US activates missile defense amid N. Korea concern

[FRED]

Bet you didn't know the U.S. even had a "ground- based interceptor missile-defense system." Surprise. If you are an American citizen, you're used to surprises by now and hardly react to them. You're the last to know what your government is doing. Too busy dealing with the day-to-day. Understood.

Wonder how much one of these cost?

Whatever. Print some more money. Buy some more. So who's buying the bonds that paying for this stuff?

Last "scary" N. Korean missile plopped down in the middle of the ocean. This new test is supposed to prove N. Korea can reach the U.S. Once it goes up who knows where it comes down. The most likely worst case is an accident, with world's second biggest (carefully cultivated) nut job, Kim Jong-il, behind the missile program. Experts say China will straighten it all out for their own political benefit, as they gave N. Korea get the nuclear tech from in the first place. The Old Cold War was better.

[qwerty]

"who knows where it'll come down, with the world's second biggest nut job, Kim Jong-il, behind the program"

And what are the odds of a fumble by the missile defense system? The nut-job behind that program, what's his ranking?

[metalman]

It'll land...

"who knows where it'll come down, with the world's second biggest nut job, Kim Jong-il, behind the program"

And what are the odds of a fumble by the missile defense system? The nut-job behind that program, what's his ranking?

in the desert in baja and kill some cactus or in the ocean. prob the latter. the question is range. leave us guessing on accuracy

[jk]

tom lehrer

"once the rocket goes up
who cares where it comes down?
'that's not my department'
says werner von braun."

[qwerty]

"at least that's what the military commander told me."

<
"It's hard for me to give you a probability of success," he said when asked if the United States could have intercepted the long-range missile if it had been bound for America instead of splashing down in the Sea of Japan. Then Mr. Bush went on to say there would have been a reasonable chance of picking it off, or "at least that's what the military commander told me." The president did not specificy what commander he was referring to, nor was he asked.

He did say that he had not talked to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld about whether American interceptor missiles could have brought down the North Korean rocket.

>> end quote

Incredible.

[metalman]

Re: "at least that's what the military commander told me."

<
"It's hard for me to give you a probability of success," he said when asked if the United States could have intercepted the long-range missile if it had been bound for America instead of splashing down in the Sea of Japan. Then Mr. Bush went on to say there would have been a reasonable chance of picking it off, or "at least that's what the military commander told me." The president did not specificy what commander he was referring to, nor was he asked.

He did say that he had not talked to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld about whether American interceptor missiles could have brought down the North Korean rocket.

>> end quote

Incredible.

What's incredible, that GW said something stupid? Aw, c'mon. It's incredible when he doesn't.

[metalman]

Re: US activates missile defense amid N. Korea concern

how did I miss this?

N. Korea missile aimed at area off Hawaii - report

(07-06) 20:00 PDT TOKYO, Japan (AP) --

North Korea targeted waters near Hawaii when it fired a long-range missile this week, a Japanese newspaper reported Friday.

The long-range Taepodong-2 was part of a barrage of seven missiles test-fired by North Korea on Wednesday. They all fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan, but South Korean officials said the long-range missile had malfunctioned, suggesting it was intended for a more remote target.

Japan's conservative mainstream daily Sankei

said that Japanese and U.S. defense officials have concluded that the Taepodong-2 had targeted the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, after analyzing data collected from their intelligence equipment.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060707/3/2mty8.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlates...935452,00.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...i200025D52.DTL