North Korea Readies Taepodong-2 Missile for Launch – Obama Begins the End of Missile Defense?

North Korea is preparing a Taepodong-2 ICBM missile which could threaten Alaska, Hawaii and the Western United States for testing within a few weeks.

North Korea has positioned a Taepodong-2 missile on the launchpad at its facility in Musudan in the east of the country, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.

Pyongyang has said it intends to use the missile to launch a satellite into space. The North Koreans issued an international notice that the launch may occur sometime between April 4 through the 8th.

According to the U.S. officials, while two stages of the missile can be seen, the top is covered with a shroud supported by a crane.

But now that the missile is on the pad, the launch itself could come within a matter of days, a likelihood that has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity as the event would be in violation of a U.N. ban prohibiting the country from ballistic activity. Some fear the launch is a cover for the test-fire of long-range missile technology.

North Korea has described the pending launch a “peaceful space launch,” but U.S. officials and experts say it would employ the very same technology used to launch ballistic missiles, and if successful it would be the first proof that North Korea would have the ability to launch a ballistic missile against at least Alaska or Hawaii.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair testified before Congress that a successful test of a three-stage rocket would demonstrate North Korea’s ability to reach the continental United States with a ballistic missile.

Japan has threatened to shoot down the North Korean missile but the United States does have Aegis missile defense assets in the region.

As for US intercept plans, the Navy left two Aegis missile defense ships behind from the armada sent to the Sea of Japan for war games. Could the US shooter be the USS John S. McCain?

And, what was the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff saying the other day:“Ballistic missiles are about as passé as sea mail. Nobody does it anymore.”

The Democrats, including President Obama have never been big fans of the missile defense agency or the concept of national missile defense that accelerated its work under President Bush. But, why now, with an imminent threat would the United States begin to scale back its program and eliminate deployments of interceptors.

How stupid……