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Subscribe to RSSSEOUL -- Isolated North Korea claimed Tuesday that the U.S. mainland is "within the scope" of its missiles, two days after South Korea struck a deal with the United States to extend the range of its ballistic missiles.
North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, and regional powers have for years been trying to rein in the North's nuclear weapons program.
North Korea is believed to be developing a long-range missile with a range of 4,160 miles or more aimed at hitting the United States, but two recent rocket tests both failed.
Its neighbors fear the North is using rocket launches to perfect technology to build a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States.
'U.S. imperialist aggression'
North Korea's National Defense Commission said in a statement that the North was prepared to counter any U.S. military threats, its KCNA news agency said.
"We do not hide (the fact) that the revolutionary armed forces ... including the strategic rocket forces are keeping within the scope of strike not only the bases of the puppet forces and the U.S. imperialist aggression forces' bases in the inviolable land of Korea, but also Japan, Guam and the U.S. mainland," KCNA said.
Official: North Korean soldier kills two officers, defects to South
Pyongyang refuses to let failed rocket launch dampen tone of festivities.
An expert in the South expressed skepticism over the claims.
"There is no evidence that North Korea has succeeded in tests of a missile with a range long enough to hit the U.S. mainland," Yun Duk-Min, a professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said, according to the AFP news agency.
US-Japan agree on new defense system to counter North Korea ballistic missiles
South Korea on Sunday unveiled an agreement with the United States that extends the range of its ballistic missiles by more than twice its current limit to about 500 miles as a deterrent against the North.
North Korea is under heavy U.N. sanctions that have cut off its previously lucrative arms trade and further isolated the state after its failed 2009 missile test drew sharp rebukes, even from its one major ally, China.
Glimpses of North Korean life exposed by AP photographer
The United States has denied it has any intention to strike North Korea. It has more than 20,000 troops stationed in the South in defense of its ally against the North.
In April, under its new leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea again launched a rocket that flew just a few minutes covering a little over 60 miles before blowing up over the sea between South Korea and China.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Is this forum not moderated ?
There seems to be a number of experts here. Hmmmmmmm.
Oh, I get it. Freedom of speech. That's right. Something you won't have soon if the Obama and his fellow criminals are in office again. Please vote these idiots out of our government.
This is about other matters Troll.
I wonder who designed N. Korea's missiles, Sum Dum Fuk!
lol very good
As a person who spent most of his early life with missiles pointed at him from the USSR, North Korea doesn't really worry me much. I'm much more concerned about some Islamic Terrorist getting a hold of a nuke than NK. I doubt they could hit Japan with any accuracy let alone the U.S.
Underestimating your enemy has cost many losses in wars. I take nothing of this nature with a grain of salt. Like I preach over and over, Know your Enamy and take Nothing for Granted. Being lacksy Daisey only gets you killed. I haven't been prooven wrong yet.
It's rather simple. We're telling South korea the time has come for them to be responsible for their own security. If that time came, then, we could move the 2nd Inf. Div. off the DMZ and redeploy them elsewhere and we'd be done with it. This may also serve to ease tensions. Let the two Koreas work it out. We won't be far. Just off shore where we'll always be anyway. It makes sense. No need for 'boots of the ground' to be canon fodder when it would only take a single submarine to turn the north into glass if need be.
These people just want some attention, They could talk all they want, they would get blown out of the planety if they tried something, Like I said before all they want is some attention. I feel bad for these poor people over there, they have leadership that only wants to stir up problems instead of focusing on the people that are starving and going through some bad times. North Korea has been talking alot about what they can do and will do, But ive always heard that a dog that barks alot doesnt have much of a bite, And thats what N.korea has been all bark and no bite, and there poor people still starving, that lil dictator over there should be ashamed of his crazy father and his inheritance of crazy Ideas, he should be looking for modern solutions to there problems ,because all they have gone through would think they learn some lessons. Aim your weapons all you want, Thats all you will be doing.
