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KCNA via EPA
This handout photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on April 8, 2009 shows the launch of the country's Unha-2 rocket.
ANALYSIS
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea may have the bomb, but it hasn't perfected ways to put one onto a missile that could strike faraway enemies like the United States.
This is why Pyongyang's announcement that it will launch a satellite on a long-range rocket next month is drawing so much attention: Washington says North Korea uses these launches as cover for testing missile systems for nuclear weapons that could target Alaska and beyond.
Although North Korea isn't on the official agenda of next week's Nuclear Security Summit in the South Korean capital, here's a look at why the launch will be a major point of discussion when President Barack Obama and other world leaders gather in Seoul:
THE HISTORY
North Korea has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range rocket.
Next month's launch — set to happen around the April 15 centennial of the birth of founder Kim Il Sung — would be the fourth of its kind since 1998, when Pyongyang sent a long-range rocket hurtling over Japan.
A 2006 test was considered a failure, but North Korea grabbed attention shortly after with its first nuclear test blast. The U.N. Security Council later banned North Korea from any further nuclear or ballistic missile testing.
How muscle cars help US spy on North Korea
North Korea's third launch, in 2009, was considered a partial success, with two of the three stages pushing the rocket over the Pacific. The third stage failed, and, despite North Korea's claims of success, no satellite was put into orbit, the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command said.
That test was condemned by the U.N. Security Council. Pyongyang protested that it was testing satellite technology for peaceful purposes. It subsequently abandoned six-nation nuclear disarmament talks and, weeks later, carried out a second nuclear test.
The next year saw violence blamed on North Korea that killed 50 South Koreans, including an attack on a warship and the North's shelling of a front-line island.
David Guttenfelder / AP
In this March 9, 2011 photo, a girl plays the piano inside the Changgwang Elementary School in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
THE TECHNOLOGY
Experts and governments will scrutinize next month's launch of what the North's state media call an Unha-3 rocket, presumably the next version of the Unha-2 rocket used in the 2009 test.
Unha-2 represented a significant advancement over previous rockets, according to an analysis written by missile experts David Wright and Theodore Postol. It was roughly 100 feet long and may have been designed around Soviet missile components, the writers said.
Next month's rocket is set to fire from a new site on the North's west coast, according to GeoEye and Google Earth satellite imagery posted by Tim Brown, an analyst for GlobalSecurity.org. The Tongchang-ri site is about 35 miles from the Chinese border city of Dandong, across the Yalu River from North Korea.
Obama to visit Korea DMZ ahead of nuclear summit
Positioned only 45 miles from the North's main Yongbyon nuclear complex, it has better roads and facilities, and allows a southerly flight path that keeps the rocket from flying over other countries, according to Wright, technical researcher at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Park Chul-Hung / AP
South Korean Army K-9 self-propelled howitzers fire during an exercise in Paju, South Korea, on Thursday.
The new rocket will probably have better boosters and engines — and might even succeed in putting a satellite into space if it contains one, said Sohn Young-hwan, a South Korean rocket scientist who heads the privately funded Institute of Technology and Management Analysis in Seoul.
North Korea may have loaded the rocket's third stage with more fuel to increase capability, Wright said by email, part of improvements that "would translate to greater range if that technology was used to build a long-range ballistic missile."
North Korea says the launch is meant to contribute to "international trust and cooperation in the field of space scientific researches."
But because ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches "share the same bodies, engines, launch sites and other development processes, they are intricately linked," said Mark Fitzpatrick, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
AP
News of the North Korean leader's death sparks tears from his followers and concerns around the world as power is handed over to his successor.
THE HURDLES
So far, Pyongyang can only deliver a nuclear bomb "by boat, by van or by airplane, not by missile," said Hecker, the nuclear scientist.
After half a century of persistence, North Korea is thought to have a fairly small nuclear arsenal.
While it has enough plutonium for about four to eight "simple" bombs similar to what the U.S. dropped on Nagasaki in 1945, Hecker estimates, it doesn't yet appear to have the ability to make bombs small enough to mount on a missile.
Miniaturized warheads would require more nuclear tests, and Hecker warns that if North Korea breaks its nuclear test moratorium, "it will almost certainly be a test of a miniaturized design."
THE DIPLOMACY
Governments and experts are worried that a new rocket launch will spur a chain of events that will mirror 2009, resulting in a breakdown of diplomacy, another nuclear test and soaring tensions, threats and bloodshed.
