Posted on 03/30/2009 8:07:15 AM PDT by La Lydia
The United States can do nothing to stop North Korea from breaking international law in the next 10 days by firing a missile that is unlikely to be shot down by the U.S. or its allies, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday. Appearing on "FOX News Sunday," Gates said North Korea "probably will" fire the missile, prompting host Chris Wallace to ask: "And there's nothing we can do about it?"
"No," Gates answered, adding, "I would say we're not prepared to do anything about it."
Last week, Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said the U.S. is "fully prepared" to shoot down the missile. But Gates said such a response is unlikely.
"I think if we had an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it," Gates said. "But I don't think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point."
North Korea has moved a missile onto a launch pad and says it will be fired by April 8. Pyonyang insists the missile is designed for carrying a communications satellite, not a nuclear warhead that the secretive nation appears bent on developing.....Gates conceded that North Korea will likely get away with thumbing its nose at the international community by test-firing the missile. He also said that six-party talks aimed at curbing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions have been largely fruitless....Gates also lamented that the missile launch planned by dictator Kim Jong-Il comes just two months after President Obama took office....
Gates also said Japan is unlikely to shoot down a North Korean missile unless it drops debris on the island nation.....
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Saying we can’t stop the launch is BS. Of course we can stop it; one B-2, one 2000 lb. JADAM, end of missile and launch pad.
The PROBLEM is dealing with the war that starts.
I suspect Hilary or the appropriate Asst.Sec’y at State has informed NK to expect only verbal response, which in their eyes is that the US approves.
Although not recognized by our left and accused of not doing so, Bush usually tried to establish partnerships.
Japan is a good partner. Their defense forces have bought our products for 50 years. Let them take the shot. It will keep us out of the press. Good dipolomacy in an era of growing anarchy.
Absolutely, that is why nothing will happen unless it strays too far inland over Japan. The last one’s didn’t except for one, so nothing really was needed to do.
Gates is a loyal servant. He has a record of doing what the Boss wants. So what he did under Bush will be different from what he does under Obama.
This statement is clearly weasel worded. It leaves open the possibility that we lack to technology to intercept the missile. But it’s not exactly a lie, because it also can mean that we have made a political decision to do nothing.
In other words, he is willing to risk giving our enemies the perception that the US is technologically incapable of responding, in order to shield Obama from the perception that he has made a political decision to do nothing.
Not even if it hits Hawaii, his supposed birthplace, which has been assiduously hiding his true birth certificate.
Hey! Maybe if NK takes out Hawaii, it will solve the birth certificate problem for once and all! That’s it!
“Hey! Maybe if NK takes out Hawaii, it will solve the birth certificate problem for once and all! That’s it!”
Don’t underestimate him, that birth certificate means much more to zero than Hawaii.
I heard on Fox News the missile can reach Alaska, if that is the case Obama won’t do a damn thing about it and we all know why. If it can reach Hawaii then yeah they will do something since it’s the supposed place of his birth(I say supposed because we all know where he was really born)
Gates could turn in his resignation papers over this depending how it turns out. You can only put up with so much B.O.>B.S. “defense” policy before you can't take it any longer. He will stay as long as he can make a difference, when he feels like he is talking to the brick wall too often, he may feel like a sinking ship is not one he wants to appear a captain on.
Parse the statement. He didn’t say “We can’t do anything about it.”
This is all just BS posturing. See www.mda.mil for the laundry list of successful intercepts.
Newt is full of it.
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