Tuesday, July 04, 2006

SIX MISSILES FROM NORTH KOREA

Not as ear-pleasing as dozens, scores, hundreds of mortars fired by local pyros during Fourth of July celebrations across the Ozarks. Definitely not pleasing to the ear of diplomats trying to keep North Korea on a short lease and a long fuse.

The New York Times writes the history this way:
North Korea test-fired at least six missiles over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday morning, including an intercontinental missile that apparently failed or was aborted 42 seconds after it was launched, White House and Pentagon officials said.

The small barrage of launchings, which took place over more than four hours, came in defiance of warnings from President Bush and the governments of Japan, South Korea and China. Of the launchings, which the United States and Japan condemned, intelligence officials focused most of their attention on the intercontinental missile, called the Taepodong 2, which American spy satellites have been watching on a remote launching pad for more than a month.

It is designed to be capable of reaching Alaska, and perhaps the West Coast of the United States, but American officials who tracked its launching said it fell into the Sea of Japan before its first stage burned out.

"The Taepodong obviously was a failure — that tells you something about capabilities," Stephen Hadley, President Bush's national security adviser, told reporters in a phone call on Tuesday evening in Washington. But other officials warned that even a failed launching was of some use to the North Koreans, because it will help them diagnose what went wrong with the liquid-fueled rocket.
The first launch came minutes after space shuttle Discovery blasted into the sky. Definitely an in-your-face move.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a very scary time. They apparently launched a 7th missile this morning. I hope and pray for a peaceful resolution to this.

Anonymous said...

Good thing the Koreans aren't in cahoots with Rush Limbaugh. From what I hear, he has some secret pills to help launch his Taepodong.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, that little trouble-makin' North Korean is a real irritant. They just want attention...Iran's been stealing it all. So, they launch seven missles to get that attention. If China would wrap Kim's knuckles with some sanctions along with US and Russia and Japan, that just might get his attention.

He's too goofy to be trusted. If I were him and wanted to geet someone's attention, I'd shoot his hair stylist right in the salon where he gets clipped.

He's liable to lob a nuke into South Korea or Japan.

Anonymous said...

Remember all that Bush administration talk a few months ago about how Iran was only moments away (or something like that) from building a nuke and lobbing it into the US? Guess the Mexican Invasion. the Gay Marriage Attack, and the Flag Burning Armageddon took precedence politically. So now it's North Korea. Iran went from an imminent nuclear threat to pretty much nothing in about two months. Isn't that interesting.

Nice that we warned N. Korea that they'd better not launch those missiles OR ELSE. Or else what? They called our bluff. So now what?

Anonymous said...

Just proves once again... communism rots the brain.

Anonymous said...

Good thing the Koreans aren't in cahoots with Rush Limbaugh. From what I hear, he has some secret pills to help launch his Taepodong.


Naw... the best Rush could do for them whould be helping to get it errected on the pad. Provided of course that it has a sister.

According to VD(J) we have a 25 year old program, costing to date about $125 billion, with not a single successful test, that provides us with an unbrella to protect us from SCUDS.

Star Wa's ... gawd bless Ronnie and large doses of hallacinogens.

Anonymous said...

...would be helping to get it errected on the pad.


Or- as Ronbo would say: Getting it elected on the pad.

Sorry Ron, that was really, really cold. But I just couldn't resist.

Anonymous said...

What's with this Type-O Dong thing? Is it endorsed by Jenna Jameson? Do they sell them at Priscilla's?