http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/25/north.korea.missile/index.html

Its on the pad now.

3/25/2009 11:34:29 PM

as of like 3 weeks ago(old), it was supposed to be launched first week of april

3/25/2009 11:35:31 PM

i think you may want to correct verb tense there

3/26/2009 1:11:48 AM

From a purely American point of view? Fuck it, Japan, shoot the goddamn thing out of the sky. Even if they're not test-firing a long-range missile, we should be trying to deny NK satellites. They aren't Cuba -- we can still embargo them to death. And it may be "to death" for them, but better that than a clinically insane leader with time to improve his nukes and long-range missiles.

He's unpredictable. He doesn't appear to fit any rational pattern. Pretty much any other dictator in the world, you can make (at least) a range of predictions of their actions, but we don't even know what fucking universe Kim lives in. Starve him out, wait for him to die, and hope his military leaders have enough insight into the rest of the world to reverse course after he's dead.

And if not...they'll do something stupid. Something so stupid that even China will let them be annihilated. If they try something, the world will be ready to stamp that regime out like a cigarette butt, and it's about fucking time. Under the current style of leadership, everyone in the country will be dead before too long in the scale of national extinctions. They're better off with an invasion.

With proper coordination, we could stop them from doing the only really destructive thing in their power: the massive bombardment of Seoul. I assume the Japanese would do us at least that courtesy. Properly executed, the whole operation could be one of the best trade-offs between lives and liberty every made.

But as a disclaimer, it bears emphasizing that "proper execution" is a narrow set of actions. Immediate occupation of NK is inadvisable, for example. A brainwashed population needs healthy doses of propaganda (backed by results) to be converted. But, after an initial strike against offensive positions, our current defensive strategies would likely keep the bastards at bay long enough for such a psychological operation to take hold, if each phase was implemented with some foresight.

3/26/2009 2:37:33 AM

Dont expect any bold action from Obama

3/26/2009 8:18:35 AM

Dont expect any bold action from Republican18 or marko, either

oh btw



[Edited on March 26, 2009 at 9:04 AM. Reason : OH GOD SIREN]

3/26/2009 8:59:12 AM

USA #1 in Do as I say not do as I do.

3/26/2009 9:40:36 AM

didn't you hear? N. Korea is going to capture the moon.

3/26/2009 11:53:58 AM

Yeah the plan seemed feasible.

3/26/2009 12:04:21 PM

A North Korean soldier stands guard in the border village of Panmunjom on December 1, 2004 in South Korea.

3/26/2009 5:38:23 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/26/north.korea.us.ships/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Quote :

"U.S. destroyers on move as N. Korea prepares rocket launch"

Lets puff our chests and look tough in protest to N Korea's commercial satellite launch. We'll show them.

3/27/2009 8:51:43 AM

Can't take too many chances, eh?

Remember sputnik? That harmless beeping could have been the beep of doom.

3/27/2009 9:07:09 AM

What is the point of owning and operating massive warships that can shoot down missiles with pinpoint accuracy if we don't use them when such situations arise? I would be a lot more worried if we didn't relocate these ships near Japan.

3/27/2009 10:36:19 AM

b.c N. Korea is doing this to get attention and we are buying into this

3/27/2009 11:18:21 AM

^^ They were already in Japan, we're just moving them closer to NK.

3/27/2009 11:29:00 AM

This isn't a trivial act. The North's missile launch can go very badly and land in Japan accidentally or by design. The Japanese have already stated that they do not have appropriate measures to counter-act such a mistake or intention. This issue is about protecting our allies from a potential disaster. Think about it, which is worse? Ignoring the North and failing to prevent a catastrophy, or doing the right thing and playing it safe rather than being sorry afterwards? It's a no-brainer on several levels.

3/27/2009 11:33:35 AM

The Japanese said that if any part of the launch got into their airspace they would shoot it down, sounds like they have the means.

But I'm all for using the aegis destroyers.

3/27/2009 12:46:29 PM

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/24/asia/AS-Japan-NKorea-Missile.php

Quote :

"Japan FM expresses doubts over missile defense Published: March 24, 2009 TOKYO: Japan may not be prepared to intercept debris that falls into Japanese territory if North Korea's planned rocket launch fails, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday. North Korea has said it will launch a communications satellite between April 4 and 8, but Japan and its allies fear that is a ruse to disguise the testing of a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Japan responded to the warning by saying it will shoot down any debris that falls toward its territory in the case of a botched launch. The government is expected to issue an order as early as Friday calling for the destruction of debris or parts of the missile that fall toward Japan, allowing the defense minister to deploy interceptors in areas where the fragments are likely to fall, Kyodo News agency reported. But as the launch date nears some officials have expressed doubts about the country's missile defense prowess, concerns the Defense Ministry has said are unfounded. Today in Asia & Pacific Burst dam in Jakarta kills scores in the nightSuicide bomber kills dozens in PakistanTokyo court rejects teachers' lawsuit over the flagForeign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said "it would be difficult" to shoot down fragments from a failed launch of the North Korean missile. "Our country has never done this before. And we don't know how or where it may come flying," Nakasone told reporters Tuesday. He was echoing an unidentified top official, who said Monday that "there is no way you can hit a bullet if you exchange pistol fire in a distant duel, according to Kyodo and other Japanese media. Japan has successfully tested intercepting a medium-range missile last year, though it has failed once in the past, but the country has never tested capability to intercept a long-range missile, which Pyongyang is believed to be testing. Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said he disagreed with Nakasone's assessment. "We have been doing our best to be prepared," he said. Hamada has said some of the interceptors in and around Tokyo, as well as a pair of destroyers carrying the ship-to-air missile defense system, may be shifted to northern states Iwate and Akita to intercept fragments that may fall. On Tuesday, North Korea warned the United States, Japan and their allies not to interfere with its planned launch. A 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution prohibits North Korea from engaging in ballistic activity, which Washington and its allies say includes firing a long-range missile or using a rocket to send a satellite into space. Japan has already warned North Korea of more sanctions if the communist country goes ahead with a rocket launch. Prime Minister Taro Aso has said he would also bring the case to the United Nations Security Council."

3/27/2009 1:51:58 PM

The name of that missile is kind of funny. Taepodong

3/27/2009 3:38:33 PM

Quote :

"The Japanese said that if any part of the launch got into their airspace they would shoot it down, sounds like they have the means. But I'm all for using the aegis destroyers."

Japan has AEGIS destroyers of their own...They're very similar to some of ours (not the Ticonderoga-class...the other ones).

3/27/2009 8:46:04 PM

ideally in this situation i'd have the us shooting it down if it came near some us interest...then we'd seem pretty bad ass...then we could be like yeah those are the ones going in poland, etc etc etc

that wont happen but if it comes near japan i hope they shoot it down...put up or shut up time...hopefully North Koreas test doesnt fuck up like the 40 some odd second debacle in 06...i dont even care if they miss...would still make for good news

3/28/2009 12:04:59 AM

Jesus shut the fuck up, you goddamned idiot.

3/28/2009 12:02:06 PM

^suspend

3/28/2009 1:39:21 PM

Quote :

"^^ They were already in Japan, we're just moving them closer to NK."

