North Korea

[chinadave2001]

I keep thinking that this is just a lot of blustering but it seems to get worse every day......it seems like the North Koreans are trying to provoke the US into an attack....Naturally its proximity to China is an additional reason for concern.




WASHINGTON (CNN) -- North Korea has an untested ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States, top U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday.

While testifying at a Senate committee hearing in Washington, CIA Director George Tenet was asked whether North Korea had a ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. West Coast.

Before answering, Tenet turned to very quickly consult with aides sitting behind him.

"I think the declassified answer, is yes, they can do that," Tenet said.

Defense Intelligence Agency Director Vice Adm. Lowell Jacoby, also testifying at the hearing, said outside the hearing room that the North Korean missile has not yet been flight tested, according to The Associated Press.

Moments earlier Tenet said it was likely that North Korea had been able to produce as many as two plutonium-based nuclear weapons.

The estimate is not new -- it was laid out in an unclassified CIA document in December 2001-- but Tenet is the most senior U.S. official to say so publicly.

The 2001 report said North Korea's Taepo Dong 2 missile may be capable of hitting the West Coast of the United States, as well Alaska and Hawaii.

The revelation came shortly after the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency declared North Korea in breach of international nuclear agreements and sent the issue to the U.N. Security Council. (Full story)

The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation executive board voted 31-0 to cite Pyongyang for being in breach of U.N. safeguards. Two countries, Russia and Cuba, abstained.

Russia had expressed concern over sending the matter to the Security Council, fearing it could push North Korea into further defiance. Sudan was not allowed to vote because it has not paid its dues, and another nation was not present.

Some officials have said there are moves to create a package for North Korea that would try to achieve a diplomatic solution. But the Security Council also could impose sanctions on Pyongyang in an attempt to persuade the North to drop its nuclear plans.

North Korea has said such a move would amount to a declaration of war.

The decision to send the matter to the Security Council comes at the same time that body has been dealing with weapons inspections in Iraq and whether Baghdad has been in compliance with U.N. Resolution 1441, which calls on Iraq to disarm.

Friday, the two top U.N. weapons inspectors report back to the council on their latest findings within Iraq.

European Union international policy chief Javier Solana -- who spent the last two days in meetings in South Korea -- said earlier Wednesday that now is not the time to impose sanctions on North Korea.

"I don't think this is the moment to do sanctions, and I do think the sanctions may contribute to the opposite that we want to obtain, which is defusing of the crisis," Solana said before the IAEA vote.

During his visit to Seoul, Solana has met with top South Korean officials, including President Kim Dae-jung, President-elect Roh Moo-hyun, the foreign minister and the minister of defense.

Solana also may travel to North Korea in the coming weeks to discuss ways to defuse the nuclear impasse. He said he would base the timing of any mission to Pyongyang on the wishes of North Korea's neighbors.

"All of them have told me 'the sooner, the better,' so we will do it the sooner, the better, Solana said.

Tensions have mounted on the Korean peninsula since last October when the United States said North Korea admitted to secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program in violation of a 1994 deal.

Pyongyang, which denies the U.S. claim, responded by backing out of a nuclear non-proliferation treaty earlier this year, kicking out U.N. nuclear monitors and restarting a mothballed nuclear power plant in a move it says will compensate for an energy shortfall.

[Mick]

Dave:

 

Living in China, this has me more than a little bit worried. And from what I understand, these missles have never been tested. Who knows where they might end up even if they fired one.

 

Owen is in an even worse situation. He lives less than 300 miles from the North Korean border.

 

All the more reason to give us our damn visas and let us all come home.

[chinadave2001]

Sarah lives in Qingdao - very close. I'll be there on Sunday...I wish the Chinese would do something before this gets out of hand.

[AZwolfman]

...I wish the Chinese would do something before this gets out of hand.

Yes, China, do something about your neighbor. Just a thought. . . maybe if the Chinese throw their support behind Bush on the Iraq situation, he will band together with them on the N. Korea situation (which I perceive to be a greater immediate concern). The Pres won't listen to me. He doesn't even respond to my email about our visa delay.

[bobmal99]

Just tell China the US will give arms to Japan, and see how fast China gets involved in this!!!!

[chinadave2001]

has anyone ever gotten anything other than an auto-response from the Whitehouse? i hjave sent four lsincere, respectful, carefully crafted letters now, no response at all......

[tonado]

Just tell China the US will give arms  to Japan, and see how fast China gets involved in this!!!!

Arms to Taiwan will be a quicker response.

[chinadave2001]

Actually, on CNN.ASIA there was an article that Japan may consider a pre-emptive strike. They said that if there was any sign of the missiles being fueled, that that would be reason enough.

[tonado]

Actually, on CNN.ASIA there was an article that Japan may consider a pre-emptive strike. They said that if there was any sign of the missiles being fueled, that that would be reason enough.

Hope that won't happen. If N. Korea and Japan go to war, then flying to China is really scary.

[chinadave2001]

Ah-hem. Flying there tomorrow.....

 

here's the text about Japan.....

 

 

Japan mulls N. Korea self-defense strike

Thursday, February 13, 2003 Posted: 4:06 PM HKT (0806 GMT)

 

 

 

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Japan would launch a military strike against North Korea if Tokyo had firm evidence that the Stalinist state was ready to attack with ballistic missiles, Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba said.

