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In Other News, North Korea Plots Attack on Hawaii

Tora! Tora! Tora!

The missile, believed to be a long-range Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers), would be launched from North Korea’s Dongchang-ni site on the northwestern coast, said the Yomiuri daily, Japan’s top-selling newspaper. The report cited an analysis by the Japanese Defense Ministry and intelligence gathered by U.S. reconnaissance satellites.  [AP]

Satellite imagery of the Dongchang site here.  This is a new site, whose construction apparently continued in flagrant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions 1695 and 1718, and throughout the duration of Agreed Framework II, while George W. Bush and Chris Hill looked the other way.  According to some reports, launch day will be the Fourth of July.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the military is “watching” that situation “very closely,” and would have “some concerns” if North Korea launched a missile in the direction of Hawaii. But he expressed confidence in U.S. ability to handle such a launch.

Gates said he’s directed the deployment of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense, a mobile missile defense system used for knocking down long- and medium-range missiles.

“The ground-based interceptors are clearly in a position to take action. So, without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say … I think we are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect the American territory.”  [Fox News]

Global Security, naturally enough, tells you everything you want to know about the THAAD, unless you happen to work for NORINCO.  Pictures of the system here.

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6 Responses

  1. Lets tie this in with comments from the Administration from the end of May:

    President Obama’s national security adviser on Wednesday said that North Korea’s recent nuclear detonation and subsequent missile tests are not “an imminent threat” to the safety and security of the United States.

    And yet this non-threat requires missile defense. What a difference a couple weeks makes. (For those in Hawaii, Pay no attention to those Air Raid sirens as the missiles flying overhead are not a threat.)

    Oddly enough, they did acknowledge proliferation in that same meeting, which at least covers the cargo ship that they are tracking. Guess that has them batting .500

  3. On Fred Fry’s comment:

    to the safety and security of the United States

    It’s much worse if you consider the large number of American troops we have stationed in South Korea and Japan. More than enough to require our full cooperation with either nation or both should the North strike out at them and our soldiers on their soil.

  5. Fred, outstanding post. I am in South Korea now. Its one thing if our leaders choose to confuse their own consituents; its quite another to confuse our allies.

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