The United States has warned the launch would jeopardize a diplomatic deal settled last month that would ship U.S. food aid to the impoverished North in exchange for a moratorium on missile and nuclear tests, as well as a suspension of nuclear work at Yongbyon.
Skepticism surrounds North Korea's agreement to halt uranium enrichment and long-range missile tests, in exchange for U.S. food aid. Author Gordon Chang discusses.
U.S. officials will be pushing China to pressure its ally Pyongyang, and President Barack Obama is expected to raise the issue during a key meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the nuclear summit's sidelines. There could also be meetings among the U.S. and its Asian allies, Japan and South Korea.
Hecker says a launch "makes a mockery" of the U.S.-North Korea nuclear deal.
"You use the same technology in long-range rockets that you do in long-range missiles," he said. "The only difference is what you put on top."
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Okay, they want to launch a missile, the U.S. Navy has the ability to shoot it down once it leaves their airspace. They are testing their systems, we should test ours. What is the big deal. They claim it is to advance scientific knowledge, we advance our technology in destroying space junk threatening the world with falling satilites. Seems like a win-win situation. N.Korea shows they can launch one, we show we can shoot it down. If they want to prove it is carrying a satitlite, invite everybody to come see the new satilite they are putting into space. In the mean time, no food to N. Korea, no aid, no anything. If N. Korea wants to be BFF's, then they need to start acting like they have some common sense. A highly theatrical and dramatic statement to the world by Obongo means nothing. He really needs a new acting coach. Nothing he says makes any impact on other nations. He is just another talking head. The odds that he'll order the U.S. Navy to shoot it down are astronomical. Then again, maybe he will tie this to his manic efforts to disarm American citizens to show N. Korea that guns are bad and only lead to innocent people getting killed by criminals. That way N.Korea will stop this and wait for Obongo to get rid of the terrible guns in the hand of law abiding Americans, and decide to invade us instead.
"A highly theatrical and dramatic statement to the world by Obongo means nothing. He really needs a new acting coach"
If the above is the case, "What in the world would the Republican candidates need to make them pass your muster since you have, as we can see, such high standards".
.....Do frogs have brains?
I guess Frogs don't have brains. "Rick Santorum today suggested it would be better to stick with President Obama over a candidate that might be "the Etch A Sketch candidate of the future” -
Also, I might point out that Romney is a Conscientious objector.
WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!
i thought our lord and saivor had brokered peace between the US and NK?
i thought Clinton was walking from north Korea to DC and not getting wet!!!
where are the libitards that proclaimed him as THEIR president for being able to establish peace?
the funny thing is there were alot of people saying just wait and watch, and their comments were collapsed and Lamebamas apostles put a hex on them and called for salem style witch trials for the non believers!!
looks like they got their food and shot Lamebama the finger!
hope hillary is up to he neck in hot water!
and i hope you Libitards will start to open your eyes as to how much fail this president has growing in and on him.
wonder how the food was paid for?
cause they just shot an egg rocket all over Lamebamas face!!!!
This is all such a bunch of pure B.S. North Korea is not going to attack anything. It has nothing to defend it self against. Let it wither on the vine. It is sends one missile, it will be overwhelming attacked and turned into a cinder with the radioactive cloud blowing over China!
All the North Korean Diplomats and leaders, want their satellite dishes, flat screen tvs, prostitutes and adulation of the crowds that they don't sent to the gulags for not crying enough.
The tactical nuclear weapons will force the North Koreans into the cellars to spend the rest of their lives and breath radioactive air.
The U.S. should get out of there immediately, bring the troops, and military hardware home and put it on the Mexican border. Let the Indonesians, Australians, South Koreans, Japanese and New Zealanders take over. That is their zone of influence. Let them put the manpower, military and money into that area. We have no use for it.
We are being completely stupid staying there. Not one good reason for staying there. The Korean Army can beat the North Korean's hands down and the U.S. can train the Australians to use the nuclear tactical weapons to stop North Korea Cold.
No writer would dare admitting such phony and crazy journalism, hence, "staff" wrote it.
N Korea launch of a crude and obsolete missile is no threat to anyone. This news is fear mongering from US government propaganda to justify spending taxpayer money on more weapons and stationing US troops in S Korea.
If the missile launch is such a threat to everyone in the region, China, Japan, Russia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan would be all up in arms rather than USA.
