US-Japan naval drills start as N Korea tensions rise

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

Japan and the United States have begun their biggest ever joint military exercises, amid growing tension in the region between North and South Korea.

More than 44,000 Japanese and American military personnel are taking part in the drill off Japan's southern islands.

Forty Japanese and 20 US warships are also involved, as are hundreds of military aircraft.

=snip=

South Korean observers are present for the first time

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11907026

[Goldstein1984]

1. Military exercises and missile tests

Provovation when done by them.

Preparation when done by us.

When I was a kid, I was poking at a little rattlesnake with a stick that was way too short. I was told, "If that bites you it will be your own fault."

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made the rich so much richer, and the bad economy supplies a steady flow of recruits driven to enlist by economically-induced patriotism, so HELL YES! another war would be just fine about now.

[Arrowhead2k1]

2. I'm surprised the government hasn't taken advantage of the heightened tensions in Korea

to "wag the dog" and draw attention away from this wikileaks fiasco. Or maybe I'm speaking too soon...

[Turborama]

3. "biggest ever joint military exercises"

Could turn into something else very quickly in that location. I hope they don't, though.