext to expand its military infrastructure in Asia and risked upsetting the strategic balance of power in the region.

THAAD's success rate in testing is far higher than the one for America's Ground-based Midcourse Defense system (GMD), the system specifically designed to shoot down an ICBM headed for the U.S. mainland.

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That GMD system has only a 55 percent success rate over the life of the program. But advocates note that the technology has improved dramatically in recent years.

In a key development, the GMD system successfully shot down an incoming, simulated North Korean ICBM in a test in May.

That led the Pentagon to upgrade its assessment of America's ability to defend against a small number of ICBMs, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

MDA told Congress in June that it plans to deliver 52 more THAAD interceptors to the U.S. Army between October 2017 and September 2018, for a total of 210 since May 2011.

In a sign of U.S. congressional concern about missile defense, several lawmakers filed amendments to a sweeping defense policy bill on Friday that addressed North Korea. Republican Representative Don Young, whose home state Alaska is seen as especially vulnerable to the North Korea threat, asked for more ground-based interceptors for his state, and a study of potential additional sites on the East Coast or Midwest.

Democratic Representatives John Conyers and Sheila Jackson Lee, along with Republican Walter Jones, filed an amendment to the annual National Defense Authorization Act saying that nothing in the bill should be construed as authorizing the use of force against North Korea.

The full House of Representatives is due to consider the bill, and its amendments, next week.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and James Dalgleish)



Australia would stand by US if N. Korea launched nuclear weapon in its direction
JULY 7, 2017
Australia’s Deputy PM suggested Canberra would join military action against North Korea if Pyongyang were to fire a nuclear warhead at the US. He also has “sympathy” for calls to enforce trade sanctions against those doing business with the DPRK. “No one should ever go too far in testing the resolve of the United States of America,” Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told Sky News. “If North Korea was to deliver a warhead into the United States of America then the ANZUS
alliance would be called in,” he added, referring to the Australia, New Zealand, and United States Security Treaty. When asked what kind of action might be taken, Joyce responded by asking “What would you want?” “If someone drops a nuclear warhead on a country what do you think happens next?” Earlier on Thursday, Joyce said Australia had “sympathy” for the idea of cutting off trade with countries doing business with Pyongyang. 
READ MORE https://www.rt.com/news/395477-australia-north-korea-us/

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Australia would stand by US if N. Korea launched nuclear weapon in its direction – deputy PM
Published time: 6 Jul, 2017 13:46
Edited time: 7 Jul, 2017 09:59
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Australia would stand by US if N. Korea launched nuclear weapon in its direction – deputy PM
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Australia’s deputy PM suggested Canberra would join military action against North Korea if Pyongyang were to fire a nuclear warhead at the US. He also has “sympathy” for calls to enforce trade sanctions against those doing business with the DPRK.
“No one should ever go too far in testing the resolve of the United States of America,” Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told Sky News.
Read more
Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Vladimir Safronkov © Mike SegarMoscow promotes joint Russia-China plan instead of US attempts to ‘strangle’ N. Korea at UNSC
“If North Korea was to deliver a warhead into the United States of America then the ANZUS alliance would be called in,” he added, referring to the Australia, New Zealand, and United States Security Treaty.

When asked what kind of action might be taken, Joyce responded by asking “What would you want?”

“If someone drops a nuclear warhead on a country what do you think happens next?”

Earlier on Thursday, Joyce said Australia had “sympathy” for the idea of cutting off trade with countries doing business with Pyongyang.

“If people want to aid and abet [North Korea], obviously, we can't be supporting them,” he told the ABC’s Radio National, adding that China – Australia’s biggest trading partner – was the “key person” who could affect the intensifying situation with North Korea.

The US has repeatedly urged China to put pressure on North Korea, as its sole economic lifeline. However, a Wednesday tweet from US President Donald Trump appeared to say that such cooperation from Beijing wouldn't be happening.

“Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us – but we had to give it a try!" Trump wrote.

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2017
Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have worsened since Trump took office, with the US president repeatedly vowing to put an end to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

That threat was reiterated on Thursday, with Trump pledging that Pyongyang will face repercussions over its recent ballistic missile launch, saying it is exhibiting “very, very bad behavior.” 

Trump's Thursday remarks came in response to Pyongyang test-firing its first intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the launch a “gift” for the “American bastards” as they celebrated the Fourth of July.