As the product of US government operated public schools, Americans are stupid sheeps eating and swallow every piece of government propaganda issued from DC.
There is no doubt that NK would lose any war. But, with Seoul so close to the DMZ, the South Koreans will suffer tremendous death and destruction during the time it takes to end the war.
I guess you're a product of "government operated public schools", too, since you don't realize that China, Japan and Russia are part of the "Six-Party Talks" that are trying to put a brake on NK's nuclear ambitions. As for the other countries, how do you know that they're not concerned? Australia and NZ are far enough way not to be immediately concerned. The other countries, except for India, generally don't rate much discussion in the US media.
There are surely a lot of people on here who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.
1) Pres. Clinton has, through the use of sanctions and aid (carrot and stick) had gotten North Korea to the negotiating table with us, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia. When W took office, he adopted an unofficial policy that anything done by Clinton had to be wrong and reneged on promises the US had made under Clinton. This not only set back the negotiations by ten years, it added eight more years of diplomatic incompetence to the mess.
2) When W reneged, it also convinced the other parties in the talks that the US could not be trusted and would not be counted on to keep its word. The right-wing hawks like to blame China, but it was the US who lied and acted without a rational basis.
3) This rocket is quite important toNorth Korea because exports of nuclear and military technology to countries like Iran and Syria are a very iomportant source of foreign currency.
4) Right-wing hawks spend a lot of time downplaying Iran's and North Korea's military. But every military strategist throughlut history has made Rule #1 "Never Underestimate Your Enemy." North Korea is attempting to leap about 40 years in technology with this rocket. If you can launch a satellite into orbit, you can drop a bomb on any spot on the earth. Remember that "backward" Iran was able to take over and land the most sophisticated drone we have with apparent ease. They didn't just shoot it down, they actually attempted to land it at one of their military bases --- the only damage was slight damage to the left landing gear. North Korea sunk a South Korean state-of-the-art ASW corvette without being detected. That basically served notice that the same could happen to a carrier in the SOJ or Yellow Sea.
5) The story has a glaring deficiency and an incorrect analysis about the throw weight necessary to hurl an atomic bomb and the difficulty of its construction. A Hiroshima-type bomb built today, even in North Korea would be much lighter because the explosives are lighter and many components, such as the high-energy capicators that fire the explosives are available in any photo shop in the world. So, without doing anything except modernize the design with easily-available components, they could have reduced the weight by about 1/3. But the other obvious change the North Koreans can make is a "hot warhead." Much of the weight of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs was in the form of lead and boron shielding to make the bomb less of a risk to those who had to handle it. By simply stripping off that shielding and letting the warhead be a death sentence to those handling it, the North Koreans can reduce the weight close to that of a modern miniaturized warhead.
6) To obliterate the Seoul-Inchon Corridor, North Korea would need only one weapon carried a mere 50 kilometers to do the trick. That would destroy about 40% of South Korea's population along with its major port, industrial, political, and financial facilities. This is the reason that diplomats are so unwilling to take chances with North Korea.
7) It is very convenient to pretend that North Koreans are stupid or that they are not thinking things through. Exactly the opposite is true. The North Koreans are playing a very careful and calculated game of brinkmanship and know exactly what they are doing. We count on their iron control of the military to prevent accidental escalation and they depend on South Korean and American restraint and risk assessment to recognize the potential disaster that a war would bring.
8) And last, but certainly not least. The right-wing hawks are all about bombing North Korea and Iran. The problem is that North Korea, and to a lesser but significant extent, Iran, are very hardened with key favilities in deep underground bunkers and holowed out mountains. Both countries each have more decoy installations than we have bunker-buster and MOAB bombs and decoys have to be destroyed right along with the real thing. A bombing campaign against North Korea would be a failure and would likely be a failure in Iran as well. We telegraphed all our best punches in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US had long thought that a gas attack was the only way to inflict significant damage on North Korea. But that went bye bye when we signed the WMD protocols and destroyed our chemical and biological weaponry.
Well said.
You can probably assume the US State Department has already transferred the tons of high enrichment foods that can keep the villagers happy while people in Pyongyang change their minds on agreements, again. Time to bring all US Pacific troops back to US borders. If they fire on Alaska launch a fire mission on them. Cheaper than another 62 years of occupation by US troops.
