BUSAN, South Korea

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — A massive nuclear-powered U.S. supercarrier readied Saturday for maneuvers with ally South Korea in a potent show of force that North Korea has threatened could lead to "sacred war."

The military drills, code-named "Invincible Spirit," are to run Sunday through Wednesday with about 8,000 U.S. and South Korean troops, 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft. The Nimitz-class USS George Washington, with several thousand sailors and dozens of fighters aboard, was deployed from Japan.

The North routinely threatens attacks whenever South Korea and the U.S. hold joint military drills, which Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal for an invasion. The U.S. keeps 28,500 troops in South Korea and another 50,000 in Japan, but says it has no intention of invading the North.

Still, the North's latest rhetoric threatening "nuclear deterrence" and "sacred war" carries extra weight following the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors. Seoul and Washington say a North Korean torpedo was responsible for the March sinking of the Cheonan, considered the worst military attack on the South since the 1950-53 Korean War.

The American and South Korean defense chiefs announced earlier in the week they would stage the military drills to send a clear message to North Korea to stop its "aggressive" behavior.


The exercises will be the first in a series of U.S.-South Korean maneuvers to be conducted in the Sea of Japan off Korea's east coast and in the Yellow Sea closer to China's shores in international waters. The exercises also are the first to employ the F-22 stealth fighter — which can evade North Korean air defenses — in South Korea.

South Korea was closely monitoring North Korea's military, but no unusual activity had been observed Saturday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

North Korea, which denies any involvement in the sinking of the Cheonan warship, has warned the United States against attempting to punish it.

"The army and people of the DPRK will legitimately counter with their powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises to be staged by the U.S. and the South Korean puppet forces," North Korea's official news agency in Pyongyang quoted an unnamed government spokesman as saying. North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Though the impoverished North has a large conventional military and the capability to build nuclear weapons, it is not believed to have the technology needed to use nuclear devices as warheads.

Its rhetoric regarding using nuclear deterrence was seen by most as bluster, but its angry response to the maneuvers underscores the rising tensions in the region.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Wednesday, after visiting the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, that the U.S. would slap new sanctions on the North to stifle its nuclear ambitions and punish it for the Cheonan sinking.

On Friday, the European Union said it, too, would consider new sanctions on North Korea.

The North's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that Pyongyang will further strengthen its nuclear deterrent and again mentioned "powerful physical measures" in response to the U.S. military provocations and sanctions.

In an apparent bow to China, the George Washington will participate in the exercise in the Sea of Japan, but there are no plans for it to enter the Yellow Sea for the subsequent exercises.

China, a traditional North Korean ally, has voiced concerns that military drills in the Yellow Sea could inflame tensions on the Korean Peninsula and also fears exercises too close to its own shores could breach Chinese security.

The George Washington had been expected to join in exercises off Korea sooner, but the Navy delayed those plans as the United Nations Security Council met to deliberate what action it should take over the Cheonan sinking.

The council eventually condemned the incident, but stopped short of naming North Korea as the perpetrator.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/07/24/north-korea-threatens-nuclear-retaliation-south-korea-military-exercises/?test=latestnews

So lets look at the facts. N. Korea commits crimes against humanity on an hourly basis. Has weapons of mass destruction against international laws, Conducts Illegal Nuclear Weapons Tests, attacks Allied Forces constantly, sinks a South Koren ship killing over 40 service members, constantly making threats against the US, S. Korea and the rest of our allies and now are threatening to use a Nuclear weapon on the US and South Korea.

It is time we shut this murderous regime up, perminantly. Obama is to much of a coward and will wait until millions of lives are lost before neutralizing the radical country.

i agree... it's been a while since we killed any koreans...

Hey ... ! Let's have a 'Pre-Emption Party' ... !

It's real simple: We show 'em how we make a city look like a left-over barbecue pit with one bomb ...

OP-A lot of people commit human atrocities all over the world. Do you want to declare war on the rest of humanity, hegemon? Where do you hope to get the money to satisfy your blood lust? America's broke and it's not going to get better anytime soon with the welfare State as it is.

It's pretty simple, when someone threatens us we respond, otherwise we look weak in the eyes of our enemies AND when someone threatens us with nuclear weapons we vsaporize them before they get the chance to get close to launching one at us.

Oh brother...you can't take Kim Jong-il seriously. No one else does. To respond would only legitimatize the man's nuttiness.

only until the first bomb hits... then it won't matter

ABOARD USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighter jets buzzed the skies and submarines cruised underwater Sunday as a flotilla of U.S. and South Korean warships led by a nuclear-powered U.S. supercarrier began exercises that have enraged North Korea.

U.S. officials denied North Korea's claims the maneuvers off Korea's east coast were a provocation, but said they were meant to send a strong message over the sinking of a South Korean warship in March that left 46 sailors dead.

The drills, set to run through Wednesday, involve about 8,000 U.S. and South Korean troops, 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft. The USS George Washington, with several thousand sailors and dozens of fighter jets aboard, was deployed from Japan.

"We are showing our resolve," said Capt. David Lausman, the carrier's commanding officer.