Can we please just stop this violence... We teach our kids not to bully, but there is political bullying going around like it's nothing. I refuse to believe the Government is interested in any anti-bullying things.
One kid bulling another is not exactly a Senatorial problem.
LOL! That'd be pretty funny to see. Go ahead and launch a missile at us NK, see what happens.
Get the "BIG ONE" ready, insert into the center of NK and explode ! The whole world will feel better !
Must not be that big of Deal if obama is wanting to cut the Defence Budget. Right? Sounds like he can't wait for the GOG/MAGOG.
Gat this in your head correctly teh Republicans want to give the Military $2 trill over the normal amount that they asked for. Let me put it this way, The military has to account for the funds they ask for to justify the amount they ask for next year. Every penny is accounted for. As a Supply Sergeant one time I given quite a bit of extra Cash to spend for my Companies needs. I a dicker of a time spending it all and at the end of the Physical year I have to have the accounts as near to zero as I could get them. This was to justify the amount of money that I need for the next year. Any Supply Person will tell you it is easier to ask for some extra money that to git rid of to much.
That clown is just trying to impress the 100 million starving people of his country with what a mighty military hero he is. Nobody with any sense would think he is any threat to the U.S. He is suffering from delusions of adequacy.
Another example of why Romney is right, hope is not a policy, the administration ignores these type of problems and HOPES they will go away. It was the same in Libya, the HOPED to establish a relationship with the Muslim brotherhood government and put or ambassador in an unhardened make-shift embassy without proper security.
I have to wonder why this is posted now.
did Obama say something to pi$$ them off for them to come out with this? hmmmm
just wonderin.
maybe Obama has something up his sleeve before election to try and win it
orrrrr
maybe he will sell us all out if he (please God) looses.
Well sure they are within range ... but they would have to get a whole lot closer ... bottle rockets don't have a lot of distance or flight time. Their rockets are far more deadly to those at the launch pad than anyone at the 'intended' target.
North Korea mini me probably watched presidential debate.
Mini me thinks Obama will swallow anything thats what makes Obama a great leader.
I have to laugh every time these attention-starved, xenophobic piss ants say something like this! OK DUNG (or whatever your name is)....fire ONE missile and watch the results. The game will be over before it starts and North Korea won't be anyone's problem for 1,000 years or so (whenever radiation levels come back to safe levels).
rest easy people of the USA........NK has nothing
North Korea also knows that one silly misstep and there will no longer be an above ground North Korea. Don't call our bluff or try to prove us wrong. BOOM, BOOM, BYE, BYE!!!
IT's to late for NK. Maybe they are not aware of the advances in Military Technology and any such attempt would be seen before hand, and result in a detenation over their own territory.
How can a nation such as that actually believe that such a threat and development wouldn't affect them in the long run, and only assure their own doom?
You would think that the North Korean government would have enough sense NOT to provoke a fight. But if that's what they want....Careful what you wish for North Korea.
We'll see North Koreans revolting before we se their military launching any major attacks.
Oh, bull crap! Their missiles have shown time after time they can't get one out to the China Sea. However, we should show them the range of our missiles, and show these idiots once and for all who's who here.
BOOM BOMM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know. The North Koreans are so isolated and brainwashed by their government... it's scary really. Kind of like the outcasts in schools that go on these shooting sprees. Insignificant? No.
If you serch the internet for "Ask a North Korean" it will send you to an article written by a former North Korean woman after escaping to the South. After reading it, I came away with the feeling that things could get very dicey in the near future in a humanitarian aspect. The people of the North are starting to realize what their government is up to.
It would take only a few stink bombs to completely wipeout the goofballs trying to be big.
If North Korea was smart, they would try to attack us while Obama is in office because he won't fight back.
why can,t man just live and let live.
Because it's not man's nature. Get rid of your idealogical hooplah and accept the fact that mankind will never change and you'll be better off... or, just keep your head in the sand with your "world peace" flights of fancy.
At least stop giving North Korea, Egypt, and Iran foreign aid.
Can't! They need the money to buy the weapons we sell them on the side.