I think the important thing to point out, more so than the upcoming rocket test and the repercussions it will potentially have, is that the US and its allies are no longer able to exert any kind of leverage over the DPRK now that they have a potential nuclear deterrent. As such, there’s no incentive for not carrying out this upcoming rocket test because it will only serve to strengthen their position if and when they do come back to the bargaining table.
The North doesn't even need a long range delivery system that's capable of reaching Alaska or the mainland United States b/c the US has a tremendous military presence in South Korea and other nearby locations in the pacific.
The overall point I’m trying to make is that diplomacy has already failed and now there’s nothing to be gained by providing North Korea with any kind of humanitarian supplies. The best that can be hoped for is a containment policy so as to avoid proliferation of the nuclear & missile technology that the DPRK has sacrificed the well being of its civilian population in order to achieve.
All good points, which also can be applied to Iran. Forget Israel for a moment, think about Iran sinking a ship, maybe a tanker, in the Strait of Hormuz like the DPRK did to a SK naval vessel. Much higher global impact and ramifications should that happen and the same weak response should Iran have atomic weapons to back their play. We're not talking about looking back 50 years for a lesson here, the DPRK is showing us right now what happens when a rogue nation is allowed to possess these weapons.
Nobody except John Bolton really wants to attack Iran and start something that will end up with the U.S. probably having to wipe out their navy and air force, but IMO, it's the lesser of two military conflicts at this point.
As far as the DPRK goes, keep forging ahead on missile defense and make both they and China know there will always be a sub close enough to wipe them off the map in 30 minutes. The rest of it is just global political theater.
The US doesn't have a "tremendous" military presence in South Korea. Significant, yes, but by no means overwhelming. There are about 30,000 US troops in Korea. That's enough to be a deterrent, but is by no means a force capable of halting a full-blown North Korean invasion, if they ever went so far. Keep in mind that North Korea has the fourth largest army in the world, behind only China, America, and India. They're capable of fielding over nine million soldiers. Nine million. Not much 30,000 GIs could do about that, no matter how well-trained they are.
Sono
Agreed, But lets not make the same mistake with Iran. But by the looks of it, Obama is prepared to allow Iran to build nukes and has quietly decided on a negotiation/containment policy towards Iran. Which will not work;. So in the not too distant future we will be having to deal with Iran and NK having nuclear missiles and delivery systems. And in the case of Iran, their work on delivery systems has been ongoing and is probably ahead of their work on bomb building.
In my opinion., Mr Obama needs to come clean with the American people, before Nov., regarding his true intentions/strategy for dealing with Iran. After all, it is our security that is at stake and we should be allowed to determine who we want protecting it based upon our informed view of how he/she intends to go about doing that, and not based upon meaningless rhetoric he/she has no intention of following through upon.
@Chris-629698
I wasn't speaking in regards to the military capability those troops represent, I was only pointing out that if they wanted to attack 'US Interests' there are quite a few of them right across the DMZ in South Korea between the personnel and equipment that are stationed there.
As far as Iran goes, I think the US is pretty close to failing at those initiatives as well because we're damned if we attack them directly and we're damned if we don't. It's not even a question as to whether or not the US military could stomp out Iran’s conventional forces within a matter of weeks, at most, but I have no interest in seeing the price of almost everything skyrocket in a short period of time due to the inflated cost of crude that would occur should an attack like that occur. On top of that, it’s hard to put a lot of meaningful stock in US intelligence reports when you consider that everything the Invasion of Iraq was based was essentially fabricated to make the desired case for war.
I hate to say it, but I just assume that the US will get dragged into yet another war we can’t afford by virtue of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. As roybokhade mentioned, there are plenty of nearby US ships for Iran to take a swipe at and it’s only going to take one being attacked, not even damaged, to setup a chain of events that results in the US attacking Iran.
I just can’t think of any available diplomatic methods for the US to employ that would really allow it to come out ahead at this point when it comes to Iran b/c they seem very determined to press ahead with their nuclear program. It seems like we’re already past the point where some kind of ‘meaningful dialogue’ needed to take place to remove their desire to facilitate their own nuclear program in an effort to achieve their own nuclear deterrent since North Korea was so successful with theirs.
I think you're underestimating North Korea by only considering their motivations and needs in military terms. NK and Iran are NOT similiar nations in any respects other than being enemies of the United States seeking WMDs. There's every reason to believe that North Korea values its existence and the opulent lifestyle of its ruling class too much to cross any line that might end in nuclear or even conventional retaliation. Furthermore, North Korea has long sought American recognition and support; obviously, we've never been willing to give it the schmucks, but nukes are not the end game, here. With Iran? Maybe. There's that whole martyrdom "thing". But for NK nuclear capability is a means to an end. So long as we have more resources, food, luxuries, and money than North Korea (and by every indication we always will) we will have leverage over them.
