Joint Exercise Again Encourages North Korean War Rhetoric

By Douglas V. Gibbs

It's the same thing every year.  We have a joint naval exercise with South Korean vessels, and North Korea begins to threaten to launch a preemptive, nuclear strike.

Yawn.

In 1986 we called the joint military exercise "Team Spirit."

The United States responded with a call for caution, but the same threat arises each and every year.

"We urge North Korea to refrain from provocative actions and statements that aggravate tensions and instead focus on fulfilling its international obligations and commitments," a senior administration official said Monday. "We are closely monitoring the situation on the Korean Peninsula in coordination with our Republic of Korea allies."

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary