US ready for North Korean missile, says military commander

**christmas_** · 03-07-2009, 10:32 AM

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...440096/1/.html

WASHINGTON: The United States is ready to intercept any North Korean long-range missile, a top US military commander said on Thursday, as Pyongyang further tested international patience with fresh launches.

"The nation has a very, very credible ballistic-missile defence capability," the commander of US Northern Command, General Victor Renuart, told The Washington Times.

"Our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California ... give me a capability that if we really are threatened by a long-range ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) that I've got high confidence that I could interdict that flight before it caused huge damage to any US territory."

Washington has said it is not ruling out the possibility of a North Korean long-range missile launch toward Hawaii on or around July 4, the US Independence Day, although the Pentagon has expressed doubts about such a scenario.

But Renuart, commander of US NORTHCOM and the missile launch-monitoring US-Canada North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), warned "we ought to assume there might be one... and continue to be prepared and ready."

His comments came as South Korean military officials said Pyongyang test-fired four short-range missiles Thursday, further fuelling tensions sparked by the North's nuclear standoff with the international community.

The launches were "not unexpected," said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman.

"North Korea is looking for attention," added a US defence official who requested anonymity.

It was the first military action by the hardline communist state since the United Nations on June 12 imposed tougher sanctions for its May 25 nuclear test.

President Barack Obama had assured in late June that the United States is "fully prepared" for a potential North Korean missile launch toward US territory.

In addition to long-range interceptors in Alaska and California, the United States also has ground- and sea-based defence systems in the Asia Pacific, including ground-based Patriot anti-missile defences in South Korea, and US Navy Aegis system missile-defence ships deployed to waters close to Japan.

Thursday's North Korean missile launches came as a US delegation met Chinese officials in Beijing for talks on boosting UN sanctions imposed in June after the Stalinist state's May nuclear test. - AFP/de

**More&Faster** · 03-07-2009, 01:41 PM

i hope they launch a missile so we can just put an end to all this.

**wohaha** · 03-07-2009, 01:49 PM

if they make one stupid mistake - ie one mission hitting any country... then gg for them

**chowychow** · 03-07-2009, 01:59 PM

Tmr is July the 4th right see if N Korea dare to shoot anot

**christmas_** · 03-07-2009, 02:14 PM

of course North Korea will shoot...Taepodong 2 missile towards Hawaii

i predict, if anyone intercept it, North Korea will shoot even more in protest

**fathernature** · 03-07-2009, 03:21 PM

wl... ask him retire can... cant the president orking do anything?

shypineapple · 03-07-2009, 03:25 PM

I pray the day DPRK vanish from the face of this earth. DEATH TO ALL.

nuriko_sankc · 03-07-2009, 03:35 PM

monkey lah... I hope they do something so that the rest of the world can give them a beating..

**chef@work** · 03-07-2009, 03:46 PM

I hope US will nuke not just NK, but PRC as well.

Nuke countries who threathen with nuclear strikes.

Pre-emptive is the best solution to all.

**Sith** · 03-07-2009, 03:49 PM

This is getting out of hand and ridiculous. Sanctions are working?

**Peuan Sanit** · 03-07-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christmas_

of course North Korea will shoot...Taepodong 2 missile towards Hawaii

i predict, if anyone intercept it, North Korea will shoot even more in protest

Quote:

Originally Posted by chef@work

I hope US will nuke not just NK, but PRC as well.

Nuke countries who threathen with nuclear strikes.

Pre-emptive is the best solution to all.

That will be provocation and declaration of war by the agressor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sith

This is getting out of hand and ridiculous. Sanctions are working?

Did sanctions ever worked?

**chef@work** · 03-07-2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuan Sanit

That will be provocation and declaration of war by the agressor.

Did sanctions ever worked?

Sometimes, against rouge nations, black ops are never enough. They must be irradicated from the surface of this earth.

Say ya Obama. U have good intel that the NK are preparing a launch. When NK launch, NORAD is able to track it and conclude that the target is Pearl Harbour based of trajectory.

Will you lauch in retaliation according to your Nuclear policy before the Taepodong hits PH? Or will you wait till Pearl Harbour is GG, before u retaliate?

Me: I rather destroy their nuclear weapons before they could even build the silos for them.

Say no to communism.

**Sith** · 03-07-2009, 04:08 PM

I know Obama wants to avoid war. But DPRK should ought to be nuked by now.

**christmas_** · 03-07-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuan Sanit

Did sanctions ever worked?

if sanctions really worked then North Korea already become good boy liao...

but in fact, it protested over the sanctions and purposely shoot missiles...

**lousydk** · 03-07-2009, 04:22 PM

NK is not hum ji leh
they meant everything the say, so arrogant

NK = No Kidding

**kohht** · 03-07-2009, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lousydk

NK is not hum ji leh
they meant everything the say, so arrogant

NK = No Kidding

can see that.. is not fun at all.

**Peuan Sanit** · 03-07-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chef@work

Sometimes, against rouge nations, black ops are never enough. They must be irradicated from the surface of this earth.

Say ya Obama. U have good intel that the NK are preparing a launch. When NK launch, NORAD is able to track it and conclude that the target is Pearl Harbour based of trajectory.

Will you lauch in retaliation according to your Nuclear policy before the Taepodong hits PH? Or will you wait till Pearl Harbour is GG, before u retaliate?

Me: I rather destroy their nuclear weapons before they could even build the silos for them.

Say no to communism.

What if there is a miscalculation by NORAD? If US launched against NK and in the end NK's missile harmlessly in the sea, US will be deemed the agressor and will provoke a war with NK. But if NK is truly aimed its missile at PH, then US lauched its own missiles at NK, it is justifiable as its an act of self defence.

If I were Obama, I will shoot down the NK's missile that is heading towards PH and then investigate and confirmed NK's real intention before I declared war on them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by christmas_

if sanctions really worked then North Korea already become good boy liao...

but in fact, it protested over the sanctions and purposely shoot missiles...

Thats why NK is one of the naughty boys in class.