[Gargantua]

"I’m not exactly sure what the government is supposed to be hiding here."

As a hypothetical? What if that was a dummy missile launched as a chest-thumping demonstration by a Chinese nuclear sub off the coast of California? I'm not positing that that's what it was, just laying out one answer to what I balieve was your question... why would the Government want to lie about its being a missile.

That's one reason they'd want to lie, and there are at least a hundred others that I could come up with.

;-\

[cripplecreek]

As a hypothetical? What if that was a dummy missile launched as a chest-thumping demonstration by a Chinese nuclear sub off the coast of California?

That would be the most likely reason our side would claim responsibility.

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

NORKs