So what about N. Korea?

With so much attention on the Middle East, and "terrorism", I thought I'd bring up the subject of N. Korea again.

There is a missile like the one fired over Japan on February 25, 2003
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/02/24/nkorea.missile/index.html

only this one could reach Alaska or perhaps California.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/world/06/19nkorea.html

Map of the base (called No Dong I swear)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/images/no-dong-tpc.jpg

You can see the base on google maps.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=korea&ie=UTF8&ll=40.85563,129.658928&spn=0.009121,0.020556&t=k&om=1

And the launch pad.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=korea&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=40.852118,129.679608&spn=0.00228,0.005139

Bush in in talks with Japan about what to do if a test missile is fired. Japan plans to take any bit of a test fire landing on it's soil as an attack.

Now when I say missile here, I mean a ICBM or Intercontinental ballistic missile. Will it have a nuke on top after the test? We are not sure.

In 2003 Condoleezza Rice said....

"The threat from the proliferation of the world's deadliest weapons and the means to deliver them is another danger that has simmered for years. The traffic in ballistic missile technologies between North Korea and Iran is longstanding. People have known for a long time that the nonproliferation treaty was in trouble from those who would sign it, but easily violate its tenets."

She is now set to visit Korea ....
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200606/200606220004.html

And has recently warned North Korea to refrain from testing a long-range ballistic missile because it would be [a] "provocative act should North Korea decide to launch that missile."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1664855.cms

So how should we respond to this? What we have done is fired up the unproved missile defense system that started as Regan's "Star Wars" program.

I was there for one of the failed attempts sitting at a California train stop.

This system has not "proven itself" but it is all we got.
"the Pentagon believes that it would cost the American people 26.6 billion dollars to maintain a single missile defense sight in Alaska, with 4 billion dollars in annual maintenance fees. Each ballistic missile test conducted by the USA has cost over 100 million dollars, resulting in failures for the most part. "
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/disarmament/nmdvalassishill.htm


I'm just wondering why this has gotten so little attention in the normally politically active forums of SL. Anyone got any opinions?

Oh and as far as "nodong" the name seems to come from the name of the missile.


taken from:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104AP_NKorea_Missiles_Glance.html


- TAEPODONG-2: Believed to be North Korea's most advanced missile, with a range as long as 9,320 miles. Experts estimate it could potentially hit the mainland United States with a small payload. However, the missile is unlikely to be accurate.

- TAEPODONG-1: North Korea is believed to have test-launched this long-range missile in August 1998. The second stage landed off Japan's eastern coast. The missile, with an estimated range of up to 1,800 miles, is believed capable of striking any part of Japan.

- NODONG: As many as 200 Nodong missiles are in North Korea's arsenal. With a range of about 620 miles, Japan is their most likely target. The missiles can be fired from mobile launchers and have been sold abroad.

- SCUD: North Korea is believed to have more than 600 Scud-type missiles that are relatively short-range and would potentially target South Korea.

That's nothing. The Vietnamese currency is the dong. There's nothing quite like have your pockets overflowing with dong.

Come on the guys are busy hating Muslims just now, don't throw in communism again. It's time will come.

Look, I know multitasking is hard! ... but that is what computers are for!

Can we just call it "Terrorism" and hate them both?

I think it's largely because we have to save SOMEONE for later. We've already called out Iraq, Iran, Sudan, etc. Plus a lot of Republicans live in the American South, so until an ICBM threatens Washington, DC or Graceland, it's not news.

Do you think if an ICBM falls in say, the middle of the Utah salt flats that we won't care?

.... so what happens if a bomb from Korea DOES fall on US soil. What do you think the reaction will be? Cover up? Outrage? A made-for-tv movie?

I think Japan, South Korea, and China are handling this one pretty well

so California having a Republican governor means nothing?

I think it's because of a couple of reasons. One, the whole North Korea thing is really old news. Most of us grew up knowing N Korea were the 'bad guys' and I think it would be highly inaccurate to discount a lifetime of indoctrination like that.

North Korea is a leftover from the Soviet Cold War, and frankly there's still a LOT of powerful juju floating around from that. It's something I truthfully believe you can't fully appreciate if you're younger than, say, 25.

I think another reason is that N Korea is not portrayed as such a hot button issue by the US government. They take the stand that it's all wrong of course, but they aren't as aggressive about it. They aren't fanning the fires. Nor will they I think.

I don't think we will try to Shock and Awe them like Afghanistan and Iraq. Why? Because N Korea REALLY DOES have nukes, they REALLY DO have weapons of mass destruction and they WILL use them! Unlike the middle eastern countries we've invaded, and will invade (IE Iran), North Korea is a Pinata from hell just waiting for the first hit.

A conflict with North Korea will give us a helluva lot more to fight than media rhetoric.

If it actually hits is one thing. Just the threat of it is another. You're supposed to replace your surge protector on your computer every year or after ANY power surge. Do you care to do it, or do you notice until the protector fails and cooks your shit off?

You haven't been keeping tabs on Bush's shaky interaction with the Governator have you?

He's still Republican and you said Republicans, not Bush. so next time explain yourself better

China!? You trust China? That is the one country that does really terrify me!! (Apart from America )

I don't trust them, however they have some sway with N. Korea and can influence Jong, plus they have taken notice of the impending launch.

Plus they could take over the entire world by land invasion without the use of ships by stringing people across oceans as human bridges.

And their air force ain't shabby either.

"China has the bomb, maybe not they may just have 1,000,000,000 people go BOOM!"

Robin Williams, Live on Broadway

Did you ever read the story of how they got rid of their sparrow population? Scary!!

http://www.laboratorium.net/archives/ToKillASparrow.html

Nooooooo!!! No wars with China!!!! I love my chinese take-out food!!!

If we went to war with Korea, would we get another hit tv series out of it??

Suicide is painless and never fight a land war in China.

anyone remember how hard it was to hold onto China while playing Risk as a child? geez I never held it longer than 5 turns.

Yes

Yes, if you fight a war with china....

... don't use the good china.

and here's the proof,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060622/ap_on_re_as/nkorea_missile_test

well it seems they like fireworks too.

6 missiles launched today including one that is theoretically able to reach us (though broke up about 1 minute in).

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/anger-at-north-korea-missile-tests/2006/07/05/1151778972522.html

This is just one story, you can't really go to a news site at the moment.

Right now I'm watching a show showing "public executions" in Korea. It's not like we JUST found out how terrible that place can be but the propaganda is bound to start.

Happy 4th all.