Russia has Taken a Side in the U.S.-North Korea Dispute
JULY 7, 2017
North Korea declared its Tuesday launch of a Hwasong-14 missile constituted its first-ever successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The United States, South Korea, and Japan have concluded it was an ICBM. The United Nations has concluded it was an ICBM. Independent observers in the scientific community say the data suggest it was an ICBM, too. Russia says it’s not so sure. And, as The Washington Times was reporting Thursday night, it’s blocking a U.S. push for new and tougher UN sanctions against the Hermit Kingdom and its enablers over those doubts.
The paper reported: Russia on Thursday blocked a U.N. Security Council Resolution drafted by the U.S. that called for “significant measures” in response to North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The U.S. circulated the statement among the 15-member council after announcing plans for a new sanctions resolution against the nuclear-armed regime in North Korea. But an objection by Russia killed the statement, said a U.N. diplomat. Russian officials argued that the missile launch Tuesday had not been verified as an intercontinental missile. 
CONTINUE http://www.charismanews.com/politics/issues/66073-report-russia-has-taken-a-side-in-the-u-s-north-korea-dispute

Report: Russia has Taken a Side in the U.S.-North Korea Dispute
9:00AM EDT 7/7/2017 BOB ESCHLIMAN
North Korean Hwasong-14 ICBM
Russia does noth believe North Korea's launch of a Hwasong-14 constituted a test of an ICBM and is blocking a U.S. effort to enact tougher UN sanctions on the Hermit Kingdom. (Reuters photo)
North Korea declared its Tuesday launch of a Hwasong-14 missile constituted its first-ever successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The United States, South Korea, and Japan have concluded it was an ICBM. The United Nations has concluded it was an ICBM. Independent observers in the scientific community say the data suggest it was an ICBM, too.

Russia says it's not so sure. And, as The Washington Times was reporting Thursday night, it's blocking a U.S. push for new and tougher UN sanctions against the Hermit Kingdom and its enablers over those doubts.

The paper reported:

Russia on Thursday blocked a U.N. Security Council Resolution drafted by the U.S. that called for "significant measures" in response to North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The U.S. circulated the statement among the 15-member council after announcing plans for a new sanctions resolution against the nuclear-armed regime in North Korea. But an objection by Russia killed the statement, said a U.N. diplomat.

Russian officials argued that the missile launch Tuesday had not been verified as an intercontinental missile.

It is guaranteed this will become one of the principle issues President Donald Trump brings up during his first-ever face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders were still scheduled to meet as of this writing on the sidelines of Friday's G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Putin may be attempting his own "tough negotiations" with the president, who just announced Thursday he was expanding the availability of liquified natural gas shipments to Eastern Europe—breaking into what was once a Russian monopoly. He may also be looking for a softened approach regarding his nation's invasion of parts of Ukraine.

Neither the White House nor the U.S. Mission to the United Nations has responded to questions about the report. The president has said, however, he would not be "telegraphing" what action he plans to take, but has made it clear he is willing to forge his own path to a solution—diplomatic or otherwise—if the UN Security Council is unable to act due to obstruction from the Russians or Chinese.

The current situation is untenable, almost every Asia-Pacific security expert has warned, now that Alaska, much of Canada, and several key U.S. allies in the region are all now within range of what North Korea has described as a "nuclear capable" missile. There are also substantial doubts as to whether or not U.S. missile defense systems will be fully capable for protecting U.S. assets and interests from  such an attack.


U.S. bombers challenge China in South Sea flyover…
JULY 7, 2017
Two U.S bombers have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Air Force said on Friday, asserting the right to treat the region as international territory despite China’s claim to virtually all of the waterway. The flight by the B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam on Thursday came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping
prepare for a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Germany. The two leaders were expected to discuss what China can do to rein in North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapon programs. North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday that some experts believe have the range to reach Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
 READ MORE http://news.trust.org/item/20170707063040-qwkw2
U.S. bombers challenge China in South China Sea flyover
by Reuters
Friday, 7 July 2017 10:27 GMT
* Two B-1B bombers flew from Guam over the South China Sea

* Bombers conducted night-time training with Japanese fighters

* Flight comes ahead of expected meeting between Trump and Xi (Adds ministry comment, previous TOKYO)

TOKYO/BEIJING, July 7 (Reuters) - Two U.S bombers have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Air Force said on Friday, asserting the right to treat the region as international territory despite China's claim to virtually all of the waterway.

The flight by the B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam on Thursday came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Germany.

The two leaders were expected to discuss what China can do to rein in North Korea's missile and nuclear weapon programmes.

