Michael Munk: Mainstream Media Distortions of N-S incident

November 25, 2010 投稿者 Paul

Obama and the US media are following their usual script in blaming only
North Korea for the current episode. But if you want to uindertstand what's
going on, you have to ignore all their nonsense and start here:

A screenshot from the Web site of the Korea Herald shows the location of Yeonpyeong island, in disputed waters.

The military armistice that ended the Korean war in 1953 gave South Korea
temporary control--until a peace treaty treaty would formalize the
boundaries-- of five islands off the NK coast but mainly north of the DMZ.
But it did not give it control over the waters surrounding those islands, which NK says

should be divided along the Military Demarcation line, well south.

After the armistice the US unilaterially drew a line well north of the MDL, called it the

"Northern Limit Line" and backed SK claims on it. NK of course,
never agreed so they are in fact "disputed" since no peace treaty has
ever been agreed to.There have been many violent incidents over ranging from
military confrontations to seizure of fishing boats in those disputed waters
over the years--including the controversial sinking of the SK naval vessel earlier this

year. Especially enraging to NK are the periodic military exercices SK runs there with US
support.

This time it was SK who fired first--not NK as the media reports. SK was running

a controversial military exercise out of their island base and admits it fired first

but insists its military exercise did not aim shells at NK, but since those waters are

claimed by NK, they would dispute that view.

NK first demanded they stop firing into their terrirotry and warned they
would retaliate After serveral hours during which SK continued to fire,
NK responded by shelling the island--actually a military base-- from which

the military exercise was launched..

That is what Obama called "outrageous" aggression and what hysterical warmongers

in Washington and Seoul demand "enormous"retailiatuion for. Now Obama is sending

a major US carrier into the West sea for more military exercises. Last time the Geo Washington

was showing the flag around Korea, China joined NK in protest. Obama is now provoking not

only NK but China as well.

You just wonder why no one is interested in or even cares about the facts.