Gates: U.S. Not Prepared to Respond to North Korea Missile Launch

Gates: U.S. Not Prepared to Respond to North Korea Missile Launch

www.foxnews.com

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."

(visit the link for the full news article)

So we invade Iraq because we think that there might be weapons of mass destruction. The tax payers foot the bill for a 6 year ongoing, multi-trillion dollar conflict and no such evidence of said WMD's were ever found with news of faulty intel after the fact and so on.

But when a country on the "axis of evil" wants to fire a missile that has the range to hit Hawaii we do nothing?

What's the big picture here?

On a side note I see this giving a lot of ammunition to Obama critics. So far he has not brought the troops back from Iraq, has committed 20,000+ additional troops to Afghanistan and now is not going to raise a finger or even comment on this rocket launch.

Interesting.

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

Ha!

I knew they would pull this. Get all high and mighty and scream at the top of their lungs that NK will not get away with it. Move military units over there in preparation to shoot it down.

And then politely decide they can do nothing about it. That's just an excuse to say they never did it when the launch pad blows up or when it's hit in mid air after launch.

It could also be so that NK doesn't fly off the handle and level Seoul once they realize that their missile or satelite didn't quite make up as high as it should have.

More propanda from the DoD to save their own skins.

~Keeper

Or a nice segway into war...
"we wanted to stop it, but there was nothing we could do"
"but since things transpired, lets go put them in their place"

Maybe they simply don't have their finger on the trigger all set and ready to pull it so easily. You know what I mean? If it really is a missle that heads toward Hawai'i after the launch, we'll know. Japan is really itchy and afraid too. We don't need two missles flying up there if that's what it turns out to be.

I wouldn't be surprised though if tothetenthpower is right and they're just saying this so that they can fire a rocket at the launch pad and can say that they didn't do it!

By the way, is the launch going to be sometime this week--like it could be tomorrow perhaps?

Well im guessing that they dont want lil kimmy going ape if they shoot down his new toy, and what if its is just a crappy comunication sat? lol

all that trouble for afew extra tv channels for kimmy to watch? lol i think the should let it happen personaly and if it hits anyone well... they can get a good shouting at!!

or war

liftoff sometime between the 4th and the 8th btw

lets not forget this lot told us sadam had wmd

We cant do anything because we are bankrupt and in hock with China who holds do much of our debt who happens to be an ally of NK. This is why no matter how hard the war mongers try we havent done anything about Iran either. This is what happens when you dont watch your spending. Now we have a real threat in NK and we cant do anything about it.

Interesting. Thanks, OP.

Two NK-related updates from the other thread.

North Korea may also launch midrange missile

Agence France-Presse: Iranian missile experts in NKorea

reply to post by mybigunit


Well actually War would be the best thing for the economy at the moment. And besides it doesn't cost that much money to launch one missle to counter the other one.

Trust me, this doesn't come down to money, if they wanted to invade somebody they just would, they would make tons of money and so would every other 1st world nation because they could either sell weapons to either side or receive contracts for the rebuilding of the place once it's leveled.

~Keeper

You guys are broke! Get it? Zero pennies. You can't afford to police the world anymore.

Originally posted by DrZERO


So we invade Iraq because we think that there might be weapons of mass destruction. The tax payers foot the bill for a 6 year ongoing, multi-trillion dollar conflict and no such evidence of said WMD's were ever found with news of faulty intel after the fact and so on.

But when a country on the "axis of evil" wants to fire a missile that has the range to hit Hawaii we do nothing?

What's the big picture here?

On a side note I see this giving a lot of ammunition to Obama critics. So far he has not brought the troops back from Iraq, has committed 20,000+ additional troops to Afghanistan and now is not going to raise a finger or even comment on this rocket launch.

Interesting.

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

That's the irony isn't it. You've got a wacko out there that could pose a definite threat to "somebody" and we can do nothing...

1. Yes North Korea has a Missile[s]
2. Yes they HAVE been proven to be developing WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
3. Yes they pose a danger to all around them
4. Yes their Dictator is unstable
5. North Korea had a Ship docked in Syria and is believed to have offloaded a Nuclear Weapon to them, and is believed to have been working with them to develop an offsite Nuclear Facility
6. Technically the United States is still at War with North Korea, as no agreement to un-declare War with that country has ever been officially stated


Yet we CAN stage and wage a WAR based on fictitious knowledge...



This World and it's Rules are so stupid, people that die from some political event always die in vain...

Oh and one more thing, it's illegal for North Korea to even Test Fire and Launch ANYTHING, especially a >>>Ballistic Missile

reply to post by DrZERO


A smart man will pick his fights. A smart man will conceal his hole cards. A smart man will keep a surprise for the purpose of a real surprise when it's actually needed.

You can believe that China and Russia will be closely monitoring anything and everything to do with that launch.

If we have a certain capability, maybe it's best to save it for a rainy day.

Doesn't mean we can't or are unwilling.

Just preferable to be the surprisor than the surprisee.

Originally posted by symmetricAvenger
Well im guessing that they dont want lil kimmy going ape if they shoot down his new toy, and what if its is just a crappy comunication sat? lol

all that trouble for afew extra tv channels for kimmy to watch? lol

i think the should let it happen personaly and if it hits anyone well... they can get a good shouting at!!

or war

liftoff sometime between the 4th and the 8th btw

lets not forget this lot told us sadam had wmd

Under International LAW North Korea is PROHIBITED from conducting any tests involving Missiles... So it doesn't matter if it IS a communications satellite THAT IS ILLEGAL TOO.

reply to post by Brainiac


Yes you are correct international law prevents it.

However think of this. The US is suppose to be the leader of the world, showing good examples by following the laws set forth by previous generations.

In the past decade they have broken dozens of these laws witht their war in Iraq/Afghanistan as well as the treatment of detainees.

So if the US can't be trusted to follow such laws, why would North Korea of all places? They only need to take example for the most powerful country in the world to justify it.

~Keeper

This can reek of false flag, add missile "we are not prepared to do anything about" and add where-is-the-missile-going? hype and we can have a kerplooie bigger than what people have been waiting for.

so the trident test last year is illegal then is it?

oh wait - ofc its not because thats a USA missiles test , but when another country oes the same thing it suddenly becomes illegal


like blanket bombing a city in chemcail agents....

We wont need to do anything because Japan will shoot it down before we would need to.

reply to post by whoshotJR


Japan cannot shoot it down. They have a passive constitution that prevents them from engaging enemies or targets that aren't in their immediate teritory.

It would be next to impossible to shoot it down once it is over Japan and besides they wouln't have the time it would be out of their reach by then.

Japan really can't do anything, it's the US that needs to shoot it down or let it be.

~Keeper

Obama intends to cut the spending and development of missile defense systems. It is likely they can not shoot it down, though the Russians, Chinese and probably the Israelis could.

In leftist circles the best offense is surrender, hence making sure we are vulnerable to missile attacks will show the stone cold hearted dictators and terrorists that we are nice and they should leave us alone.

Why is Fox news calling it an 'illegal' launch?

Isn't that the crux of the problem?

The international community has not outlawed this kind of launch.

If there was intelligence to the contrary (i.e. evidence that shows it is a weapon deployment, or part of a weapons system) THEN we could call it illegal.

Are they trying to start a war?