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KCNA via Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a Korean People's Army Unit in this undated picture released by the official KCNA news agency on Thursday.
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea has bolstered its defenses against a "hostile" United States with its third nuclear test, it said on Thursday, noting that countries that had bowed to U.S. pressure to abandon their nuclear plans had suffered "tragic consequences."
Pyongyang carried out its largest nuclear test to date last week, in defiance of U.N. resolutions, prompting warnings of tougher sanctions for the isolated and impoverished state and its young ruler, Kim Jong Un.
Libya abandoned its nuclear program in 2003 in a bid to mend relations with the United States and later saw leader Moammar Gadhafi overthrown in an uprising that was eventually supported militarily by Washington.
North Korea releases a new propaganda video calling the U.S. hostile and showing images of President Obama superimposed with flames. Meanwhile, residents line the streets of Pyongyang celebrating the country's recent nuclear test. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
In apparent reference to Libya, North Korea said it never backed down.
"The tragic consequences in those countries which abandoned halfway their nuclear programs... clearly prove that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) was very far-sighted and just when it made the (nuclear) option," North Korea's KCNA news agency said.
Kim staged the latest test in response to tighter U.N. sanctions imposed in January after the country launched a long-range rocket last year in a move that critics said was designed to prove technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile.
North Korea has recently stepped up its rhetoric against South Korea, threatening to destroy its rich, democratic neighbor.
Most military assessments suggest that North Korea would lose any war against the U.S.-backed South and that its leaders would not risk a major conflict.
Related:
North Korea propaganda video shows an American city in flames
North Korea's propaganda poets stay true to their muse despite world's laughter
PhotoBlog: Kim Jong Un inspects army unit
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I'm sure that this statement will keep U.S. leaders awake at night. Do the North Koreans actually think their handful of nuclear warheads & primitive delivery systems (by U.S. standards) to deliver them could protect them from this imaginary "threat" by the U.S.? Their leaders couldn't be dumb enough to think they could seriously hold their own in a showdown with the U.S. using their WWII era military technology.If they tried, they would meet the same fate that Saddam Hussein did. These nukes represent nothing more than a very slight upgrade to the poor hand they plan to use as a negotiating ploy with the U.S.
"Baby Cheeks" KJ is making the world take notice of a country that otherwise would be a footnote in history.
hehe, boy do we have them fooled. If we wait long enough, they will starve themselves to death. Problem is, they will get desperate enough that they will attack S Korea, and then we have to react. We can just nuke the country, no one will really care except China, but even they don't care too much either as N. Korea is a burden for any of their allies. Like I said, we have to just wait them out, they will destroy themselves like the US is doing to itself. No one really cares.
give S Korea 1 month to temporarily evacuate, then throw the kitchen sink at this 3rd world POS barren wasteland with a bunch of stinkin goots that are damaging the fish population.
50 million people on the tip of a peninsula. Where would they evacuate to and how would they get there?
send a bunch of Carnival Cruise ships over there and sail towards China. Overpopulated already, a few more people is not going to make a difference
Why, do we even print or post on the internet what these North Korea Fools say or do. We give them just what they want...plublicity. What we should do is take out the headquartes of these idiots and free the people that are starving. Notice how fat Kim Jung Jr. is....not many of his people look this good. He must like his American pizza and casndy bars to much.
well, you know why the rest of the people in NK arent eating. KJ is eating it all.
"Hostile US" ? Have they looked lately to see who the POTUS is?..... a spineless jellyfish...lmao
Little gw bush-League was a brainless horses ass. That dick, Cheney, pulled his strings. Republicans are the embodiment of DEATH. The Depends Corporation thanks the LOSERS TO AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN TWICE IN A ROW for the increase in business. What's the difference between a Republican and a used car salesman: the used car salesman knows when he's lying. That dick: Cheney!
Q: When KJ fires a nuke up Obama's azzz, guess who he is going to run to for help?
A: A guy with balls who just so happens to own a ranch in Texas.
They don't need to worry. The US has done nothing to stop them from getting the bomb. They'll be able to deliver it soon.
To be fair, they didn't do anything to stop us from getting the bomb and we can deliver it now.
I think their strategy is working perfectly. The more they do, the more we sanction them, and the less good that seems to do...I'm betting we will turn the corner and flip things around. Lift sanctions without many conditions and prove to them we are not in any game except to keep the whole world safe from tyrany. They would then lose the need and will to continue building weapons.
I for one believe that NK is saber rattling, if NK is not aware of the devastating consequences of launching any type of war headed missile toward SK, Japan, China, Russia or the USA, would result in. Than they are truly out of touch with reality. Which makes NK a rouge nation, very unpredictable and dangerous. In this case there is one thing that the US, China and Russia can do. That is tell NK that ANY provocative action on their part will be responded to in the strongest of terms and on this we stand united. Oh BTW, the Korean War never really ended, there was a "cease fire" signed. And to this day it has not been violated, that I am aware of.
Oh JOHN-3302557, if the US would have done what you stated about dropping a atomic bomb on NK to end the war. We would have been attacked by China, then what ? WW III ? Don't think we would be here talking about it now, do you ? Besides Ike would have NEVER given the order, why ? Because he knew form his military expeince where it would lead !
Folks, please get off the 'China will take care of North Korea's antics' commentary. China is pleased as punch with North Korea. Sees the U.S. as obscessed with a pimple (NK) while ignoring the metastasizing major cancer of China. Right now we are finally waking up to China's total infiltration of our internet and stealing sensitive information and patented data.
North Korea is a bothersome fly in the kitchen. China is a python in your bedroom. Be wary.
Nuke these inbred creatures from the black lagoon!!!!
Difficult to image the world of make believe that round cheeked little despot lives in.
our president is a pussy when it comes this bull@!$%#
I must say this time North Korea probably has a point.
NK has a valid point. The only way to deal with US is through strength. NK can no longer be bullied with impunity as NK has means to fight back.
NK is far from a threat. Leave NK alone and there willl be no trouble.
The spade of joint military exercises between US and Sk at the door step of Nk is a provokation and beating up war drums.
Korea, what an @!$%#.
Know what? I don't care. Let them throw tantrums, but if they cross a certain line, they're toast. End of story. We just need to draw that line.
someone should start a petition to send the north korean leadership an h bomb. with our regards of course.