New North Korean propaganda video shows White House in flames
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Bloomberg News and National Post Staff
Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2013
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The White House is blown up in the latest North Korean propaganda video. YouTube
At the same time the U.S. and South Korea were preparing to fly B-54 bombers over their country, North Korea released a propaganda video encouraging the bombing of the White House and U.S. Capitol Building.
“Firestorms will rain on the Headquarters of War” sits at about four minutes long and shows numerous minutes what are ostensibly North Korean troops firing hundreds of artillery rounds up in the air. After a few minutes of this, the video shows images of the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building overlaid by a targetting reticule and then a sort of community-access level fire-effect.
The news came as South Korea and the U.S. set to fly B-52 bombers over the North.
North Korea's missile arsenal, its potential reach and payloads CLICK TO ENLARGE
South Korea said a B-52 bomber will fly over South Korea on Tuesday for the second time in March as part of the U.S. effort to send a signal to North Korea after it threatened preemptive nuclear strikes.
“Just having the B-52 near the Korean peninsula and pass through means that the U.S. nuclear umbrella can be provided whenever necessary,” South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok told reporters in Seoul, declining to disclose Tuesday’s flight time. The bombers carry air-to-ground missiles with a range of up to 3,000 kilometres and “are believed to deliver nuclear warheads,” he said.
The first B-52 flight came on March 8 as part of joint U.S.-South Korea military drills, defence Department spokesman George Little said on Monday in a statement, adding such flights “are routine.” Deputy defence secretary Ashton Carter in Seoul on Monday reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to deter North Korea independent of its multi-billion dollar defence budget cuts.
The U.S. is increasing its defence capability against North Korea since the regime this month threatened preemptive nuclear strikes against its enemies in response to tightening United Nations sanctions. Tensions on the peninsula are the highest since at least 2010, and China on Monday criticized U.S. plans to bolster its regional anti-missile shield.
“We are drawing attention to the fact we have extended deterrence capabilities that we believe are important to demonstrate in the wake of recent North Korean rhetoric,” Little said on Monday in a statement.
We are in the midst right now of sending a very strong signal
North Korea on Tuesday called the U.S. a “wrecker of peace” and said the military drills are interfering with efforts to improve its impoverished economy.
“A state of hypertensity has dawned upon these lands, facing war, not peace,” according to a statement from the official Korean Central News Agency.
South Korean President Park Geun Hye reiterated that her government will “firmly respond” to any provocation, while promising to give aid to North Korea if it gives up nuclear weapons and “chooses the right path,” according to a statement on her website.
The U.S. flew the bomber out of Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in the first week of the annual two-month Foal Eagle exercise between the U.S. and South Korean forces.
“We are in the midst right now of sending a very strong signal that we have a firm commitment to the alliance with our Republic of Korea allies,” Little said. “This is a stepped-up training effort to demonstrate our resolve to protect South Korea.”
U.S. defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said March 15 that he will shift $1-billion from a European missile shield to install 14 additional missile interceptors in Alaska against threats by Iran and North Korea. Russia has dismissed the move, muffling hopes of arms control advocates that U.S. and Russia could improve relations and revive talks on reducing their nuclear arsenals.
youtube.com
In an undated photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and distributed Tuesday, March 19, 2013 by the Korea News Service, the Korean People's Army conducts a military drill in North Korea AP Photo/KCNA via KNS
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