North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday that some experts believe has the range to reach Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

While Trump has been seeking China's help to press North Korea, the U.S. military has, nevertheless, been asserting its "freedom of navigation" rights in the South China Sea, at the risk of angering China.

Asked about the flight by the two U.S. bombers, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said there was no problem with freedom of navigation or overflight for the East and South China Seas.

"But China resolutely opposes individual countries using the banner of freedom of navigation and overflight to flaunt military force and harm China's sovereignty and security," he said.

China's Defence Ministry, in a short statement sent to Reuters, said China always maintained its vigilance and "effectively monitors relevant countries' military activities next to China".

"The Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability," it added, without elaborating.

The United States has criticised China's build-up of military facilities on South China Sea reefs and tiny islands it has constructed, concerned that they could be used to extend its strategic reach.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims in the sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes each year.

The two Lancers that made the flight had earlier trained with Japanese jet fighters in the neighbouring East China Sea, the first time the two forces had conducted joint night-time drills.

Two U.S. Lancers flew from Guam over the South China Sea last month, while a U.S. warship carried out a manoeuvring drill within 12 nautical miles of one of China's artificial islands in the waterway in late May. (Reporting by Tim Kelly in TOKYO; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Paul Tait, Robert Birsel)


WAR DRUMS: U.S. Bombers Carry Out Exercise in South Korea in Show of Force to North
JULY 8, 2017
Two U.S. B-1B bombers and American and South Korean fighter jets on Friday conducted an exercise that included practicing attack capabilities at a training range, in a show of force to North Korea days after that regime tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. U.S. Pacific Command said the Lancer bombers took off from an air base in Guam and “practiced attack capabilities by releasing inert weapons at the Pilsung Range.” The Pilsung Range is well inside South

Korean territory, but local media reported that the bombers also flew close to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two countries although they did not enter the zone or cross any demarcation lines. “North Korea’s actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland,” Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Terrence O’ Shaughnessy said in a statement. 
READ MORE http://endtimeheadlines.org/2017/07/war-drums-u-s-bombers-carry-exercise-south-korea-show-force-north/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-bombers-carry-out-exercise-near-dmz-show-force-n780726
U.S. Bombers Carry Out Exercise in South Korea in Show of Force to North
by STELLA KIM, COURTNEY KUBE and PHIL HELSEL
SEOUL, South Korea — Two U.S. B-1B bombers and American and South Korean fighter jets on Friday conducted an exercise that included practicing attack capabilities at a training range, in a show of force to North Korea days after that regime tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.

U.S. Pacific Command said the Lancer bombers took off from an air base in Guam and "practiced attack capabilities by releasing inert weapons at the Pilsung Range."

The Pilsung Range is well inside South Korean territory, but local media reported that the bombers also flew close to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two countries although they did not enter the zone or cross any demarcation lines.

"North Korea's actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland," Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Terrence O’ Shaughnessy said in a statement. "Let me be clear, if called upon we are trained, equipped and ready to unleash the full lethal capability of our allied air forces."

Image: U.S. Sends Two B-1B Bombers To South Korea Following North Korean Ballistic Missile Launch
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber (top) flies with South Korean jets during a joint live fire drill Friday. Handout / Getty Images
Two U.S. officials said the show of force was intended to “send a clear message” to North Korea, ruled by the dictator Kim Jong Un.

"South Korea and U.S. air forces will immediately respond to enemy provocation in any form anytime and anywhere," South Korean air force operational commander Lieutenant-General Won In Chu told reporters in a text message.

On Tuesday, North Korea fired a "two-stage" ICBM that the U.S. had never before seen used by Pyongyang, a missile Defense Department officials believe is capable of traveling 3,500 miles.

The launch by the self-declared nuclear regime was condemned by the United States and others. It was the first time North Korea had successfully tested an ICBM. The United States condemned the move, firing warning missiles and vowing to hold the regime accountable at the United Nations.

Friday's show of force by the U.S. differed from those in the past in that it involved inert weapons dropped at Pilsung Range, and was carried out as a specific response to this week’s missile tests, the two U.S. officials said. Other displays had been planned long in advance.
VIDEO  nbc news NKorea Missile is New Threat to America: What Are The Options Now? 1:57
As the Lancer bombers returned to Guam, they were joined by Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets over the East China Sea, Pacific Command said.

Although North Korea is barred under a U.N. resolution from firing ballistic missiles, it routinely does so, saying its arsenal is a necessary tool to defend itself from the United States. The country has conducted five nuclear weapons tests since 2006, with two last year alone.

