NORTH KOREA: THINGS ARE STARTING TO HAPPEN (Summary Report by "AmericanInTokyo") 3/25/03

Yomiuri News, Kyodo News, various N.E. Asian news sources (translated) ^ | 25 March 2003 | AmericanInTokyo

[HamiltonJay]

(I agree actually.. but no need to let NK know that :) )

[Uncle Jaque]

Here is the caption for the photo of a wounded Iraqi I just posted:

From: PHOTOS - Operation FREE IRAQ.

GainesvilleSunForums
Community Forums

  "A U.S. Marine helps an injured POW moments after securing the port of Um Qusar in southern Iraq, Sunday, March 23, 2003."

The contrasting photos can probably be found elsewhere here; I do not want to see them, really.

UJ in ME

[Erasmus]

Just think of those shocks you've got
And those knocks you've got
And those blues you've got
From those news you've got
And those pains you've got
(If any brains you've got)
From those little radios

So Mrs. R. with all her trimmin's
Can broadcast a bed from Simmon's
Cause Franklin knows
Anything Goes

--Cole Porter

[The Westerner]

Adding to the intrigue, the news report yesterday said that the first person to come down with the virus was a Chinese university professor!

[jmc813]

AIT - Just a quick word of thanks for regularly providing us with your unique perspective on the Korea situation. With all that's happening in Iraq, developments in Asia tend to get overlooked.

I'm just curious, you've probably posted this in the past, but why are you living in Japan? Miliary? Business? Family?

[My2Cents]

Mr. Il is a bit like Clinton...can't stand to go more than week without seeing his name in the papers.

[Saturnalia]

Nice to know the Japanese have a realistic view of N. Korea.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Bump

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[jriemer]

AIT,

The H2 can launch 10 metric tonnes into LEO or 3500kg into geosyncronous orbit. The H2 is a liquid fueled booster and not exactly the best fit for an ICBM but is more than suitable for launching monitoring satellites.

The Japanese gained substantial experience from the N1 and N2 boosters that were smaller and probably more adaptable for the SRBM role. These payloads ranged from 82kg to 740kg and were used from 1975 to 1987. When you combine the multiple insertion technologies used on the H2, the Japanese could be ready for anything coming their way.

There is only one publically acknowledged launching location, the Tanegashima Space Center, in Japan.

[k2blader]

Bump!

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yes, that will be the launchsite. (Open Source)

[piasa]

Well, if you want something done right with a little deniability, private individuals and groups are a great way to go. Thanks for that most interesting newsclip.

[jriemer]

(Open Source) Same here.

The Japanese need a bit of redundancy unless they want whatever "deterance" they've accumulated blasted to bits in a surprise attack.

[husky ed]

He's waiting until Bush has a chance to commit 300-400,000 troops to this "UN" problem.

[crusher999]

If we had a "volt meter" on the rhetoric coming for N. Korea....we would see that when things are going well, or precieved as such, in Iraq....they "pump up the volume". But when things are looking bad for our troops...then they "volume down".

If my assessment is correct...then they will really have their kimonos in a bunch when Operation Iraqi Freedom is won.

[ravingnutter]

Geez...Al Sumud vs. Al Samoud...I guess the sites I visited had it spelled wrong...no wonder I could not find much info, LOL! Anyway...a search with the spelling you gave reveals...

The Al Samoud 2 is a scaled-down Scud similar to the Ababil-100, a missile Iraq was developing to meet UN Security Council resolutions. However, the Al Samoud 2 is powered by liquids not solids, and the propulsion system is based on a reverse-engineered version of the SA-2 (surface-to-air) missile engine.

What's at stake is the size and the range of the missile.

Under the Security Council resolutions, Iraq is allowed to have missiles with a range of less than 150 km. Blix said in December 2002 that the Al Samoud's diameter of 760 mm exceeds the 500-mm restriction. He also said Iraq confirmed that it had imported 380 SA-2 engines to integrate with the Al Samouds. These elements increase the range of the Al Samoud by about 30 km.

Its payload is thought to be around 300 km and weapons inspectors believe that the Al Samoud may be able to carry chemical and biological warheads.

CBC

Al Samoud closely resembles the geometry of a Scud-B missile, but with a somewhat greater length-to-diameter ratio. Consistent with the SA-2 missile design, the diameter is 0.5m. The length is app. 7.7m, thus the lift-to-drag (l/d) ratio is roughly 15.4.

NTI

7.7m = 25.2 ft.

[Mystix]

They can bring what they will, it will only be until we spin up the third marine division on Okinawa. They can be here with all their gear in 24 hours ready to whoop the hell out of north korea :)

[RightWhale]

20 million Baygens?

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yes, that's right. I thought perhaps 2 million. But I checked and re-checked the text before posting. It said "20 million". Or, as in Japanese, 'two thousand 10,000 radios' (ni sen man dai)