North Korea may also launch mid-range missile

North Korea may also launch mid-range missile

www.reuters.com

TOKYO, March 29 (Reuters) - North Korea is preparing to launch a close- to mid-range ballistic missile separately from the long-range rocket that Pyongyang has said it will launch next month, the Sankei Japanese daily newspaper reported on Sunday.

The report comes as Pyongyang is poised to launch a communications satellite between April 4-8 that regional powers believe will actually be a test of a long-range missile, the Taepodong-2, which is already believed to be on its launch pad.

North Korea has given international agencies notice that the rocket's planned trajectory should take it over Japan, dropping booster stages to its east and west. Any attempt to shoot the rocket itself down would be an act of war, it has said.

The reclusive state may fire the short- to mid-range missile shortly after the long-range missile is launched, Sankei said, quoting unidentified Japanese government sources.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday that Japan's Air Self-Defense Force had started to deploy units capable of shooting down a rocket to the northern prefectures of Akita and Iwate.

Units carrying Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles left a base in central Japan early on Sunday and expected to arrive at the northern prefectures on Monday, NHK said.

A spokesman for Japan's Ministry of Defense said he was not immediately able to comment on the reports.

Japan deployed two ballistic missile destroyers to the Sea of Japan on Saturday to intercept any dangerous debris in the event that the controversial missile launch planned by North Korea goes wrong.

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With all this sabre rattling from North Korea lately, i'm getting the feeling they are up to their old tricks and want something. With Obama in office now, maybe they feel its time to test the new president and see what concessions they can extort out of the US and its allies.

Every time North Korea rattles its sabre, months of on and off again talks ensue inevitabley ending with the North Korean government getting what they want.

This "satellite" and additional missile test might just be their latest posturing for the usual concessions.

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

They always do that. Launch a bunch of missiles at the same time to impress and to test everything at the same time.

NK is a third world cesspit and if they dare touch SK, I say nuke the capital so we can get rid of that disgusting country and it's brainwashed people who are dying of hunger anyway.

[edit on 29-3-2009 by Vitchilo]

oh god here we go again

makes me want to sing team america song or summit.

dammy witle kwimmy cant we just pway nice dwammit!!

Lol

reply to post by Vitchilo


So when do you want to send our fleet of Ohio class submarines to the Ivory Coast, if being third world and having a miserable population are qualifiers for a nuclear strike?

Originally posted by Vitchilo
They always do that. Launch a bunch of missiles at the same time to impress and to test everything at the same time.

NK is a third world cesspit and if they dare touch SK, I say nuke the capital so we can get rid of that disgusting country and it's brainwashed people who are dying of hunger anyway.

[edit on 29-3-2009 by Vitchilo]

Hey, why stop there, we could nuke a few other nations while in transit.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
NK is a third world cesspit and if they dare touch SK, I say nuke the capital so we can get rid of that disgusting country and it's brainwashed people who are dying of hunger anyway.
[edit on 29-3-2009 by Vitchilo]

Kinda overboard.

This is one case were assassination should be considered though. I will never say just "nuke em" because realistically it's mostly non-combatants that get killed in such an attack. All of these dictators could be removed with one bullet, removing the need for invasions and occupations. I wish the US would look into using assassination instead of all out war. I think Iraq could have been avoided with a bullet between Saddams eyes, and Kim Jong Il of North Korea is another contender.