If the ICBM type tested by North Korea on Tuesday is capable of traveling 3,500 miles, that range means it could be able to reach Alaska.

Earlier Friday, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said it would conduct a test of an anti-missile system based in Kodiak, Alaska in July. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system will be used to detect, track and engage a target with an interceptor, Missile Command said. A date of the test was not announced.

Image: B-1B Bomber Flights
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, lies at Andersen Air Force Base on July 7, 2017 in Guam before it conducts a sequenced bilateral mission with South Korean F-15 and Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) F-2 fighter jets. A1C Jacob Skovo / Air Force
Courtney Kube reported from Washington D.C., Phil Helsel reported from Los Angeles. 
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-bombers-carry-out-exercise-near-dmz-show-force-n780726

WAR DRUMS: Tillerson calls for ‘global action’ to stop North Korea nuclear program
JULY 5, 2017
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for “global action” to stop North Korea after the country claimed they successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Tuesday. Tillerson condemned the missile launch in a statement, saying that “testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world.” “Global action is required to stop a global threat,” Tillerson said. “Any country that hosts North Korean
guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.” Tillerson called on all countries to show North Korea that there are “consequences” for their nuclear weapons test and that the U.S. will bring up the actions before the U.N. Security Council and seek harsher measures against the country. “As we, along with other, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korean,” Tillerson said.
 READ MORE http://thehill.com/news-by-subject/foreign-policy/340629-tillerson-calls-for-global-action-to-stop-north-korea-nuclear

GAME CHANGER: North Korea’s Intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking Alaska
JULY 4, 2017
North Korea on Tuesday said it had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting US experts to say the device could reach Alaska.   The launch, which came as the United States prepared to mark its Independence Day, triggered a Twitter outburst from President Donald Trump who urged China to ‘put a heavy move’ on North Korea to ‘end this nonsense once and for all’. The North has long sought to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead
to the continental United States – something that Trump has vowed ‘won’t happen’, and launch marks a new phase in the country’s decades-long weapons program. In an announcement of the missile test, North Korean officials called the launch, which leader Kim Jong-un supervised, a ‘glistening miracle’.  The missile launch prompted control specialist Jeffrey Lewis to respond on Twitter:  
READ MORE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4663716/Test-launch-ICBM-means-Kim-Jong-strike-US.html

RUMORS OF WAR: Japan increases Evacuation drills to prepare for missile attacks
JULY 4, 2017
Amid North Korea’s repeated missile launches, evacuation drills conducted with the participation of local residents and based on the scenario that a missile strike is imminent are being held in many places across the nation. Such drills have already been conducted in nine prefectures, and there are more scheduled to be carried out in at least 11 prefectures. This
month, the nation’s first drill in which people will evacuate to an underground mall is scheduled to occur in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. People who might face such an emergency are required to evacuate in a different way than in the event of an earthquake. Since the start of this year, North Korea has fired ballistic missiles that left and reentered the atmosphere nine times. 
READ MORE http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003795900

RUMORS OF WAR: North Korea missile launch marks a direct challenge to Trump administration
JULY 4, 2017
North Korea’s test launch Tuesday of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile marks a direct challenge to President Trump, whose tough talk has yet to yield any change in Pyongyang’s behavior as the regime continues efforts to build a nuclear weapon capable of striking the mainland United States. The latest missile flew higher and remained in the
air longer than previous attempts — enough to reach all of Alaska, experts said, in a major milestone for North Korea’s weapons program. The test comes just before Trump will see key Asian leaders and Russian President Vladi­mir Putin later this week. North Korea was already expected to be a main subject for meetings on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit, but the test adds urgency to a widening U.S. campaign aimed at further isolating North Korea. 
READ MORE https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/north-korea-claims-successful-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-test-defying-international-condemnation/2017/07/04/4f804488-609c-11e7-8adc-fea80e32bf47_story.html?utm_term=.068dd19383c4


WAR DRUMS: U.S. warns North Korea it is prepared to go to war
JULY 5, 2017
The U.S. warned North Korea that it is ready to fight if provoked, as Pyongyang claimed another weapons-development breakthrough following its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile a day earlier.  The regime, having demonstrated its capacity to reach the U.S. with a missile, on Wednesday touted another achievement of the test launch: It claimed that
its missile warhead–the forward section, which carries the explosive–can withstand the extreme heat and pressure of re-entering the earth’s atmosphere.  If true–the claim couldn’t be independently verified–that would clear another hurdle in developing a nuclear-tipped missile that can reach American cities.  As tensions between Washington and Pyongyang rose, Gen. Vincent Brooks, the top American military commander in South Korea, said in a statement. 
READ MORE http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/07/05/u-s-tells-north-korea-it-is-prepared-to-go-to-war.html

Rise of Modern Day Witches!
JULY 5, 2017
Gala Darling reveals that her spiritual awakening was like the moment in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy wakes up, miraculously transported from the sepia world of rural Kansas to the technicolor land of Oz. Darling is standing beside her altar—a round, pink table laid with energy-charged crystals and magic candles—at The Wing, an all-women social club in Manhattan where 60 members and guests have signed up for her “Radical Self-Love Workshop.”
A 33-year-old writer and self-help guru, she explains how her years-long fog of depression lifted when she discovered “tapping,” an ancient Eastern healing technique that she describes as “a combination of acupuncture and cosmic psychology.”  The audience is rapt because Darling isn’t just a self-help guru but a stylish, sassy witch who swears often and radiates cool-girl vibes. She used to be “really goth and cynical” and thought tapping was “bull****”—until, she says, it worked. Now she casts spells on Donald Trump.  
READ MORE http://www.thedailybeast.com/these-modern-witches-want-to-cast-a-spell-on-you

Ex-Spice Girl turns to God, Gets blessing of child
JULY 5, 2017
Former Spice Girl Geri Horner (formerly Halliwell) is speaking out about a blessing she believes God bestowed upon her after she struggled to conceive her second child and turned to prayer for help. Horner told the Toronto Sun in a recent interview that she decided to appeal to God one day when she was uncertain whether naturally conceiving her baby with husband Christian Horner would be possible. She’s 44 and wasn’t quite sure if having another kid would even be possible.

“Bluebell, my daughter, said to me, ‘Please don’t give up,’” Horner said. “Sometimes in life, when our back is against the wall, you suddenly think, ‘Maybe I’m not running the show here, maybe there’s something bigger than myself.’” So, the ex-Spice Girl whose stage name was “Ginger” said she decided to turn to prayer and ask God for some help. “I actually said a prayer. I went, ‘God, if you exist, then I’ll have a baby naturally.’ 
READ MORE http://www.faithwire.com/2017/06/28/god-if-you-exist-famous-singer-turns-to-prayer-after-struggling-to-conceive-and-receives-awesome-gift/



WAR DRUMS: Tillerson calls for ‘global action’ to stop North Korea nuclear program
JULY 5, 2017
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for “global action” to stop North Korea after the country claimed they successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Tuesday. Tillerson condemned the missile launch in a statement, saying that “testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world.” “Global action is required to stop a global threat,” Tillerson said. “Any country that hosts North Korean
guest workers, provides any economic or military benefits, or fails to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions is aiding and abetting a dangerous regime.” Tillerson called on all countries to show North Korea that there are “consequences” for their nuclear weapons test and that the U.S. will bring up the actions before the U.N. Security Council and seek harsher measures against the country. “As we, along with other, have made clear, we will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korean,” Tillerson said. 
READ MORE http://endtimeheadlines.org/2017/07/war-drums-tillerson-calls-global-action-stop-north-korea-nuclear-program/

U.S. Army and South Korean military conduct emergency missile exercise in response to NK
JULY 5, 2017
The U.S. Army and South Korean military responded to North Korea’s latest launch with their own exercise of missiles, launching them Wednesday into South Korean territorial waters along the country’s eastern coastline, U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement. The launches were directly in response to “North Korea’s destabilizing and unlawful actions,” Pacific Command said. The Army used its Army Tactical Missile System and South Korea used its Hyunmoo
Missile II, which can be deployed rapidly and provide “deep strike precision capability,” Pacific Command said. The South Korean-U.S. military alliance “remains committed to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Asia-Pacific,” Pacific Command said. “The U.S. commitment to the defense of the [Republic of Korea] in the face of threats is ironclad.” 
READ MORE https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/07/04/u-s-army-and-south-korean-military-respond-to-north-koreas-launch-with-missile-exercise/?utm_term=.d00ddbfd81a8


Foreigners own 1 million+ acres of agricultural land in 9 states…
JULY 5, 2017
Georgia is among nine states where foreign interests own more than 1 million acres of land deemed agricultural, according to a recent report by The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. The roster of foreign owners shows companies or individuals from at least 39 countries own Georgia crop, pasture, timberland or other land. Companies from tiny Liechtenstein own 6,398 acres. Interests in Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have 2,074 acres. German interests report
owning about 225,000 acres. Georgia has also attracted investments from Japan, China, Sweden, Peru, Greece, Guyana, Canada, Australia and Cayman Islands, among the 39 countries listed in data obtained by the center. Under a 1978 federal law, foreign interests must file reports with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on transactions involving agricultural land. The Midwest Center used a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the information, which covers the years from 1900 to 2014. 
READ MORE http://investigations.blog.myajc.com/2017/07/04/foreigners-own-1-million-acres-of-georgia-ag-land/

