Posted on 06/20/2006 3:45:35 PM PDT by Momaw Nadon
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is weighing responses to a possible North Korean missile test that include attempting to shoot it down in flight over the Pacific, defense officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Because North Korea has made it a practice not to announce its missile tests in advance, U.S. officials say they cannot be sure of the government's intentions. Under that circumstance, the Pentagon is considering the possibility that it might need to attempt an interception, two defense officials said.
The officials agreed to discuss the matter only on condition of anonymity because of its political sensitivity.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he could not say whether the multibillion-dollar U.S. anti-missile defense system might be used in the event of a North Korean test. That system, which includes a handful of missiles that could be fired from Alaska and California, has had a spotty record in tests.
Although shooting down a North Korean missile is a possibility, the Pentagon also must consider factors that would argue against such a response, including the risk of shooting and missing and of escalating tensions further with Pyongyang.
Signs of North Korean preparations to launch a long-range, ballistic missile, possibly with sufficient range to reach U.S. territory, have grown in recent weeks, although it is unclear whether the missile has been fully fueled. U.S. officials said Monday the missile was apparently fully assembled and fueled, but others have since expressed some uncertainty.
Also unknown is whether the missile would be launched for a flight-test or to place a satellite in orbit.
Bush administration officials have publicly and privately urged the North Koreans not to conduct the missile test, which would end a moratorium in place since 1999. That ban was adopted after Japan and other nations expressed outrage over an August 1998 launch in which a North Korean missile overflew northern Japan.
At the time of the 1998 launch, the United States had no means of shooting down a long-range missile in flight. Since then, with the investment of tens of billions of dollars, the Pentagon has developed a rudimentary system that it says is capable of defending against a limited number of missiles in an emergency.
Don't shoot it down and allow others to observe our system. Blow it up on the pad with a cruise missile.
Shoot it down and say nothing.
Don't claim it either way, whether you hit it or miss it.
I was thinking the same thing. Blow it up on the launch pad and problem solved.
If we launch an interceptor from Fort Greeley, everybody will know ... and there will be no denying it.
"Since then, with the investment of tens of billions of dollars, the Pentagon has developed a rudimentary system that it says is capable of defending against a limited number of missiles in an emergency."
A threat to retaliate against Pyongyang would have exactly the same effect. Pentagon needs to weigh whether when the ABM fails will that lead to the programs cancelation, or will bring more money into this boondoggle.
Nah ... no bias there. How did that go?
"Nattering Nabobs of Negativism" ...
I support a US missle defense test!
Take it down.
Maybe instead of shooting it down we could redirect its trajectory. Play with it a little while. Catch it. Take it apart. Ship it back in pieces.
Make it so
That'd be quite a nailbiter for those in the U.S. program.
N.Koreans test their missile and USA test missile defence. Look at that as some sort of cooperation.
Being in california, you're in the impact area. :^o
No, we can fire more than one interceptor. AND we can fire from the SURFLTPAC forces.
My prediction: No launch. They are faking the fuel-up, and there will be no launch. I haven't read this anywhere, it's just my guess.
Exactly. We "just happened" to run a test concurrent with theirs. I like it.
Might be considered too close to an act of war. But I agree about not having people observe our systems, so maybe we should launch something from a plane to take it out. Just keep a plane in ready in the air of South Korea ready to go until they intercept the launch.
Use a different city. Seattle proper is openly pro-palestinian, and very anti-US. Military recruiters on junior college and high school campii are organized against in the open.
Seattle as a smoking hole would mean that Washington State would have a real shot at becoming a red state.
If that's NK's target, give me 30 minutes notice and then fire for effect.
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