All Eyes on North Korea

By John

Troublesome developments in the Far East...

North Korea Readies Missile Launch Platform

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has moved key components of a long-range missile to a launch pad as well as 10 large liquid-gas tanks to fuel it, a South Korean newspaper reported on Saturday, citing government officials.

In a separate report, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted diplomatic sources in Seoul as saying a missile test could come as early as on Sunday or Monday.

The United States on Friday warned North Korea against conducting a "provocative" intercontinental missile test after U.S. officials said there were signs a launch could take place as early as this weekend.

And in related news, North Koreans Asked to Raise Flags on Sunday

TOKYO, June 18 (Reuters) - The North Korean leadership has told its people to raise the national flag at 2:00 pm (0500 GMT) on Sunday, in what may be a sign that Pyongyang will go ahead with a missile launch test, a Japanese government official was quoted as saying.

Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun on Sunday also quoted the Japanese official as saying that the North Koreans had been instructed to monitor television and other broadcasts for a "message to the people".

North Korea's test launch of one of their Taepodong missiles over northern Japan in 1998 shook both the Japanese and US defense communities to the core. It was enough to place ballistic missile defense on the the front burner in Congress, and the subject was a point of intense debate during the 2000 presidential election. And perhaps most importantly, the '98 launch is the primary reason why we have a Missile Defense Agency today.

The United States now has 10 operational ballistic missile interceptors in Alaska and California, as well as shipborne ABM assets in the Pacific fleet.

Imagine the message that it would send to kill a North Korean sortie while it was still in its boost stage.

Conversely, imagine the message it would send if we missed.

June 17, 2006 09:31 PM Strategery

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://op-for.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/280

Comments

Yeah, but a live fire excercise would be fun...

Alpha Sierra Whiskey · June 18, 2006 07:41 AM

Big John:

I was thinking the same thing... what if we knocked it out of the sky? Air power strategerists and foreign policy folk please weigh in, for I am a simple Marine.

Maj P

ps: Happy Father's Day to all, especially those who have to mark the day overseas, away from hearth and home.

Maj P · June 18, 2006 08:14 AM

What if we miss?

That was my thought also but you gotta figure in the fact that nobody short the US will know if it was or wasn’t hit in mid-flight. If our missile goes up and explodes even a miss could not be caught by Russia or China.

The PR gained by such a move and the fact that the Norks entire negotiating base would be negated in one instance. Can’t threaten people when you can’t cant back it up.

I say does it and even if we do miss claim we hit and make them prove otherwise.

C-Low · June 18, 2006 01:01 PM

Would be a good time to test the Airborne Chemical Laser system if it is ready.

http://www.idds.org/issMissileDefense.html

That there light moves a lot faster than a missile.

B52 geezer · June 18, 2006 06:43 PM

Be A lot more fun if we dropped leaflets on the site before launch that read "I'm a bomblet.. and your someone's fertilizer. Have a nice day."

If we can see the TEN tanks (ie big old things of LOX etc being moved into place.. they arn't exactly in a position to suprise us. )

LarryConley · June 19, 2006 06:49 AM