North Korea Rattles Sabers

All those suddenly hawkish Democrats like Walter Mondale who were calling for a preemptive strike on the North Korean missile got the attention of the North Koreans. They threaten nuclear retaliation if the US makes such an attack.

The Korean Central News Agency, citing an unidentified Rodong Sinmun newspaper "analyst," accused the United States of increasing military pressure on the isolated communist state and basing new spy planes on the Korean Peninsula.

The North Korean threat of retaliation, which is often voiced by its state-controlled media, comes amid U.S. official reports that Pyongyang has shown signs of preparing for a test of a long-range missile. North Korea claims it has the right to such a launch.

On Friday, Pyongyang accused the United States of driving the situation on the Korean Peninsula "to the brink of war," and said it is fully prepared to counter any U.S. aggression.

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"This is a grave military provocation and blackmail to the DPRK, being an indication that the U.S. is rapidly pushing ahead in various fields with the extremely dangerous war moves," the dispatch said.

"The army and people of the DPRK are now in full preparedness to answer a pre-emptive attack with a relentless annihilating strike and a nuclear war with a mighty nuclear deterrent," the report said.

Meanwhile, it appears as if China may have finally acted to rein in their ally a bit and are offering new plans to break the deadlock in talks.

Speculation that Pyongyang could fire the missile has waned in recent days since the country's top ally and a major source of its energy supplies, China, reportedly urged North Korea not to go ahead with the test.

A news report said Monday that China has offered a new proposal over the stalled six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program.

Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan told Ichiro Ozawa, the head of Japan's main opposition party, that China had relayed the proposal to Japan, the two Koreas, the United States and Russia, Kyodo News agency reported, citing party officials.

The report did not elaborate on the proposal. An opposition party spokesman in Tokyo could not be reached for comment.

Thanks a bunch for the help, Wally.