N. Korea: Taepodong-2 pointed at waters near Hawaii: report (direct provocation)

Kyodo News ^ | 07/07/06

[TigerLikesRooster]

Taepodong-2 pointed at waters near Hawaii: report

(Kyodo) _ The Taepodong-2 long-range missile recently test-fired by North Korea was pointed at waters near Hawaii, the Sankei Shimbun reported Friday in its online edition.

Citing government sources in Japan and the United States, the report said Japan's Defense Agency and the U.S. military reached the conclusion after analyzing the missile's path from data collected by Aegis-equipped destroyers and RC-135S electronic reconnaissance aircraft.

The missile was test-fired from its launching site in Musudanri in northeast North Korea early Wednesday local time before landing into the Sea of Japan about several hundred kilometers away.

The authorities decided that the missile was pointed at Hawaii from the angle of its nose cone immediately after the launch and the altitude it has reached, the report said.

The distance between North Korea and Hawaii is about 7,000 kikometers. While Taepodong-2 was widely believed to have the firing range of 3,500-6,000 km, its actual range can be longer, the report said.

It is not clear why North Korea targeted areas near Hawaii, but the sources believe North either wanted to show that the missile's firing range includes the United States, or because Hawaii is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, or because the missile could mistakenly hit a land area if fired toward Alaska, the report said.

[TommyDale]

I agree, this was an overt act of war, and no structure or human being should be left standing in North Korea.

[Jemian]

That's what I was thinking. For those not familiar with the movie, The Mouse That Roared came out in '59, starring Peter Sellers. It was really funny.

[Hilltop]

I happen to publish a newspaper, your graphic work is outstanding. Do you freelance?

I'm quite serious, still in awe, and laughing my arse off.

I know, off is a preposition.

[processing please hold]

Bush'll complain to the UN, then they can give NK a tongue lashing.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

one must have a economy first to have a economic collapse occur.

[Former Fetus]

So, he's been at war against us for a week and we've just realized? Seems to me that his missiles must be made in China! BTW, my husband is out in the yard, returning fire with his .22. Really!

[AmericanInTokyo]

Here is one of the charts again.

One can figure the curvature of the trajectory, of the TPD that is, per below:

[6ppc]

The Taepodong-2 long-range missile recently test-fired by North Korea was pointed at waters near Hawaii,

Maybe we should revive launch on warning.

[bitt]

haha, what a girly-man, yellow-wristbanded schmuck!!!

[true_blue_texican]

I know, off is a preposition.

And while it is a preposition, prepositions also often serve as adverbs, and in this case "off" modifies HOW you are laughing. You're not just laughing, you're laughing your ass off! :-)

[eyedigress]

They probably forgot to apply the Refractive Index! LOL :^)

[Skywarner]

"But on a serious this may be the closet we have been to nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis."

I don't know about a nuclear confrontation, at least on our shores from the NK's. However, I think the clock just moved closer towards midnight as far as military action on the Korean peninsula is concerned.

[NavyCanDo]

Did I just hear a sound-bite from Bush saying we must allow diplomacy to work? Is North Korea part of the "Axis of Evil" or isn't it? There is no negotiating with a madmen, especially (if this story is true) a madman who just fired the first shot, a long range ballistic missile pointed at Hawaii.

Show your teeth Bush.

[H. Paul Pressler IV]

Go th the UN like a Clinton and not act decisively as JFK, RMN or RWR.

[BIGLOOK]

Truthfully, Nut Cracker, I'm not at all surprised, The Chicoms bracketed the islands a decade ago, IIR, missile splashing down SE of me.

[6ppc]

The more I think about this I come to one conclusion,NK is very close to economic Collapse and the Ill Regime losing all control.

I was thinking the same thing. This looks like a death rattle of sorts. I'm concerned that he will toss a nuke at the south before it all collapses.

[usmcobra]

I think we have been killing them as they are launched.

Which might explain why their SCUD type missiles have recently become erratic

[Jemian]

You prolly did hear that because I heard it, too.