The Saber Rattles in North Korea

It has been released that, on Wednesday, North Korea test fired three short range missiles into the East Sea. Oddly the weapons fired appeared to be ground to ground missiles. Possibly just general North Korean saber rattling, or maybe an actual test to improve or see how new weapons work.

The US 7th Air Force announced that it will be deploying twelve F-16s to Gunsan, South Korea. The air base, located about one hundred and fifty miles south of Seoul, will be the home for the 55th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and it's two hundred and forty airmen. Their mission is to "maintain stability in the region". Whether this was in response to the missile tests, or was already in the works is unclear.

The region has really been unstable since the Korean War, but has gained increased scrutiny due to the passing of Kim Jong Il and the installment of his son, Kim Jong Un, as the new dictator. People who did not mourn the death either at all or 'properly' are now being punished by the regime (thanks to BBUMH for that info).

Since his take over Un, has made the expected saber rattling, which is likely the purpose of the missile tests. The fighter deployment could have been in the works since then. Other possible reasons for the deployment, could include the increased hostilities with Iran or the ring around China that the Obama administration has been forming.

Also curious is that once again we see US forces announcing their own movement, rather than the Pentagon Washington DC or the President's administration. In December, it was the US 5th Fleet that initially responded, not anyone from DC, to threats by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz. Eventually Washington did join in, but this brings about it's own dangerous questions of how much the US military and Obama administration are seeing eye to eye, or is the military just being given a freer hand?