APPLE Testing 3D Face Scanning for Next Generation iPhone…
JULY 5, 2017
Yesterday, a leak from one of the most reliable Apple rumor sleuths claimed that the iPhone 8 won’t feature a fingerprint scanner integrated into the display. That feature has been expected for some time. But if a new report is correct, it seems that fingerprints are going to be replaced with 3D facial recognition. Citing people familiar with the product who did not want to be named, Bloomberg reports that Apple is currently testing whole face 3D scanning with the goal of integrating it
into the upcoming iPhone 8. A new 3D sensor is said to be the backbone of the technology and iris scanning may also be a feature. The sources say that designers are focused on increasing the speed of the sensor’s recognition capabilities and that it only takes “a few hundred milliseconds” to unlock the phone. It can reportedly recognize faces even if the phone is laying flat on a table. 
READ MORE https://gizmodo.com/report-apple-hopes-to-replace-fingerprints-with-a-3d-f-1796621042


Trump Calls For UN Crisis Meeting Over North Korea
JULY 5, 2017
President Donald Trump called an emergency meeting on the Fourth of July to formulate a ‘measured response’ to North Korea‘s first intercontinental ballistic missile test, amid fears it could reach as far as Alaska. North Korea declared Tuesday that it had finally achieved its dream of building an intercontinental ballistic missile, saying it would ‘fundamentally put an end to the US nuclear war threat and blackmail’. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later confirmed the latest missile

test was with an intercontinental ballistic missile. And Tillerson says that’s a new escalation of the threat posed to the United States and the world by North Korea.  The launch, which came as the United States prepared to mark its Independence Day, triggered a Twitter outburst from Trump who urged China to ‘put a heavy move’ on North Korea to ‘end this nonsense once and for all’. 
READ MORE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4665438/Trump-calls-emergency-meeting-North-Korea-missile.html


Robot Work Replacements Coming To a City Near You!
JULY 4, 2017
Grilling burgers may be fun on the Fourth of July, but less so if hot grease is your daily grind. Enter Miso Robotics. The southern California start-up has built a robotic “kitchen assistant” called Flippy to do the hot, greasy and repetitive work of a fry cook. Flippy employs machine learning and computer vision to identify patties on a grill, track them as they cook,
flip and then place them on a bun when they’re done. Miso is part of a budding kitchen automation industry. Its peers include Zume Pizza, Cafe X, Makr Shakr, Frobot and Sally, which are developing robots to help commercial kitchens churn out pizzas, lattes, cocktails, frozen yogurt, and salads. In a recent CNBC interview, Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed predicted robots would replace fast food workers by the mid-2020s. It’s not as if workers love those jobs. 
READ MORE http://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/04/miso-robotics-is-bringing-artificial-intelligence-to-restaurants.html


Within 30 years we will no longer use sex to procreate
JULY 4, 2017
Within three decades people will no longer be having sex to procreate, a professor from Stanford University has said.  Hank Greely, the director of Stanford’s Law School’s Center for Law and the Biosciences, believes the reproductive process will begin with parents choosing from a range of embryos created in a lab with their DNA.  Although this can already take place, Mr Greely believes it will become far cheaper to do so and couples will opt for this method to prevent
diseases. The process involves taking a female skin sample to create stem cells, which is then used to create eggs.  These eggs are then fertilized with sperm cells, resulting in a selection of embryos. Screening of the embryos would highlight any potential diseases and the Stanford professor believes the process will get to a point where parents can also potentially have the ability to choose eye or hair color.  
READ MORE http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/sex-procreation-hank-greely-stanford-professor-prediction-humans-no-longer-reproduce-a7821676.html


