[Jeff Head]

This has to be BS.

Think for a minute.

If they had done this, we would have detected it. We would not have known if it was real or a test. With it coming towards Alaska and impacting there, we would have gone to DEFCON1 and probably returned fire.

The BS Meter on this is off the scale IMHO.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Agreed.

[Sabertooth]

If they had done this, we would have detected it.

Agreed, if it was aimed at Alaska, but see my #23. I'm no expert, so my stratospheric fragment scenario may be nothing. Smuggling the warhead fragment in is another possibility, and not especially reassuring.

Or, the story could well be a complete hoax.

[harpseal]

Actually somewhere in the back of my mind there was some report arround 1999 of a Nrth Korean test that was headed towards Alaska. Now Cheyene Mountain has a very good system for predicting balistic impacts. If the missle part were to impact in an unoccupied area they would have upped DEFCON but not necessarily returned fire. If they also tracked it being destroyed as part of the test it merely would have been intel at that point.

I do not know if the BS meter should be pegged to going off the scale or not on this one.

[Grampa Dave]

[Squantos]

What they don't say is that it washed up on the beach......When I was stationed in Alaska my EOD team was called out on all kinds of WWII and Korean War era ordnance and the big old glass floats from Japanese fishing nets , mines, ect ect that storms placed above the high tide mark. The Aluetians are a big ole sh*tfilter for the oceans trash.

Just my SWAG on the matter based on my 1st hand experience. Stay Safe !

[El Gato]

With it coming towards Alaska and impacting there, we would have gone to DEFCON1 and probably returned fire.

Actually that's exactly the direction their last (aknowledged) shot over Japan awhile back would have been heading, so I suppose it's just barely possible some fragment found it's way there. Still it does seem improbable.