| Submit your comments on this article |
| China-Japan-Koreas |
| North Korea preparing to test-fire missile |
| 2006-05-22 |
| North Korea has been able to test-fire a new long-range ballistic missile that could reach parts of the United States since last year, after completing most preparations that summer, military sources said Monday. A Western source in Beijing said Pyongyang successfully tested the engine for the Taepodong-2 missile, which is believed to have a range of 3,500-6,000 kilometers, in 2004. Little has become public knowledge about the Taepodong-2 missile, including the extent of its development. The missile -- believed capable of reaching Alaska, Hawaii and the western continental United States -- has never been tested. Japanese officials said Friday that North Korea may be preparing to launch a long-range missile, but that the threat was not imminent. Citing information from the U.S. forces in Japan, a source in Tokyo said Friday that increased movement of trailers and other vehicles was detected near a missile test site in northeastern North Korea. North Korea shocked the world in August 1998, when it test-fired the 2,500-km range Taepodong-1, part of which flew over Japan and into the Pacific. Pyongyang said it was a rocket for sending a satellite into orbit. Pyongyang has refrained from testing medium- or long-range missiles since then, abiding by a moratorium agreed to with the United States in 1999. But it has test-fired short-range missiles in recent years. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il agreed with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in a bilateral declaration in September 2002 to extend the moratorium past 2003. The first Western source said North Korea had decided in 1995 to develop the Taepodong-1 in 2000 and the Taepodong-2 in 2008, and that the Taepodong-1 had been tested two years ahead of that plan. ''It is not impossible to test the second one, also two years earlier'' than planned, the source said. On Friday, the United States urged North Korea not to break the missile-launch moratorium, saying it would be of major concern to the international community. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said a missile launch would throw into question North Korea's desire to engage with the international community. It would ''contravene the letter and the spirit of the September 19 joint statement'' issued by the six parties to the talks on the North's nuclear ambitions, he said. In the statement, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear programs, rejoin an international nuclear treaty and allow nuclear inspections in return for aid and security affirmations. But the talks have stalled since the representatives of the six countries -- the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- met in November, with Pyongyang refusing to return to the negotiating table. North Korea has sought the lifting of U.S. sanctions on entities allegedly laundering money and counterfeiting for North Korea as a condition for returning to the talks. The United States says the sanctions are a law enforcement matter unrelated to the nuclear talks. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #7 True, but we may not choose to unveil our ABM capabilities on a test unless it a) we can do so without revealing JUST how good the system is and b) the context is likely to offer an object lesson rather than tempt every tom, dick and harry missile owner to jerk our chains regularly. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-05-22 11:25 |
| #6 Things are fine at Ft. Rich, 6. They are also ready at Ft. Greely, up in Delta Junction, where the missiles are deployed. I have a feeling that they will be seeing a Nork missile in a test, at least heading in the direction of the US for a little intimidation. Kimmie needs some attention, and so far we are ignoring him. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-05-22 11:02 |
| #5 I would prefer to zap it while still on the pad, much easier than trying to hit it later, and much more demoralizing. You never know, they may think it a launch failure, and the analysis of residue will tell us if it was armed or not. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-05-22 10:21 |
| #4 Snooze. |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-05-22 09:43 |
| #3 This would be the ultimate time to unveil any space based weapons that we have. A mysterious laser pulse from some unknown celestial platform would really "freak them out". |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-05-22 09:21 |
| #2 Free test target for the Japanese BDM systems. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-22 08:53 |
| #1 How are things at Fort Richardson AP? |
| Posted by: 6 2006-05-22 08:42 |