[size=55:28qxout6]BBC news 26 November 2010

N Korea warns war games take region to 'brink of war'
North Korea has warned that the impending joint military exercises by the South and the US are pushing the region to "
the brink of war"
.

A group of naval ships, led by a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier, is heading to the Yellow Sea to take part in the drill, due to begin on Sunday.

At least four people died on Tuesday when the North surprised Seoul by shelling a southern island.

The comments come as the South decides who to appoint as new defence minister.

The previous minister, Kim Tae-young, resigned after criticism that he was too slow to respond to the attack on the island of Yeonpyeong.

The barrage of shells, which killed four South Koreans, is one of the worst incidents between the two Koreas since the end of the Korean war in 1953, which concluded without a peace treaty.

"
The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the reckless plan of those trigger-happy elements to stage again war exercises targeted against the [North],"
the North's official KCNA news agency said.

'Reckless'

Artillery-like sounds were heard near Yeonpyeong island on Friday. South Korean officials said they were investigating.
The BBC's Chris Hogg, in Seoul, says the sounds appeared to be explosions taking place on North Korean territory.

Military sources, our correspondent adds, say this is possibly a military exercise but adds that the many on the island suspect it may be an attempt to manipulate a tense situation.

As a precaution, residents were ordered to take cover in shelters.

North Korea has warned it will "
wage second and even third rounds of attacks without any hesitation if warmongers in South Korea make reckless military provocations again"
.

Tougher stance

Though organised well ahead of this week's attack, the four-day naval manoeuvres are a show of defensive strength which, as well as angering North Korea, have also unsettled China, its major ally.
In response to Tuesday's incident, South Korea has already increased troop numbers on Yeonpyeong island, and has said it is changing its rules of engagement to allow it to respond more forcefully to similar incidents.

The cabinet had decided that under the old rules of engagement there was too much emphasis on preventing a military incident escalating into something worse, our correspondent says.

In future, the South would implement different levels of response depending on whether the North attacked military or civilian targets, a presidential spokesman said.

President Lee Myung-bak accepted Mr Kim's resignation "
to improve the atmosphere in the military and to handle the series of incidents"
, a presidential official said.

Earlier reports by local news agencies had suggested that Lee Hee-won, 61, had been named as new defence minister but Korean officials later said that no final decision had yet been made.

Mr Lee is a former four-star general who became deputy chief of the US-South Korea Joint Forces Command in 2005.

Whoever is appointed will now have the opportunity to overhaul the country's security apparatus, our correspondent says.

Pyongyang blames Seoul for this week's incident. The South was holding military exercises in the area at the time, and returned artillery fire following the North Korean shelling.

China, which has not apportioned blame, has urged both sides to show restraint.

A coincidence that the US just happens to be sending ships out there don't you think ??

I see what your saying Ashley I think as soon as this kicked off the US sent their ships out poking their nose as usual maybe there is something of interest to them out there just like there was/is in Iraq OIL

Russia sold several of it's old Attack subs to N Korea. I bet you think that Missile we saw launched last week off the coast of Los Angeles was a Jet..Ignorance is Bliss

"
no the world should not worry about north korea, they should be alert about America and Europe as these are the people who are dressed in sheep's clothing ready to swallow up anything that comes their way........they have been doing this for ages ! the white mans greed is what the north Koreans cannot tolerate anymore "
!
NK is run by one person not the people. The NK government is threatening war all the time until they get a bigger bribe.

This is very worrying I was listening to the news about this today and they have given fair warning to the us that if they continue with the war game on Sunday it will bring them to the brink of war but with this in mind why the us just back off until this all calms down instead of adding fuel to the fire as always it make me sick the the us think they are big brother and can do just what they like and it doesn't matter about life nor limb.

Nothing like a war to clear up financial problems world wide, bet the Bankers and the armament manufactures are rubbing their hands with glee lots of profit to be made, they care little

This actually does worry me. I know the North won't move without the Chinese say so, but take a look at what has been happening in the last few weeks. the Chinese might just see it as their chance to take over something which they make no secret of wanting to do. They will look at the NATO countries cutting military budgets, the US and UK in Afghanistan, the western economies weak. Yes this could get very serious indeed, the balance needs to be maintained.

Baba Vanga, a late prophet with an incredible track record, predicted that world war 3 would begin in November 2010, and not end until 2014. She also stated that it would begin as a normal war, but soon involve nuclear weapons, ultimately wiping out most Europeans, and causing the world as we know it to completely change as a result ::

Lets all keep our fingers crossed with this and hope it comes to nothing

Dont believe it will come to nothing,the yanks love a good war,and they will love it

Let us all hope that it will come to nothing. I notice they like wearing very big hats in the North, perhaps it's to accommodate their oversize heads!!

itchyfeet wrote:

Let us all hope that it will come to nothing. I notice they like wearing very big hats in the North, perhaps it's to accommodate their oversize heads!!

Love the way you put it itchyfee