If you ask me, the problem is that we've taken containment so far that we now define "progress" with North Korea's regime as them halting certain programs we find offensive in return for letting us feed their people... the bar has been lowered so far that we now aim for stagnation, just to head off the further deterioration of the country.
@roybokhade
DPRK did not sink the SK ship, the evidence produced by US/SK was far from convincing and conclusive. Most SK populace do not believe the boat was sunk by DPRK (recent survey). It was a trunp-up charge to defame DPRK. The ship was most likey sunk by a strayed torpedo resulting from joint US/SK naval exercise in the region at the time.
At that time US had problem with Japan to agree on the extension of treaty to stay at Okinawa. The framing of DPRK sinking the ship caused anxiety in Japan and compelled them to agree on extension. By this incident US is able to keep her military bases in Okinawa.
Doesn't it seem rather odd that a country that is having trouble feeding its own people is building test missiles and satellites to be launched into space, which must be a huge expense? If they can do that then why are we even thinking about sending them food aid? Let them buy it. But we all know the answer to that. These launches have nothing to do with scientific research and everything to do with development of military capabilities the ruling dictators in NK feel they need to have to keep themselves in power.
BTW, as that missile sits on the launch pad waiting to be fired off in a few short weeks, our government and many others should be able to tell what, if any , pay load is mounted into it. Which they probably know already. It will be interesting to see if Mr. Obama is naive enough to still go forward with the food aid deal having been quickly slapped in the face so soon after striking the deal. Kim Uhn and his handlers must be having a laugh riot over there in NK right now. And it is clear that they perceive Obama to be very weak.
Maybe he will and maybe he won't. It depends on whether he wants to try to advance the diplomatic agenda or just shut it down at the first hint of defiance. Either decision is legitimate.
I'm more interested in what China does than Obama, personally. They too have come out against the launch. I think they want a peace deal worse than America or SK does.
Since the US has decided that they are the world's police, it is past time to act. If they launch the missile, shoot it down and simultaneously send in cruise missiles to take out their nuclear facilities. If N Korea wishes to hold the world hostage with their new found power, eliminate the power. What makes their form of terrorism any different then Iraq? Why would we invade a country that is "supposedly" making WMD and not one that clearly is making them? Why so much posturing with Iran and nothing with N Korea? This is ludicrous. The US looks like fools to the rest of the world because of these inconsistent policies. Either act, or retract all of our troops back to the US and lets worry about putting our citizens back to work.
Off topic: Amazon, you're a bunch of idiots. Replacing your warehouse workers with robots. Who is going to buy your products when the world is run with robots?
We can't attack North Korea's facilities without prompting massive retaliation at South Korea. Seoul has hundreds of rockets and artillery pieces perpetually aimed at it from across the border. It was decided that the current stand-off, with NK leaders railing impotently while begging for food, is preferable to actually pushing them into re-starting the Korean War.
Off topic: I guess they'd sell to the people who make the robots, and power the robots, and fix the robots, and so on. Making work easier and more efficient with tools and machines has been going on since the dawn of civilization. It's called "progress", and people who espouse it are rarely idiots.
LR-"Since the US has decided that they are the world's police, it is past time to act. If they launch the missile, shoot it down and simultaneously send in cruise missiles to take out their nuclear facilities."
So then,you are willing to see the 30,000 US troops on the border incinerated.Just for a pissing contest with North Korea. Thank goodness,at least ,our leaders are smarter than that.
We don't care about North Korea and their nuclear missles because they can't reach the US. On the other hand we are extremely concerned about Iran and their potential nuclear missles because they are obviously able to reach the US.
That's not the case. Iran can only reach Israel, not the US. It is highly questionable that they can even reach mainland EU. The US is just playing big brother to Israel. The difference? China. The US is worried about having a conflict so close to China. Last time that happened, China got involved, something that we do not want to happen.
I still think we should shoot it down. If N Korea wants to show their capabilities, why don't we show ours and deprive them of their test data. You certainly cannot improve on a missile that is blown to pieces before the second stage ignites.
