Published: July 2, 2009

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles into the sea that lies between it and Japan on Thursday …

Can we please stop hastening to “be nice” and give Obama credit unless and until he EARNS it? Which, going by his track record, will be never but I’ll keep an open mind.

Yes, apparently. Here’s the proof.

petefrt on July 1, 2009 at 2:01 PM

Bammy’s found his true calling.

You are starting to sound the left wing Bush Haters, I do not like Obama either, I do not trust Kim but for the moment give credit to the one that did not blink.

old war horse on July 1, 2009 at 4:08 PM

Every POTUS since IKE has blinked and this empty suit backed him down? You don’t really believe that now do you?

North Korea only has 1 ship?
No other North Korean ships have left the ports of North Korea?

albill on July 1, 2009 at 4:17 PM

With those two simple questions, you have demonstrated a grasp of the subject far in excess of what has been seen from our government and our press over the past few weeks.

Visit any of the ships registries (several online) and take a look at the hulls that fly the NK flag, and their patterns of voyages. With deeper research, you can find third-nation flags, or wet-leased flags of convenience shipping that NK uses routinely.

The Kang Nam is a small coastal freighter…

North Korea has dozens of these, and dozens of larger ships, which hail out of Nampo…the main military cargo port of embarkation in North Korea.

If so, it was completely by accident.

tru2tx on July 1, 2009 at 1:02 PM
You are starting to sound the left wing Bush Haters, I do not like Obama either, I do not trust Kim but for the moment give credit to the one that did not blink.

Hong Kong is a ROCKIN Liberty Port… at least it was when I was there in the early 90s…

Any city that has a section of town named after a Hooker (she was a WWII spy against the Japenese…) has definatly got it goin on as a Liberty Port!

Romeo13 on July 1, 2009 at 3:24 PM

For those sensitive friends out there and change “hooker” to “evening entertainment sub contractor”

Now for the $64,000 question: does the Navy board the ship if it docks in Hong Kong?

Steve Z on July 1, 2009 at 3:07 PM

The US Navy boarding another nation’s ship inside the sovereign waters of China? Any time prior to 1999, maybe, if the UK agreed, but today? China has complete jurisdiction for all matters involving the port of Hong Kong.

The captain of the NK ship just realized he left the water running at home.

Daggett on July 1, 2009 at 1:00 PM

nah, they just realized Deadliest Catch is about crabbing, not missles.

Hong Kong seems like a great place for a crew to have “liberty”. I hope they have a great time.

Jeff from WI on July 1, 2009 at 3:12 PM

Hong Kong is a ROCKIN Liberty Port… at least it was when I was there in the early 90s…

Any city that has a section of town named after a Hooker (she was a WWII spy against the Japenese…) has definatly got it goin on as a Liberty Port!

Kim had threatened to rain nuclear retaliation for any unfriendly act by the US or anyone else, and had specifically and explicitly warned that a seizure of the ship would be considered an act of war.

Did I miss Kim reinstating the armistice he declared null and void after the nuclear test? If not, then technically he’s already at war with us. If he declared war again does anyone thing Barry would take him any more seriously? North Korea is, after all, a very small and insignificant country. Right?????

he U.S. officials, speaking in Washington on Tuesday, said they do not know where the ship is going. But it was some 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Hong Kong on Tuesday and heading north, one official said.

If we take this paragraph at face value, the ship is heading for Hong Kong. Now for the $64,000 question: does the Navy board the ship if it docks in Hong Kong?

Steve Z on July 1, 2009 at 3:07 PM

Hong Kong seems like a great place for a crew to have “liberty”. I hope they have a great time.

If so, then Obama deserves credit for winning this round.

I wouldn’t give Obama credit. Credit goes to the Navy for following the ship, and making it look like they “might” do something. Like the Navy surrounded the Somali pirate boat, then at the appropriate moment took out the pirates with snipers. Snipers wouldn’t work in this case, but Kim might have been worried that the Navy might not obey Obama.

The U.S. officials, speaking in Washington on Tuesday, said they do not know where the ship is going. But it was some 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Hong Kong on Tuesday and heading north, one official said.

If we take this paragraph at face value, the ship is heading for Hong Kong. Now for the $64,000 question: does the Navy board the ship if it docks in Hong Kong?

Yup, he blinked. It’s a pity that Clinton & Co. didn’t make this joker blink years ago. Instead we were jerked around by this nudnik who is starving his own people.

Brooklyn Dave on July 1, 2009 at 2:55 PM

Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s doing the best that he can.

Perhaps it is time to relocate some Somali pirates to the Sea of Japan and the South China Sea. Then we could let them do our dirty work and then blow them out of the sea. We would be doing the world a favor, keeping the peace and all that UN crap. It is time to multitask here folks, two birds with one stone kinda thing.

deadbackpacker on July 1, 2009 at 2:48 PM

THose Somali people might like a change of scenery but as a sensitive person I wouldn’t want them doing anything mean.