NORAD Detects Multiple North Korean Missile Launches – One Long-Range
by John Little on 4/07/2006Some people will do anything to get attention. Details via CNN/Reuters:
North Korea has launched a missile but it was not the intercontinental missile being monitored by the United States, CNN reported on Tuesday, quoting sources.CNN said the missile, reported to have landed in the Sea of Japan, was smaller than North Korea’s Taepodong-2 missile, which is believed to be capable of hitting some parts of Alaska.
and from Fox News:
Japanese government officials were trying to determine whether the missiles were Taepodong II, long-range ballistic missiles that have been sitting on a launch pad for weeks, or whether it was a different type of missile.
One U.S. government official told FOX News that if the first were the Taepodong missile, it was “a real big dud.”
It just got serious. Breaking via CNN:
North Korea test-fires at least three missiles, one of them a long-range weapon that the U.S. has been monitoring, U.S. sources say.
It looks like the Taepodong-2 was a dud:
North Korea launched a long-range Taepodong-2 missile early Wednesday in an apparently unsuccessful test that failed in flight, a senior State Department official said.North Korea also tested at least two smaller missiles, U.S. sources told CNN.
John Murney asks:
Can someone out there please explain to me why Iraq was invaded, while North Korea remains uninvaded?
Unfortunately we’ll probably see the usual expression of diplomatic “outrage” and other symbolic acts while the North Koreans continue to tinker with nukes. Sanctions? Bleh.
Fox broadcast reports that John Bolton is working the phones in an urgent attempt to reach members of the U.N. Security Council.
Life goes on:
The mountain that houses NORAD is right outside my window, probably a half-mile down the canyon. Should I feel safer, or wouldn’t they target it?I’m taking Ellie to the dog park.
Not that she deserves it, after throwing up on my bed twice last night. Once at 3 a.m., on the sheets, right by my pillow, and I woke up with dog puke on my arm. So I get up, change the sheets, take a shower … lovely.
Dog puke is the greater short-term threat but if the world continues to let countries like North Korea continue on this path we’ll all have reason to worry.
Bill Clinton’s name is popping up all over the blogosphere and cable news shows right now:
What makes North Korea a tremendous danger to the world is that now, thanks to the Clinton Administration and former President Jimmy Carter, North Korea does have nuclear weapons in it’s arsenal.
Fox News broadcast just reported that up to 6 missiles have been launched. Dongs are flying all over the place. It’s not a good day to be a fisherman in the Sea of Japan.
South Korean media is reporting a total of 10 missiles fired:
North Korea on Wednesday test-launched 10 short-, medium- and long-range missiles, Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korean intelligence officials.
The number of tests exceeded the six that the United States had so far estimated. All of the missiles are believed to have landed in the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
John Howard has labelled North Korea’s latest missile test extremely provocative and called on other countries to condemn the launch.The Prime Minister said he was still gathering information on the nature of the tests, but Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary said North Korea fired up to six missiles early today, with CNN television reporting that one of the missiles was a long-range Taepodong-2.
“But whether they are big or small missiles, or a combination of the two, this development is very provocative and runs completely counter to the interests of North Korea and the interests of the whole region,” Mr Howard told ABC radio.
I think everyone, except maybe China, Iran, and Syria probably agree with you John but does anyone have a plan for putting a stop to this?
The Security Council will meet in the morning:
The U.N. Security Council plans to meet in closed session on North Korea’s long-anticipated missile testing on Wednesday morning, a French spokesman said.
The meeting was requested late on Tuesday by Japan’s U.N. ambassador, Kenzo Oshima, who is expected to introduce a draft resolution, diplomatic sources said.
Do I think it will amount to much? Not really. We’ve been ineffective for decades. Why shift gears now? Besides, despite all the hype, there is a much more immediate threat in Iran.
I had to fight the urge to use a title like this:
Mine was much much worse but you’ve been spared.
It turns out that North Korea has a July 4th message for Hugo Chavez:
Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly, Monday sent a message of greetings to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias on the occasion of the day of its independence. The message reaffirmed the DPRK’s full support and solidarity with the president and people of Venezuela in their efforts to resolutely defend the Bolivarian revolution from the U.S. attempt for interference and aggression and expressed the belief that bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would grow stronger in the future.
But they’ve issued that press release before.
CNN is reporting a later firing on a seventh missile. I guess South Korean reports of 10 were overblown:
The Japanese Defense Agency said one ballistic missile was fired from southeastern North Korea around 5:20 p.m. (4:20 a.m. ET), landing in the Sea of Japan about 10 minutes later.The range of the missile has not been confirmed by CNN. However, Japanese news agencies said it was medium-range.
Related:
NORAD at Bravo-Plus: Ready for North Korean Missile Launch
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