Whose to say china or russia haven't already sold the iranians a bunch of nuclear missiles? They had to get rid of the surplus nukes in the arms treaty right ? You know full well neither couintry would throw them away so you can bet they sold them to some other country .
Uh, we DO care about North Korea and their nuclear bombs (they don't have nuclear missiles yet). Are you completely unaware of the diplomatic wrangling that's going on right now? We're trying to prevent the progress of their atomic weapons program.
And less for our benefit than for South Korea's. America is far away, huge, and capable of wiping North Korea to a glowing wasteland in a few hours. It's our allies in the region that are afraid of a nuclear-capable NK, not us.
they dont need a missle/icbm to reach the USA all they need to do is get a satellite in orbit that can be manevered. then in low earth orbit when its over kansas accidently/on purpose detonate its nuclear powerpack that gives us a emp over the heartland and there goes the power grid, comm systems and most command and controll. and if its near any of our satellites they are dead too
In that unlikely scenario, involving technological capability that is probably decades beyond North Korea currently, that would absolutely infuriate the United States and be treated as an act of war without even killing one of us directly. That sounds like an amazingly stupid idea from every possible perspective.
they are much closer than you might think, they already have nuclear weapons and capability and get any tech they need from china. the UN has agreed that any country has the free use of space for scientific purpose this also includes N Korea. and theres just no telling how a nuke accident might happen, fukushima ring a bell?? the jap govt still has not told the truth of the extent of the melt thru.
the whole world is scared sh*tless of N Korea and China loves having them as their insane pitbull guard dog
I hope the rocket snaps in half while they're mounting it on the launchpad.
It might if they didn't use top-quality cardboard. The regime is running out of money you know, so they might have had to scrimp here and there.
Running out? They ran out of it back in 1991 when their paycheck from Moscow disappeared.
If the N koreans don't smarten up we may have to send Russel Crow over there to kick their ass.
We can just watch and wait until they have one that will make it here undetected. What is it about us that they hate so much ?
South Korea is what about us they hate so much. We've always backed South Korea, and they've always hated South Korea.
I take it you haven't read any books about Korea, SFA...
They probably figure they will out number us three to one after the first attack so their ground forces will overwhelm us so they can come in and take over. Better yet they may develope better technology so they just vaporize us before they come in and take over. Eternity is a long time if you get my drift. .
The trick is to build nukes fast then use them before we do. The love of power is what it is after awhile it drives you mad. They think that the only solution is to blow us all up pathetic fools.
No,No, NO! If the NK fire on us, we should turn SK into an island, by melting NK into the ocean with nukes. I think then the other budding nuke countries will take notice. Lake Iran anyone?
The US is afraid of competion in space exploration, and for god sake don't let a third world country attempt to lanch a satellite they may want to use for a communication platform. We give countries like Israel neclear weapons and missles to deliver them and promise the use of the US millitry if these should fail. Each Israel citizen is given in the form of aide from the US citizens $100,000 dollar each for education, military programs, and housing. I have a lot more concern about the rouge nation of Israel forcing the US into another war with one of the Arabs countries. The Israeli control of the US military is unheard of in modern times, but the US militay will do as told by Israel government. The US is so concern about North Korea have defensive weapons, if they didn't have neclear weapons the US would be their killing their citizens as part of or attempt to control what goes on in the world. If anyone thinks for one minute that Iraqis will have defensive weapons they could use during an attack from another country your wrong. The US will allow rifles and hand guns but beyond that they Iraqis will have to go to the 1 billion dollar military complex built within Iraq and ask for help. The Iraqi people will never be and independent nation again, the US military will be there to control their daily lives. The Iraqi people will live under the dictatorship of the US just as Germany, Japan and Sorth Korea and god only know how many other countries. This is what we call democracy the forced control of the lives of its citizens. How much justice can you afford today.
Wow, that's quite a rant.
And what a conclusion, too! Germany, Japan, and South Korea, huh? Yeah, I bet those nations are positively CHAFING at how awful us Americans have treated them!
Please. Every one of those nations is rich and prosperous as a direct result of their relationship with America. If that's the result of "not being an independent nation", which is also false, BTW, then countries should be lining up to lose whatever independence is apparently holding them in poverty.
100% agree. US government is dictatedby AIPAC which controls US media.
You take the words out of my mouth, can't agree more.
US government is dictated by AIPAC which work for the interest of israel instead of US.
