Does anybody really think that North Korea is going to shoot their missile test at America? This is not only grandstanding, it’s probably the administration figuring that once they turn it on, they’ll never have to turn it off or justify its existence ever again.
The United States has activated its ground-based interceptor missile-defense system amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch, a U.S. defense official said on Tuesday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed a Washington Times report that the Pentagon has switched the multibillion-dollar system from test mode to operational, after being in the developmental stage for years.
“It’s good to be ready,” the official said.
Asked whether the United States would try to shoot down a North Korean missile, Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff declined to answer directly.
“We have a limited missile defense system,” Ruff said. “We don’t discuss the alert status or the specific capabilities.”
If it doesn’t work properly, why activate it at all?
5 It’s a reasonable way to make a threat against a country that is threatening you.
Its also a way for them to attract the attention that their wacko “Dear Leader” lives for…
I’m sure he’s PO’d that Iraq & Iran are getting all the attention & insanely jealous of the diplomatic “carrots” we have been offering Iran.
5 Now what if they mess up the missile and actually hit something?
That would be interesting… the last time they launched one – in 1998 – it went over Japan.
If I was running the show, and my missile had the range & accuracy [big ifs]: I would lob one into the US’s Pacific Missle Test Range – and ask for a copy of any data the US obtained…
http://www.pmrf.navy.mil/
@ 28: Read 29’s “N. Korea’s missile could possibly make it to Alaska or Hawaii.” comment, well after we’re talking about the missile parts found in Alaska. The people talking in this thread don’t realize that it’s happened.
While their avionics probably aren’t worth a damn, they’re just one purcahse away from fixing that problem.
@29: Hooked on Phonics. 1-800-ABC-DEFG
James Hill
The real problem here is that anti-balistic missile systems are not 100% effective. It’s just like the Cold War all over again…
The incurred costs to build up a protection umbrella while building up an offensive system to get past their defensive system. North Korea has no problem spending themselves to the ground (like they are now)…
BTW: Kim Jong-il is crazy…he’d shoot missiles towards the U.S.
#30…Jaso….my favorite bumper sticker is….*Visulize Whirled Peas*
LETS ALL SING CUM-BA-YA AND MAYBE THEY WILL JUST BE PEACE ON EARTH!! If the missle gets launched, maybe, just maybe, if we sing loud enough, it will hear us, and realize we mean it no harm, and it will self destruct. ; – ) That would be just splendid.
Rob is correct #4. If it did launch and it did hit us and cause some destruction, “the liberals” that are against the missile shield would be the first to sue, and cast blame at the administration for not protecting them.
29 I would have a few F-16s on hand for a back up system.
I’m curious as to what you think “a few F16s” would do against an ICBM’s re-entry vehicle…
Right on, #15.
Man, these folk with their collective heads in the sand are partially the mentality/complacency that allowed 9/11 to occur too.
“Those ABMs are not 100% effective. Why activate it at all?”
“This is just another excuse to fund/justify the Bush war machine”
“Nobody is crazy enough to directly attack the U.S.”
“We can’t stop it, so why even try?”
Yeah, and nobody would be crazy enough to hijack 4 airline jets loaded with passengers and simultaneously fly 2 of them into both World Trade Center towers, 1 into the Pentagon Building, and 1 into… naw, that’s just crazy talk! Damn war-mongers been watching too many movies, eh?
W A K E U P, P E O P L E!!
I’d rather at least try and be as prepared as physically possible than oblivious and in denial, only to complain later about how could we have allowed this to happen…?!?!?!
I could not have said it better myself Zuke!!
The part which cracked me up was the official who said that it was “good to be ready” They aren’t ready – unless they’ve actually dug out some Roswell tech (sarcasm alert) to improve the system … which hasn’t worked … ever … even under rigged conditions.
Bruce the IV (Sounds like an aristocrat), your statement, just is not true. They have had several successful launches, and interceptions. I believe the hit rate is .6 so they would send two after each missile. So I guess since it’s hard to hit the missiles, we shouldn’t even try. What a defeatist attitude! Thank God you are not in charge!!!
Jeremy, Jeremy. The Web lies before you. Go forth and Google. Don’t just tell us what you “believe” the hit rate is. It sucks.
And even though it sucks — it gets worse. Because they feed the coordinates in — in advance! This isn’t some surprise, surprise, missle launch detected by satellite with ants running around programming frantically for interception. It’s days and days of pre-planned launch track — fully coordinated to try to make the damned things arrive in the same place at the same time.
And then submit the request for budget increase.
It’s your money, too, bubba.
#19, “… I never said that it was fear that drives me.
Comment by rob — 6/21/2006 @ 9:16 am
#11, What do you think it is that drives the public to do anything? Its fear. plain and simple. Unless you have a fear that something in your life will be disrupted, the average American will do nothing to better or protect themselves….
