Seoul says North's warning on flights 'inhumane,' 'military threat'

Seoul - South Korea on Friday condemned North Korea for 'a military threat' and 'an inhumane act,' a day after Pyongyang said it could not guarantee the safety of South Korean civilian aircraft flying in or near its airspace. Young North Koreans dance in the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea, on 16 February 2009 to celebrate the 67th birthday of leader Kim Jong-il. South Korea on Friday condemned North Korea for 'a military threat' and 'an inhumane act,' a day after Pyongyang said it could not guarantee the safety of South Korean civilian aircraft flying in or near its airspace. EPA/KCNA

Young North Koreans dance in the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea, on 16 February 2009 to celebrate the 67th birthday of leader Kim Jong-il. South Korea on Friday condemned North Korea for 'a military threat' and 'an inhumane act,' a day after Pyongyang said it could not guarantee the safety of South Korean civilian aircraft flying in or near its airspace. EPA/KCNA'A military threat to the normal operations of civil airplanes not only violates international rules but is also an inhumane act that can never be justified,' the Unification Ministry in Seoul said. South Korea demanded that the North immediately withdraw its threat as South Korean airlines Korean Air and Asiana Airlines redirected their planes that had flown the affected routes. Under an international agreement, South Korean airliners are permitted to travel briefly through North Korean airspace on routes between South Korean and US cities. The indirect threat to shoot down South Korean planes was made as South Korea and the United States prepared to begin 11 days of annual joint military exercises Monday. Every year, the manoeuvres draw the wrath of Pyongyang, which charges they are a prelude to an invasion. It also occurred amid rising tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula. North Korea has repeatedly threatened the South with destruction, accusing it of engaging in a confrontational inter-Korean policy. South Korea has said that its Stalinist neighbour has been preparing for weeks to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile potentially capable of reaching the western US coast, but North Korea has said it is readying a satellite launch. The US government also condemned North Korea's latest threat as 'distinctly unhelpful.' Pyongyang should be focused on meeting its nuclear disarmament commitments under the six-nation talks 'rather than making statements that are threatening to peaceful aviation,' State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said Thursday. The United States and South Korea are involved in the six-nation talks with North Korea, China, Japan and Russia. The talks have been stalled, however, over Pyongyang's refusal to allow samples to be taken at North Koean nuclear facilities as part of a procedure for ensuring it has fully disclosed the extent of its nuclear programme as part of the disarmament agreement. North Korea blames the hold up on the refusal of the other countries to continue providing promised aid shipments. North Korea's threat this week came as the new US envoy, Stephan Bosworth, was in the region for talks with China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

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SP4: right out,...Mar 6th, 2009 - 17:56:57

...of the frightened totalitarian playbook.

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Sp4, Do you mean ...Mar 6th, 2009 - 19:22:29

'Frightened' ... Like Bush's notion of starting a war, with a country that didn't attack us?... based solely on the idea 'they might have something, that they may use someday, maybe, if they have them'?

You know that little ol'war started from Fear ... the Fear YOU had, SP4!

(then of course we find out they didn't have WMDs... and SP4, don't go off about a few rusty artillery shells that even George bush doesn't call WMDs ... you make yourself look really, really stupid every time you do that)

You high-horse, SP4 ... on that point, is pretty short.

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TO: Sp4, Do you mean ...Mar 6th, 2009 - 19:33:59

'You high-horse, SP4 .'

Don't you mean: 'You high, horse's Arse?'
How's your grow-show doing, SP? Did you ever cure that mite problem on your plants?

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@ To: Sp4, Do you meanMar 6th, 2009 - 19:43:02

Actually I meant to type 'Your high-horse, SP4'

But I like your toke ... er, I mean take, on it too.

Both are equally correct.

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SP4: tsk tsk...mission accomplished!Mar 6th, 2009 - 19:46:09

over 500 WMD's were found, with two detonated on Iraqi soil, and as the Nobel prize winner of 2008 said '..we did not have to find WMD's in Iraq to know that Saddam intended to aquire, and use them, as he already had'

Iraq, today is a working democracy, with less violence than Pakistan and better treatment for citizens than India.

Mission accomplished!

Now go inform yourself, and take your little N. Korean despot with you...

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yeah, right, EssPeeMar 6th, 2009 - 19:48:18

whatever you say.

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I knew SP4 couldn't resist the baitMar 6th, 2009 - 20:18:37

Hey SP4 ... It's easy to play you ... just like a cheap fiddle.

I love it.

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There you go with the '500 WMDs' crap about rusty, useless shells ... did you catch the part about 'rusty, and useless'?

PLEASE explain to us how those were remotely close to 'Mushroom Clouds' ... and an 'Imminent Threat to Western Civilization'

500 useless shells 'an imminent threat to western civilization'?!

Bwa Ha ha ha

Gauwd you love to make yourself look desperate.

As I mentioned ... Even your butt buddy Bush doesn't try to use them as examples of WMDs.

In fact ... only you and Limbaugh do that. (they call you 'ditto-heads' for a reason ... 'ditto' because you don't think for yourselves.)

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Re: 'Iraq, today is a working democracy .... Mission Accomplished'

Yeah you are that stupid SP4.

Mission Accomplished? ... hardly ...

There's still a war going on there, if you haven't noticed.

Didn't you learn the first time about 'Prematurely saying Mission Accomplished'

There you go SP4 ... counting your seedlings before they've budded, again.