Suppose someone offers to launch the satellite for them by arguing that it will cause less tension among the international community and save them money for research and development. This can be a way to determine their real intent. If they say no then you can assume that some kind of weapons delivery system is currently being prepared for testing. If they say yes we should be skeptics and wait for them to retract an initial acceptance of this offer.
But no country should present such an offer until they are sure that they have the resources and a detailed plan. This plan should assume that North Korea may or may not cooperate. It should also require North Korea to be transparent about the functional goals and objectives of their satellite. Finally this plan should have the support of key members of the international community and be used as a tool to put more pressure on North Korea. Remember I am using the word offer instead of promise since experience has taught us that we should not believe anything coming from North Korea.
This is just an idea that could inspire other ideas/plans that may or may not be introduced for discussion.
That's a good idea, but it assumes a level of cooperation from North Korea that hasn't been seen in years.
Still, I'd actually like to see more engagement with North Korea, not less. I think that for too long we've settled on a definition of diplomatic success with NK determined by whether or not their nuclear program is advancing, while neglecting everything else.
You stated that we don't fear NK b/c we're far-away and can wipe them out, but that our allies in the region do. I agree that NK can't hurt us on our mainland, but it's naive to think that we won't get involved on a massive military scale in the event that our allies in the region are attacked. NK can instigate a regional war, which will affect us very deeply, and is probably why negotiations are so focused on NK's nuclear program - not to mention that they're selling nuclear tech to all of our enemies.
Likewise, it's naive to think that NK's ruling elite won't instigate a war for fear of losing the good life. They have repeatedly provoked SK and SK has made it clear that if NK attacks one of its naval vessels or shells its territory again then it'll prompt a serious response. It's true that NK has a lot of weapons pointed at SK, but lets not forget that SK is no shrinking violet. Again, we'll be forced to stand by our allies, as China stands by NK, and it has the potential for serious consequences.
It may be time to test their resolve instead of constantly having ours tested. That includes testing China, NK's main ally, as well. I agree that China's response to all of this is significant - NK can be better controlled vis-a-vis China. Shooting the rocket down sends a message to both parties. I for one am glad that Obama's recent military realignment is focusing on this part of the world again.
FYI: I'm responding to you b/c you bring up some good points and know what you're talking about. Your feedback is welcome.
@LordRaven:
I like your idea of shooting down the rocket. It lets North Korea know we won't be jerked around anymore and also sends a message to China.
On a related note, we always hear about Iran's nuclear and missile program, but we never hear about their technology to miniaturize the warhead. It seems this is difficult to do and, in my opinion, extends by several years the date when Iran develops a nuclear-enabled missile that can threaten Israel. Of course, once Iran has even a rudimentary bomb that it can toss out of a plane, it will create regional dislocation on a grand scale.
north korea well known for sharing techology with iran and syria and once north korea learns how to mount nuclear weapon on a missle it will share that tech with other nations. Obama appeased north korea few months ago and now its not paying off.
You are right, you are krazy
As cruel as this may sound, this nation is working diligently to destabilized the entire region including China and Russia. The only real solution is a regime change and only the people of North Korea can accomplish this.
Since the military controls the nation any significant public show of discontent with the government is sure to include massive bloodshed but only the people can bring down the current regime.
North Korea is spending billions on military research while the people starve. I know this is cruel but if the nations of the world stop sending food to this country the people would act. Tens of thousands of people starving per day would be a public relations nightmare for North Korea but the regime would implode upon itself. I know this would be a horrific solution to a difficult problem but what's more horrific is this entire region went to war; tens of millions would die.
The world has to unite against these dictatorships and nations that support them should be isolated.
Otherwise, North Korea and others will become nuclear powers and the more nations that has these weapons of mass destruction the closer our world comes to self destruction.
Unless the regime peacefully pulls back, I don't know what other solution will work.
Power to the people.
The only country needs a regime change is israel which is controlled by zionist warmongering bigots whose political agenda would lead to outbreak of world war.
Let rational israeli take charge and the middle east peace may have a chance.
This is just another case of the UN bulling some small nation. If North Korea started a war it would mark the end of their country. Not even nuclear weapons could save them. They should be free to pursue any technology they want, why should the UN (5 super powers) dictate who has and gets what. Keep doing what you like NK. While I don't agree with the way you treat your people. Its your right as a sovereign nation to do what ever you want to protect/advance the interests of your country. Maybe if you launch a satellite you can spy on the US for a change.