DAYS OF LOT: Oregon now offering third gender on licenses…
JULY 4, 2017
Oregon has become the first state in U.S. history to offer more than two gender options on identity documents, including driver’s licenses, making it the first to legally recognize non-binary, intersex and agender people on ID cards. The history-making rule went into effect on July 3. Oregon residents now have the option to choose among three gender categories
when applying for driver’s licenses or state ID cards: male, female and “X” for non-binary or unspecified. For Army veteran Jamie Shupe, who in June 2016 became the nation’s first person to legally change their gender to non-binary, it’s the culmination of an emotional, exciting year. “I’ve trembled with the fear of failure and cried tears until I had no more tears to cry, because of the magnitude of what’s been at stake — and now won,” Shupe told NBC News. 
READ MORE http://www.kgw.com/news/local/oregon-becomes-first-state-to-add-third-gender-to-drivers-licenses_/453853853

GAME CHANGER: North Korea’s Intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking Alaska
JULY 4, 2017
North Korea on Tuesday said it had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting US experts to say the device could reach Alaska.   The launch, which came as the United States prepared to mark its Independence Day, triggered a Twitter outburst from President Donald Trump who urged China to ‘put a heavy move’ on North Korea to ‘end this nonsense once and for all’. The North has long sought to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead
to the continental United States – something that Trump has vowed ‘won’t happen’, and launch marks a new phase in the country’s decades-long weapons program. In an announcement of the missile test, North Korean officials called the launch, which leader Kim Jong-un supervised, a ‘glistening miracle’.  The missile launch prompted control specialist Jeffrey Lewis to respond on Twitter:  
READ MORE http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4663716/Test-launch-ICBM-means-Kim-Jong-strike-US.html

RUMORS OF WAR: Japan increases Evacuation drills to prepare for missile attacks
JULY 4, 2017
Amid North Korea’s repeated missile launches, evacuation drills conducted with the participation of local residents and based on the scenario that a missile strike is imminent are being held in many places across the nation. Such drills have already been conducted in nine prefectures, and there are more scheduled to be carried out in at least 11 prefectures. This
month, the nation’s first drill in which people will evacuate to an underground mall is scheduled to occur in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. People who might face such an emergency are required to evacuate in a different way than in the event of an earthquake. Since the start of this year, North Korea has fired ballistic missiles that left and reentered the atmosphere nine times. 
READ MORE http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003795900


RUMORS OF WAR: North Korea missile launch marks a direct challenge to Trump administration
JULY 4, 2017
North Korea’s test launch Tuesday of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile marks a direct challenge to President Trump, whose tough talk has yet to yield any change in Pyongyang’s behavior as the regime continues efforts to build a nuclear weapon capable of striking the mainland United States. The latest missile flew higher and remained in the
air longer than previous attempts — enough to reach all of Alaska, experts said, in a major milestone for North Korea’s weapons program. The test comes just before Trump will see key Asian leaders and Russian President Vladi­mir Putin later this week. North Korea was already expected to be a main subject for meetings on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit, but the test adds urgency to a widening U.S. campaign aimed at further isolating North Korea. 
READ MORE https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/north-korea-claims-successful-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-test-defying-international-condemnation/2017/07/04/4f804488-609c-11e7-8adc-fea80e32bf47_story.html?utm_term=.068dd19383c4

RUMORS OF WAR: Japan increases Evacuation drills to prepare for missile attacks
JULY 4, 2017
Amid North Korea’s repeated missile launches, evacuation drills conducted with the participation of local residents and based on the scenario that a missile strike is imminent are being held in many places across the nation. Such drills have already been conducted in nine prefectures, and there are more scheduled to be carried out in at least 11 prefectures. This
month, the nation’s first drill in which people will evacuate to an underground mall is scheduled to occur in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. People who might face such an emergency are required to evacuate in a different way than in the event of an earthquake. Since the start of this year, North Korea has fired ballistic missiles that left and reentered the atmosphere nine times. READ MORE  http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003795900

RUMORS OF WAR: Trump Administration Preparing Military Option for North Korea
JUNE 30, 2017
The Trump administration is considering a wider range of strategies on how to deal with North Korea, including the military option, Trump’s national security adviser said Wednesday. “The threat is much more immediate now and so it’s clear that we can’t repeat the same approach – failed approach of the past,” H.R. McMaster, the adviser, said during a security conference with Homeland Security Chief John Kelly.
He said it would be insanity to continue to do the same thing the U.S. has done for years and expect a different result. McMaster’s comments come a day before Trump is scheduled to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. South Korea’s new leader vowed to stand firmly with Trump against North Korea, downplaying his past advocacy for a softer approach toward the isolated regime. 
READ MORE http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/29/military-option-for-north-korea-being-prepared-for-trump-mcmaster-says.html

https://www.rt.com/news/394412-russia-us-syria-attack/
Moscow warns Washington against ‘incendiary, provocative action’ in Syria
Published time: 28 Jun, 2017 15:02
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FILE PHOTO. A Russian Su-30 fighter aircraft takes off from the Hmeimim airbase in Syria. © Maksim Blinov / Sputnik
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Moscow has warned the US against taking unilateral action in Syria, as there is no threat from the Syrian military, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. The statement comes after the US accused Syria of preparing for a chemical attack, without giving any evidence.
Asked if Russia had warned the US administration against any unilateral action in Syria, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Gennady Gatilov, replied that Russian officials have “always spoken about that, including in relation to their [US] latest strikes on Syrian armed forces.”