Comment by rob — 6/21/2006 @ 8:15 am
Rob, I stand corrected. You’re in denial. Now go back and crawl under that rock and hide before the boogie man gets you.
Moss,
Its not what I beleive, its what I heard the General in charge on the afternoon news state. I do not have hard proof, besides what the Genral stated, hence the “I Beleive”. Like I said earlier, its better to try than not do anything. Peace through strength, it works everytime!!!!
So what are the possibilities here?
1. They don’t launch. This is just a publicity stunt to get negotiations going again
2. They launch, and the missle follows tradition by failing miserably.
2a. it fails, and debris kills some people in Japan or South Korea
2b. it fails, but no deaths from debris
2c. it fails, spectacularly – blowing-up on launch pad or shortly thereafter.
2d. it fails, spectacularly – guidance failure causes it to come down on Russian or Chinese soil [deaths on the ground from debris?]
3. They launch, and it is successful – but not aimed at the US.
4. They launch, and it is successful – and is aimed at the US.
4a. aimed at US – but does not come within range of anti-missile, and does not reach US soil [leaves question of whether falling-short was intentional or not]
4b. aimed at US – and anti-missile destroys it, and no debris lands on US soil
4c. aimed at US – and anti-missile destroys it, but debris lands on US soil.
4d. aimed at US – and anti-missile fails to destroy it, and missile lands on US soil
4e. aimed at US – and anti-missile fails to destroy it, but missile lands short of US soil
I myself am hoping for 1 or 2d.
I would love for Dear Leader’s missile to go wild at launch and land in China. Just thinking about China’s reaction puts a smile on my face…
Category 4 is interesting in that it doesn’t matter whether the ani-missile system works – we will demand one that does.
So basically, if Bush activated the missile defense systems, and the missile doesnt work, he gets the blame for wasting money. If Bush doesnt activate, missile hits Alaska, then hes to blame for not activating a missile system.
Come on, teh president can’t handle that much thinking, hes Bush!
Yah, Id love to see the Chinese’s reaction to the missile hiting like Beijing.
#25,
So are you scared of a dummy warhead, or do you really think N. Korea would launch a single nuke at us in an announced test?
I’ll also repeat what I said earlier: you people attacking anyone against this as anti-military are either morons or being completely disingenuous. Just because I do not support one weapons system does not mean I do not want to field new weapons. I just want to field good ones.
The Army killed the Sgt. York anti-aircraft system because it sucked. They didn’t stop developing other systems.
“Rob, I stand corrected. You’re in denial. Now go back and crawl under that rock and hide before the boogie man gets you.”
Comment by Mr. H. Fusion — 6/21/2006
If you would just read what I was saying maybe you could understand. PEOPLE AS A WHOLE are driven by fear. Collectively as a nation or group of people. That is just the way it is. The people in this country expect to be protected, because they have a fear that something bad could happen. I think that on 9/11 that fear was justified. Do you and I live our daily lives in fear? no that is not what I am saying. When it comes to national security, yes I say that people AS A WHOLE are fearful.
Why do you think it was that Bush won again in 04? (other than the fact that Kerry is an idiot who changes his so called principles and ideas to match how ever the public might be feeling that day) Because he ran on national security. He told the people that he would protect them from the evil of the world. People were scared of another terror attack or something of the like. They wanted someone in office who they knew would protect them. (if you are not fearful then why would you need protection)
Re-reading previous posts, and came across something that no one has mentioned so far:
9 Now, everyone knows N. Korea did it, so we can bomb them back with impunity. (We’ll use a lot more than one missile, too.)
Could we just “bomb them back with impunity…”?
With Beijing being a few hundred miles West of Pyonyang, and Vladivostok even closer – would we really have a “free hand” to retaliate – even if they did “… take out Anchorage…”?
Would Beijing oppose our taking any military action so cloe to their own border, or just tolerate it -like our bombing of Hanoi?
Of course, Hanoi didn’t have nukes…
China would let us retaliate, for otherwise they could be accused of supporting it.
Jeremy (40) … an aristocrat … that’s funny … only in cyberspace …
Use your head people! They won’t fire the missle at us…it’s a threat to make them look stronger, “oh look im the badas* now” they are in the process of using plutonium to create nuclear bombs for the balistic missles….they have one for medium range…now they want one for long range… if they are gonna cause a fight they sure arn’t gonna use a missle that can only take out a city, they are gonna wait until they have nuclear warheads in them when the real threats come. Once we sit on our as*es and watch that happen then we will be in real danger because they will black mail us to get what they want…and surely after a sqaud fails to disarm them they will maybe fire them. Look how big American is get a map scribble out San Francisco…look how much were hurting…now take a map and scribble out half of California….now look at the difference…..they won’t fire get real