North Korea to increase 'Military Deterent'.

Well well, Zergling is back from one of his dissaperances. Good to see ya again Zergling.

Sorry about the one liner, but what do you mean by "I vote for the Iraq fiasco" ?

Well, I believe you were voting for a name for the current Iraqi conflict. My vote would have gone to "The Iraq Fiasco" if there was this choice.

I actually drop by here at least once every 2 days, but haven't found much time to post because I like to make sure I'm (relatively) sure of what I'm saying before posting, unfortunately my summer job takes up a bit of time so without the time to research something I don't post very often... unless I know the issue like the back of my hand.

It appears I might actually be here more OFTEN after college starts. Ironic...

Back to the topic, it is indeed interesting (and uneasy) anticipating how Kim will use this missile test. Obviously it's a show of force and "deterrence" but the effect will greatly be determined by wear it lands. I still can't put my finger on a good place that Kim could launch the missile... because it's a really fine line between provoking the US into a pre-emptive strike (see dictionary entry for Iraq (n.)) and looking like a paper tiger.

I don't think that he will launch it. I mean, the world's attention is drifting, he might have just given up. I think the US strategy of waving the big stick, so to speak, worked. Kim judged that he was going to take to big of a risk in launching the missle and that he had already made enough of a point already.
Someone said that we have to remember there is more going on here than is publicly avalible. Therefore, the US might have explicitly threatened Kim with heavy retaliation, except it was in secret.

As for my comment on this situation after the firing of the missiles today read my post #2 & #7 on the first page of this thread.

Stand by for the usaul retoric from the US usual mouth peices..Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield and C.Rice.

As you may know N.Korea fired some missles today including the Taepodong-2. The missile broke up and fell into the Sea Of Japan 40 seconds after launch..



North Korea launches missiles, US holds UN talks By George Nishiyama

TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea launched six missiles on Wednesday, including a long-range Taepodong 2 that apparently failed 40 seconds into its flight, U.S. officials said.

The United States said it was urgently consulting other U.N. Security Council members after the launches, which occurred despite repeated warnings against such a move from the reclusive Stalinist country's neighbors and Washington.

The yen slid against the dollar and euro on the news.

Japan said three missiles were launched but could not immediately say if any were ballistic missiles that some experts fear could reach Alaska. A Pentagon official in Washington said two missiles appeared to have been small Scud-type models.

"It is regrettable and we protest strongly against North Korea for going ahead with a launch despite warnings from relevant countries, including Japan," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe told a news conference in Tokyo.

"It is a serious problem from the standpoint of our national security, peace and stability of the international community and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

South Korea said it had called an emergency meeting of its ministers involved in national security to discuss the missile launches.

"We are urgently consulting with other delegations of Security Council on the situation," the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said in a statement.

Experts say the Taepodong 2 is a multi-stage missile with a possible range of 3,500-4,300 km (2,190-2,690 miles).

A State Department official in Washington told Reuters a long-range missile, believed to be a Taepodong 2, failed 40 seconds after it was launched.

Last week, President Bush echoed earlier U.S. threats of a harsh response if North Korea went ahead with a launch. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Tokyo would "apply various pressures" but declined to give details.

Japanese NHK television said one missile landed in the Japan Sea 600 km (370 miles) from the Japanese mainland.

The missile launches occurred as the United States marked its July 4 Independence Day and shortly after the U.S. space shuttle Discovery blasted off from its Florida launch-pad.

"It got everybody's attention on the Fourth of July. (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-Il can set off fireworks, too," said John PIke, director of the security Web site GlobalSecurity.org.

Experts say North Korea is developing long-range missiles to have the capability one day to deliver a nuclear bomb, but that Pyongyang is years away from having such a weapons system.

The first time North Korea test-fired a long-range missile -- in 1998 over Japan -- it rattled financial markets and raised fears among the Japanese.

North Korea said in February 2005 it possessed nuclear weapons. It has threatened to build up its nuclear arsenal several times since then in response to what it perceives as increased U.S. threats.

U.S. officials said earlier an air force complex protecting the nerve center of U.S. homeland defense at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado had been put on heightened alert amid persistent reports North Korea might test-fire a long-range missile.

On Monday, Pyongyang vowed to respond with an "annihilating" nuclear strike if attacked pre-emptively by the United States

The Pentagon is still taking this test very seriously. Testing a missile will not always gurantee success. There are always going to be failures. The North Koreans can probably now go back to their diagrams and find out what went wrong.

I really want to see what the North Korean propagandists make up after a failed missile test! Why do they test 4 short-range missiles which the US already knows North Korea can use after one failed!? The rest of Asia must be laughing at them VERY VERY hard. Asia: :nana:

DPRKUnderground said:

I really want to see what the North Korean propagandists make up after a failed missile test! Why do they test 4 short-range missiles which the US already knows North Korea can use after one failed!? The rest of Asia must be laughing at them VERY VERY hard. Asia: :nana:

Click to expand...

Not exactly my friend. A missile test doesn't always prove to be successful. That's why tests are conducted in the first place. Many of China's ICBM tests failed miserably as well for quite some time. Now, is anybody laughing at China's ICBM missiles? The North Koreans will probably go back and try to correct what went wrong. Scientists and ordinary people alike learn from mistakes.

Lengthy briefing by White House here with some technical detail and timings etc

The prediction made by me about the failure of the Taepedong-2 was accurate.

The Taepodong-2 missile, which some analysts believed capable of hitting the western United States, failed after about 40 seconds, U.S. officials said.

"It's very difficult technology. They very clearly have not mastered it," he said. "Most estimates are they will not master it for another 10 years."

Source:

7th ???

"TOKYO (AP) 0453 EDT-- North Korea has launched a seventh missile, a news report said Wednesday, citing Japanese government sources.

North Korea fired the latest missile at 5:22 p.m. (4 a.m. EDT), Kyodo News agency reported. The missile landed 6 minutes later, the report said.

Defense officials could not immediately confirm the report. It was unclear what type of missile was launched or where it landed..."

The White House briefing posted earlier did quote US National Security Advisor Steve Hadley as saying "...They have a couple more Scud/Nodongs probably ready. They may be launching those, as well, so we may be not yet through this cycle...."