The exercises will be the first in a series of U.S.-South Korean maneuvers conducted in the East Sea off Korea and in the Yellow Sea closer to China's shores in international waters.

The exercises also are the first to employ the F-22 stealth fighter — which can evade North Korean air defenses — in South Korea.

North Korea has called the drills an "unpardonable provocation" and threatened to retaliate with "nuclear deterrence" and "sacred war."

The North routinely threatens attacks whenever South Korea and the U.S. hold joint military drills, which Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal for an invasion. The U.S. keeps 28,500 troops in South Korea and another 50,000 in Japan, but says it has no intention of invading the North.

Still, the North's latest rhetoric carries extra weight following the sinking of the Cheonan warship in late March.

Rear Adm. Daniel Cloyd, the top U.S. official in the exercise, said he was confident the United States could respond to any threat. He said no significant action by the North's military had been observed.

"We are monitoring the region all the time and we are very confident we can respond to any situation," he said.

Washington and Seoul blame Pyongyang for the sinking of the 1,200-ton Cheonan warship near the Koreas' maritime border. A five-nation team of investigators concluded a North Korean torpedo sank the Cheonan, considered the worst military attack on the South since the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea, which denies any involvement in the sinking, has warned the United States against attempting to punish it.

"Our military and people will squarely respond to the nuclear war preparation by the American imperialists and the South Korean puppet regime with our powerful nuclear deterrent," the North's government-run Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary headlined, "We also have nuclear weapons."

The commentary was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The North's powerful National Defense Commission issued a similar threat Saturday, saying the country "will start a retaliatory sacred war."

Pyongyang's rhetoric was seen by most as bluster, but its angry response to the maneuvers underscores the rising tension in the region.

Capt. Ross Myers, the commander of the George Washington's air wing, said the exercises were not intended to raise tensions.

But the George Washington, one of the biggest ships in the U.S. Navy, is a potent symbol of American military power, with about 5,000 sailors and aviators and the capacity to carry up to 70 planes.

"North Korea may contend that it is a provocation, but I would say the opposite," Myers said. "It is a provocation to those who don't want peace and stability. North Korea doesn't want this. They know that one of South Korea's strengths is its alliance with the United States."

Myers said North Korea's threats to retaliate are being taken seriously, however.

"There is a lot they can do," he said. "They have ships, they have subs, they have airplanes. They are a credible threat."

The maneuvers underscore a diplomatic blitz by the United States aimed at further tightening the screws on North Korea.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Wednesday, after visiting the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, that the U.S. would slap new sanctions on the North to stifle its nuclear ambitions and punish it for the Cheonan sinking.

The European Union is also considering new sanctions on North Korea.

The deployment of the supercarrier to the area off Korea was also raising eyebrows in China — which was believed to have been concerned about having the carrier operate too close to its own shores.

In what has been seen as a bow to Chinese sensitivities, the George Washington will not be joining the maneuvers later this summer in the Yellow Sea.

But Cloyd, the top U.S. official in the exercise, said the carrier may be back.

"We reserve the right to exercise in international waters anywhere in the world," he said.

The Nimitz-class carrier had been expected to join in exercises — code-named "Invincible Spirit" — off South Korea sooner, but the Navy delayed those plans as the United Nations Security Council met to deliberate what action it should take over the Cheonan sinking.

The council eventually condemned the incident, but stopped short of naming North Korea as the perpetrator.

In Seoul, meanwhile, about 150 anti-war activists rallied Sunday near the U.S. Embassy, chanting slogans such as "We are opposing the drills!" and "Scrap the South Korean-U.S. alliance!" The activists said the training would only deepen tension in the region. The rally was peaceful and there was no reports of clashes with riot police.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/07/24/aircraft-carrier-increases-pressure-north-korea-pyongyang-warns-retaliation/?test=latestnews

I didn't know F-22's are on carriers now? Unless they are being launched from a S. Korea base. I bet there are a lot more soldiers, equipment and ships there then listed. I love to read up on navy vessels including Submarines, Air Craft and Air Craft Carriers. I was reading that there are several Subs atationed at Pearl Harbor that our out on missions that the DOD won't specify, I wonder if they are part of this. I also believe that the George Washington and all of the Subs in the Pacific Fleet (with the 4 that are part of the trial program with the new weapons system that I posted in a previous article) are Nuclear Armed, not to mention I believe the F-22 can carry a Nuclear payload.

I also know our newest stealth spy plane the RQ-170 Sentinel has been flying from S. Korea doing missions over N. Korea for the past few months.

I used to think so to, until he sunk one of S. Korea's ships and has been testing nuclear weapons on several occasions.

It's time to handle this situation.

Although we dont always see eye to eye,, I am with you here,, I have yet to be provided with sufficient explanation for why we can DEMAND what weapons and how many some countries have while continuing to arm and give money for arms to other countries,,,especially since America is the only country to have ever resorted to using a nuclear weapon. It screams of hypocrisy. But perhaps being seen as a hypocrite is more desirable than being seen as 'weak'.

I guess the pacifist in me will never understand what you so adequately refer to as 'bloodlust'

Well, the War Games are now over and of coarse North Korea did nothing other then make threats, which we should have taken seriously since they were nuclear.

Although they still could attack soon...........