-
War with North Korea on Independence Day?
A missile fired from North Korea would have to travel 4,500 miles before it reached the U.S. state of Hawaii
Japan is warning the United States that North Korea will fire a long-range missile at Hawaii on the 4th of July.North Korea may launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii on American Independence Day, according to Japanese intelligence officials.
The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles, would be launched in early July from the Dongchang-ni site on the north-western coast of the secretive country.
Intelligence analysts do not believe the device would be capable of hitting Hawaii’s main islands, which are 4,500 miles from North Korea.
Details of the launch came from the Japan’s best-selling newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun.
Both Japanese intelligence and U.S. reconnaissance satellites have collated information pointing to the launch, according to the report.
So, will the United States rely on the national missile defense system to protect Hawaii (shoot down the missile) or will Obama order a pre-emptive strike before the Taepodong-2 leaves the launch site?
Either way it will mean war with North Korea.
In the meantime, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has ordered the deployment of additional “protections” for Hawaii – probably Aegis missile defense ships and THAAD, The Terminal Altitude Area Defense System.
Gates told reporters at the Pentagon he has sent the military’s ground-based mobile missile system to Hawaii, and positioned a radar system nearby. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in their last stage of flight.
Joe Biden was correct. President Obama will be tested in his first six months in office by an international crisis and it looks like by North Korea. And, he really has only two choices and both lead to war.
Or, Obama can back down and accept a North Korea with nuclear armed ICBMS.
Stay tuned.
A Unha-2 rocket (Taepadong-2), supposedly carrying an experimental communication satellite Kwangmyongsong-2, as it is launched from Hwadae-gun in North Korea on April 5
Technorati Tags: North Korea, Barack Obama, Robert Gates
-
North Korea Prepares to Launch Long-Range Missile Towards Hawaii
A Unha-2 rocket (Taepadong-2), supposedly carrying an experimental communication satellite Kwangmyongsong-2, as it is launched from Hwadae-gun in North Korea on April 5
Kim Jong-Il will probably show up President Obama again on Independence Day. Anyone want to bet?North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese news report said Thursday, as Russia and China urged the regime to return to international disarmament talks on its rogue nuclear program.
The missile, believed to be a 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. It cited an analysis by the Japanese Defense Ministry and intelligence gathered by U.S. reconnaissance satellites.
The missile launch could come between July 4 and 8, the paper said.
While the newspaper speculated the Taepodong-2 could fly over Japan and toward Hawaii, it said the missile would not be able to hit Hawaii’s main islands, which are about 4,500 miles (7,200 kilometers) from the Korean peninsula.
So, what will be the latest “WEAK” response from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates?
This time will the United States position Aegis anti-missile ships in the region to ACTUALLY intercept the Taepodong-2?
Or will Obama allow Kim Jong-Il to have all of the 4th of July fireworks?
Technorati Tags: Kim Jong-Il, North Korea, Barack Obama, Robert Gates
-
North Korea Places Long-Range Missile on Launch Pad – Test Firing Within Weeks
North Korea is continuing its tests of long-range missiles which potentially might target the United States.North Korea has positioned its most sophisticated long-range ballistic missile at a launch site for a test firing that could come within weeks, a newspaper here reported Monday.
Pyongyang, which last month raised tensions worldwide by conducting a nuclear test, could even fire its missile when South Korean President Lee Myung-bak meets President Obama in Washington on June 16, according to the report.
The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper in Seoul reported that the newest missile set for launch from the Dongchang-ni launch site on North Korea’s west coast may be a version of the Taepodong-2 rocket that Pyongyang fired in April.
The report, citing unnamed sources, said the missile has a range of up to 4,000 miles and could reach Alaska. Both South Korea and Japan acknowledged today that a new North Korean long-range missile test could come within weeks.
What is the United States response?
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who has submitted a budget that cuts national missile defense programs said, “at this point, it’s not clear what they’re going to do.”
And, then downplays the entire affair.
Gates spoke in Manila before boarding a U.S. military jet for Alaska, where he was scheduled to view a key part of the missile defense system, the ground based interceptor silos.
In the 2010 budget, Gates proposed cutting more than a billion dollars from missile defense, halting the planned expansion of the interceptors from 30 to 44. In the wake of the North Korea test some experts, including former Defense Secretary William Cohen, have suggested rethinking those cuts.
