What is North Korea really up to?

I was watching the local news last night (I'm in Alberta Canada) and there was a short story talking about China and North Korea, and how North Korea plans on launching a test missile, soon, and China was saying for everyone to stay out of it, it's ok for North Korea to do this. etc etc. I wasn't paying enough attention to what was really being said though.

I didn't think too much of it at the time, but decided this morning, maybe I better just snoop around some, and see what this was all about.

The first article I read, was this one:

Mar 19, 2009
BEIJING -- North Korea is preparing to launch a missile designed to reach as far as the west coast of Canada or the United States while Kim Jong-il praises his country as an invulnerable "socialist fortress."

Source


The next one I read was this one:

Mar 19, 2009
TOKYO - Recent remarks by a top United States intelligence official suggest that there is now some belief that North Korea indeed plans to launch an experimental satellite into space in early April, and not a long-range ballistic missile as has been claimed.

However, the three governments of the US, Japan and South Korea have denounced the launch as a missile test, threatening to intercept it and vowing to impose additional sanctions on the North in retaliation. In contrast, the Chinese and Russian governments have notified the President Barack Obama administration that North Korea has the legitimate right to launch a satellite.
The Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army has warned that the Korean People's Army will consider the interception of the North Korean space launch vehicle as an unprovoked act of war, and retaliate with prompt strikes on the US mainland, Japan and South Korea. The North Koreans mean what they say.

Asia Times

So, what is it they are REALLY up to?? Are they launching a satellite, or are they testing a missile?

Crap! And no matter what it is, if it is intercepted, then what?

Mod Edit: All Caps – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 19 Mar 09 by Gools]

Well I'm 99% sure that it will just be a satellite, North Korea may be hostile by they are not stupid. They know what they can do, and they know what they cant do. As we've seen in the past, with North Korea and US - US says no or else, Korea does it, US backs down. I honestly think that the US and allies in this matter will not shoot it down unless it starts heading straight for US, at which point i imagine the trigger for yet another war will go underway.

I wouldn't doubt that they intend to put a satillite into orbit with this test.. of course it could be just a brick for all we know. But, the readings sent back by the launch vehicle could be used to improve North Korea's long range delivery capability. I believe this is the issue of concern for the West.

I don't think we will do anything when they launch it, provided it does not go over Japan. I can tell you that if it even looks like it will, the Japanese will shoot it down.

Also, in the event this is indeed a satellite - well we could knock it out of orbit and just not say anything about it. We have already proven we can shoot down a satellite with a destroyer.

Should we follow that course of action, I don't think NK would address it directly if we did. Sort of like Israel bombing Syria not too long ago.



[edit on 25-3-2009 by crisko]