 

"It is too late if [a missile] flies towards Japan," Ishiba told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

 

"Our nation will use military force as a self-defense measure if [North Korea] started to resort to arms against Japan," he said, adding that Japan could regard the process of injecting fuel into a missile as the start of military attack.

 

Ishiba, known as a hawkish defense expert, also said Tokyo should develop a missile defense system with the United States since it lacks the capability to defend itself from missile attacks from North Korea.

 

"To develop and deploy [a missile defense system] is one of the major options. Our nation should pursue this," he said.

 

Ishiba, who took over the defense portfolio last September, said that in the longer term Japan could boost its military strength in order to reduce dependence on the United States.

 

Ishiba's remarks come as tensions run high over North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program and Pyongyang's insistence that it is free to launch ballistic missiles.

 

In 1993, North Korea upset Japan by test-firing a medium-range Rodong-1 missile into the Sea of Japan.

 

And in August 1998, North Korea launched a three-stage Taepodong-1 missile over Japan, demonstrating that parts of western Japan were within the estimated 1,000-km (600-mile) range of the missile.

 

U.S. officials said on Wednesday that Pyongyang had a three-stage Taepodong-2 missile that could reach the West Coast of the United States, but that the missile had not been tested. (Full story)

 

Washington also says North Korea probably has one or two atomic weapons, but Ishiba declined comment on whether Japan had any independent confirmation of that assertion.

[tonado]

Ah-hem. Flying there tomorrow.....

 

here's the text about Japan.....

 

 

Japan mulls N. Korea self-defense strike

Thursday, February 13, 2003 Posted: 4:06 PM HKT (0806 GMT)

 

 

 

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Japan would launch a military strike against North Korea if Tokyo had firm evidence that the Stalinist state was ready to attack with ballistic missiles, Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba said.

 

"It is too late if [a missile] flies towards Japan," Ishiba told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

 

"Our nation will use military force as a self-defense measure if [North Korea] started to resort to arms against Japan," he said, adding that Japan could regard the process of injecting fuel into a missile as the start of military attack.

 

Ishiba, known as a hawkish defense expert, also said Tokyo should develop a missile defense system with the United States since it lacks the capability to defend itself from missile attacks from North Korea.

 

"To develop and deploy [a missile defense system] is one of the major options. Our nation should pursue this," he said.

 

Ishiba, who took over the defense portfolio last September, said that in the longer term Japan could boost its military strength in order to reduce dependence on the United States.

 

Ishiba's remarks come as tensions run high over North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program and Pyongyang's insistence that it is free to launch ballistic missiles.

 

In 1993, North Korea upset Japan by test-firing a medium-range Rodong-1 missile into the Sea of Japan.

 

And in August 1998, North Korea launched a three-stage Taepodong-1 missile over Japan, demonstrating that parts of western Japan were within the estimated 1,000-km (600-mile) range of the missile.

 

U.S. officials said on Wednesday that Pyongyang had a three-stage Taepodong-2 missile that could reach the West Coast of the United States, but that the missile had not been tested. (Full story)

 

Washington also says North Korea probably has one or two atomic weapons, but Ishiba declined comment on whether Japan had any independent confirmation of that assertion.

Dave,

 

Have a fun trip. You will be fine since war hasn't started yet.

[LaoMao]

Ah-hem. Flying there tomorrow.....

Dave, Have a good trip. Bring a binocular with you so you can watch the nuclear activities in N. Karea when the plane is over there.

[chinadave2001]

Thanks a lot. I guess I better bring my sunglasses

B) B) B) B)

dave

[Myles]

Aloha from Hawaii,

Long range ballistic missles are not as big a threat as it once was. The US Air Force

was to develop a missle defense system. It was a complete failure. However, the other

services, who did not trust the Air Force, have been successful.

 

The Navy has modified the Standard 3 missle to intercept a missle on the upward as

well as downward flight. The Army is in production with the Patriot 3, missle killer. Also

you might have seen a story about a missle defense system that can be used on an

airliner. It is a high energy laser that was developed by the Army and is ready to go into

production.

 

We need time to put this new stuff in place. Hence the slow movement on the Korea

issue.

 

Myles aka Annakuen'GG

[skibum]

Don't sweat it. N.Korea is just hurting for energy and food and are trying to get it this way. They have been getting some things by raising money selling missiles. They have to know that if they lob a missile at the free world that they are doomed.

I think that China likes the US more than N.Korea who is sucking them of food and fuel. China does not like all the refugees that are crossing the border either. I have to believe that they are talking......

I hope the UN steps in and solves this problem without us.

I also think that China will be stepping up it's involvement in international affairs. They are now sending peace keepers to Africa so who knows what is next.

History trivia.......Mao's son was killed by US bombs in Korea.

Mao was getting ready to invade Taiwan when Kim asked if he could invade S.Korea. Kim said it would only take a couple of weeks. So, the fact that Taiwan is not a part of the mainland China is a result of Kim's miscalculations. Hope his son is smarter.

 

But then again, I have been wondering why all those Californicators have been moving to Colorado.