But in an earlier roundtable with reporters, Gates said his budget will robustly fund missile defense, cutting only parts of the program, like the airborne laser, that had little chance of success. Gates said the interceptor program will get $750 million to continue its development and $200 million to sustain the existing 30 missiles.
“The 30 interceptors we have are adequate for years to come to deal with the North Korean threat as we see it developing,” Gates said.
Gates said North Korea will not be able to deploy a significant number of long range missiles in a short period of time. If they were to expand their capabilities, the U.S. would have “ample time” to build additional interceptors.
Yet, Bill Clinton’s former Secretary of Defense, William Cohen advises Gates to NOT cut the missile defense budget.
With the increasing billigerence of North Korea and Iran, why would the Obama Administration considering placing the United States at risk while it is wasting $ Billions in bailing out failed automobile companies.
Mr President, how about some priorities here.
By the way, do you think Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will give Secretary Gates an earful today about Alaska job losses as a result of Obama cuts in missile defense?
Technorati Tags: North Korea, Robert Gates, Missile Defense, Barack Obama
-
Video: Does President Obama Know Who His Secretary of Defense is?
Barack Obama Flubs the name of his Secretary of Defense, Robert (Bob)Gates -
Folly of the Day: Obama Cuts Missile Defense
Political Cartoon by Michael Ramirez
It was bound to happen. President Barack Obama through his Secretary of Defense has begun reducing the defense budget, including national missile defense.We will restructure the program to focus on the rogue state and theater missile threat.
We will not increase the number of current ground-based interceptors in Alaska as had been planned. But we will continue to robustly fund continued research and development to improve the capability we already have to defend against long-range rogue missile threats – a threat North Korea’s missile launch this past weekend reminds us is real.
We will cancel the second airborne laser (ABL) prototype aircraft. We will keep the existing aircraft and shift the program to an R&D effort. The ABL program has significant affordability and technology problems and the program’s proposed operational role is highly questionable.
We will terminate the Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV) program because of its significant technical challenges and the need to take a fresh look at the requirement.
Overall, the Missile Defense Agency program will be reduced by $1.4 billion.
In other words, no new ground-based missiles for Alaska where there are already empty silos to base them. The ABL laser program has been almost killed (is on its way out the door) and the MKV program has been killed.
All this after North Korea tests a new ICBM missile which could threaten the Western United States.
Certainly, it could be said that I feel more unsafe today with Obama as my President.
Technorati Tags: Missile Defense, Barack Obama, Robert Gates
-
Will the United States Do Anything About North Korea Missile Launch? Secretary of Defense Gates – “NOPE”
Secreatry of Defense Robert Gates on Fox News Sunday yesterdayThe Secretary of Defense has made the Obama Administration’s position on the looming North Korea Taepodong-2 missile test later this week quite clear. They plan to watch and do nothing.
The United States can do nothing to stop North Korea from breaking international law in the next 10 days by firing a missile that is unlikely to be shot down by the U.S. or its allies, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday.
Appearing on “FOX News Sunday,” Gates said North Korea “probably will” fire the missile, prompting host Chris Wallace to ask: “And there’s nothing we can do about it?”
“No,” Gates answered, adding, “I would say we’re not prepared to do anything about it.”
Last week, Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said the U.S. is “fully prepared” to shoot down the missile. But Gates said such a response is unlikely.
“I think if we had an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it,” Gates said. “But I don’t think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point.”
North Korea has moved a missile onto a launch pad and says it will be fired by April 8. Pyonyang insists the missile is designed for carrying a communications satellite, not a nuclear warhead that the secretive nation appears bent on developing.
Gates said while he doesn’t think North Korea has the capability yet to shoot off a long-range nuclear-tipped missile, “I don’t know anyone at a senior level in the American government who does not believe this technology is intended as a mask for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile.”
Flap looks forward to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s trip to see Kim Jong-Il to bring him some autographed basketballs like her husband’s Secretary of State did. Maybe Kim will stop his ICBM nuclear weapons program to put them in his trophy case.
How unbelievably WEAK is this crazy Obama policy toward North Korea. The Iranians who are in North Korea taking notes must be laughing their asses off.
Watch the Fox News Sunday panel discuss North Korea’s long range missile capabilities here.
Technorati Tags: Robert Gates, North Korea, Kim Jong-Il