“We believe that it’s unacceptable and breaches Syria’s sovereignty, isn’t caused by any military need, and there is no threat to the US specialists from the Syrian Army. So it’s incendiary, provocative action,” Gatilov said, as cited by RIA Novosti.

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US Defense Secretary James Mattis © Aaron P. BernsteinTo avoid endless war in Syria, US deconflicts with Russia – Pentagon
On Monday evening, the White House claimed that Syrian President Bashar Assad was preparing a chemical attack and warned that the Syrian government would “pay a heavy price” if the attack was carried out, as cited by AP.

Hours later, the Pentagon said it had detected activity by the Syrian authorities in preparation for the attack. Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said that the US had seen “activity” at Shayrat airfield that showed “active preparations for chemical weapons use.”

The US government failed to provide any further details or proof of such claims, while the State Department’s spokesperson, Heather Nauert, said it was “an intelligence matter.”

When confronted by a journalist that Washington uses the phrase to justify anything that suits it, Nauert answered: “I’m not going to get into that one with you, but this is a very serious and great matter.”

On Wednesday, though, the US suggested that the Syrian leadership had swiftly changed its mind about planning an alleged attack. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, as cited by Reuters, said: “it appears that they [Syria’s authorities] took the warning seriously. They didn’t do it.”

The Syrian government, as well as Russian authorities, have denied any allegations against them, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that "such threats to Syria's legitimate leaders are unacceptable."

In the latest statement, Deputy Foreign Minister Gatilov said that Russia doesn’t rule out that “there may be provocations” following the announcement from Washington.

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 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson © Sergey GuneevRussia hoping Tillerson can stop 'Pentagon provocations' in Syria
The statements by the US administration complicate the [peace] negotiations in Astana and Geneva, and Moscow believes such attempts to boost the tensions around Syria are unacceptable.

"The statements on Syrian armed forces getting ready to use chemical weapons is complete nonsense… These assumptions aren’t based on anything, no one provides any facts," the Russian diplomat said.

"If the aim is to ramp up the spiral of tension, we think it’s unacceptable. It complicates the process of negotiations undertaken in Astana and Geneva," Gatilov underlined.

“We’ve seen this in the past. Of course there are many ill-wishers, who want to undermine the process [of negotiations]. So any provocations are possible,” the deputy foreign minister added.

Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued another official statement, saying: “We consider all these insinuations about chemical weapons which are being carried out in the worst traditions of the 2003 NATO intervention in Iraq as an ‘invitation’ for terrorists, extremists, and the armed opposition in Syria to carry out another large-scale provocation, which will result in the ‘unavoidable punishment’ of President Assad, according to Washington’s plans.”

In April, US President Donald Trump launched an attack on Syria with 59 Tomahawk missiles, which targeted Shayrat Airbase near the city of Homs. The strike was in response to what the US claimed was a chemical weapons attack in Khan Shaykhun, orchestrated by Syria’s government – something Damascus repeatedly denied.

South Korea ramp up tensions with the North as ballistic missile is tested in front of new president
JUNE 24, 2017
South Korea has ramped up tensions with North Korea with a test-launch of a ballistic missile. President Moon Jae-in watched over the launch as tensions in the region increase following reports of a new round of missile testing. An engagement with the North would only be possible when the South has the security ability to overwhelm them, the presidential office quoted Moon as he visited the state-run Agency for Defence Development.

“I believe in dialogue, but dialogue is possible when it’s backed by strong defense and engagement policy is possible only when we have security ability that can overwhelm the North,” Moon was quoted saying at the test site. It came hours after U.S. officials said North Korea has carried out a test of a rocket engine that they believe could be for an intercontinental ballistic missile. READ MORESouth Korea ramp up tensions with the North as ballistic missile is tested in front of new president
VIDEO South Korea ramp up tensions with the North as ballistic missile is tested in front of new president
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said engagement with the North would only be possible when his nation had the security ability to overwhelm them