North Korea's missile tests
First off, I don't understand the level of outrage over N. Korea's missile tests so long as those missiles were fired over open ocean. Obviously, they were launched as a provocation, but this doesn't substantially change anything in the situation.
But what's really troubling me about this story is the absolute uncertainty by the US intelligence apparatus of when and how many missiles the N. Koreans launched. In North Korea, we're talking about a country that borders on two nuclear powers who have to be classed as potential nuclear threats to the US(Russia and China.)
The US has known for at least a week that such missile firings were possibly imminent, and yet the early warning systems could not determine if, when, or how many missiles were fired?
I accept that all of these tests were short range, probably not reaching the extremely high altitude of ICBM's, but I would also assume that the US has a naval presence in the Sea of Japan.
CORRECTION: I mistook the imprecise knowledge expressed by people at the State Dept. and the White House to reflect imprecision overall. Norad apparently tracked them on launch. (Leo was right.) Sorry about that. But, to some degree, my point still stands, in that it apparently took the folks at the White House half a day to get precise numbers.
But what's really troubling me about this story is the absolute uncertainty by the US intelligence apparatus of when and how many missiles the N. Koreans launched. In North Korea, we're talking about a country that borders on two nuclear powers who have to be classed as potential nuclear threats to the US(Russia and China.)
The US has known for at least a week that such missile firings were possibly imminent, and yet the early warning systems could not determine if, when, or how many missiles were fired?
I accept that all of these tests were short range, probably not reaching the extremely high altitude of ICBM's, but I would also assume that the US has a naval presence in the Sea of Japan.
CORRECTION: I mistook the imprecise knowledge expressed by people at the State Dept. and the White House to reflect imprecision overall. Norad apparently tracked them on launch. (Leo was right.) Sorry about that. But, to some degree, my point still stands, in that it apparently took the folks at the White House half a day to get precise numbers.
posted by mikevotes at
7:34 AM
5 Comments:
You can bet your tucous that we knew how many hairs were on the arm of the person that pushed the 'go' button. To imply that we didn't is just misdirection, and probably a strategically sound misdirection, too.
By
Brass Pear, at 10:37 AM
You're right. There's a report out of Norad this morning saying they knew of the six launches.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 11:09 AM
I have no doubt that we knew about it, and much more that were not saying in public.
North Korea choosing the 4th of July is a "finger" at us. I think an added problem is that we launched a shuttle just about the same time.
If you were sitting at a NORAD radar screen, would you think they might be shooting at the shuttle? Wouldn't you have to assume that for safety reasons?
Talk about Sadam being a nut job, we really have a nut job to worry about in North Korea.
By
Unknown, at 3:49 PM
Norad apparently tracked them on launch.
For all 30 seconds before they malfunctioned and dropped into the ocean--a development for which I am very grateful. (Well...at least that's what happened to the two big ones.)
By
Anonymous, at 3:54 PM
Again I don't see the huge significance of this test except in a diplomatic sense, that North Korea was deliberately defying the US.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 5:20 PM
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