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-30-voa15.cfm

Quote :

"All Eyes on Japan as North Korea Prepares for Missile Launch By Kurt Achin Seoul 30 March 2009 Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships drop anchors at pier at base in Yokosuka, Japan, 28 Mar 2009 Top leaders in South Korea and the United States have all but dismissed the use of military means to interfere with North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket, believed to be just days away. Many observers are now watching to see if Japan will make good on contingency plans to shoot down the rocket. About 100 protesters rallied in downtown Seoul, Monday, shouting slogans against the North Korean government and its plans for an imminent launch of a long-range rocket. Pyongyang says it will fire what it calls a communications satellite into space, within days. A United States scientific institute has released new satellite images showing the North's rocket standing up on a launch pad. That is seen as a strong indicator liftoff is on track to proceed between April 4 and 8, as the North has announced. South Korea, the United States and Japan view the launch as an unacceptable attempt to advance North Korea's offensive ballistic missile capability. They say the launch will violate a 2006 United Nations resolution imposed after Pyongyang tested a nuclear weapon and that it require some form of response. However, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is rejecting any kind of military response to the launch. In an interview published Monday by Britain's Financial Times, Mr. Lee is also quoted as saying he will avoid other "extreme" measures such as closing down a joint North-South industrial park. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is also downplaying military action. He says the United States would only attempt to shoot down the rocket in the unlikely event it appeared to pose a direct threat to U.S. territory. One of two advanced U.S. warships expected to monitor the launch from waters between North Korea and Japan departed a South Korean port, Monday. South Korea and Japan are also believed to be sending advanced anti-missile destroyers to collect data on the launch. Japan is the only country that has made explicit public plans to attempt to shoot down the North Korean rocket. The launch trajectory is expected to pass directly over northern Japanese territory. Japan's defense minister ordered the country's self-defense forces last week to prepare to destroy any part of the rocket that looks like it may pose a threat. Park Seung-jae is a consultant to South Korea's Defense Ministry and works with the Asia Strategy Institute in Seoul. He feels certain Japan will attempt a shootdown. "Trying by Japan is very important," Park said. "Success or not, is a second question. Japan has a right to shoot [the rocket] down. No other country will argue with that." Park says a shootdown attempt - especially a successful one - would boost the political fortunes of Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, whose approval ratings have plummeted in recent months. "

3/30/2009 10:19:12 AM

blast that pos out of the sky

3/30/2009 6:36:49 PM

yeah that sounds prudent. you should totally be in charge, dude.

3/30/2009 10:27:49 PM

^its a huge fucking ROCKET flying over another country without permission. They have every right to blast that damn thing out of the sky. WTF are you smoking?

4/1/2009 12:50:20 PM

I hope the Chinese decide not to shoot down the next NASA space shuttle that goes into orbit. After all depending on its orbit it may be over "THEIR" air space (albeit 100 miles up) AM I RITE!

4/1/2009 1:37:38 PM

like our NASA space program, your stupidity knows no bounds.

4/1/2009 1:38:17 PM

Quote :

"its a huge fucking ROCKET flying over another country without permission"

it is? you sure about that? which country will the rocket be flying over, exactly?

[Edited on April 1, 2009 at 6:00 PM. Reason : .]

4/1/2009 5:58:32 PM

Presumably northern japan, before it leaves the lower atmosphere, as is more or less suggested by an article posted above.

4/1/2009 6:37:22 PM

ha. i even googled to find anything about it passing over japan, all the while it was on this page.

nonetheless, shooting down the rocket unprovoked, while being badass, wouldn't be very smart.

4/1/2009 7:09:55 PM

why? what would be negative about shooting down a rocket that is going over your country?

seems like there would be a lot of positives actually.

4/1/2009 7:17:31 PM

what positive would come of shooting down a rocket of an already batshit crazy rogue nation, assuming that is merely passing over your country on it's way out of the atmosphere?

like i said, if there is a provocation of some sort, sure, blast it. but if there are no signs of any malicious intent, why fuck with it? nothing positive would come from that

4/1/2009 7:42:28 PM

it's an implicit provocation. isn't that clear?

4/1/2009 8:10:06 PM

not really, no

4/1/2009 8:17:03 PM

Quote :

"nonetheless, shooting down the rocket unprovoked, while being badass, wouldn't be very smart."

well there are UN sanctions forbidding them from launching anything (even satellites)

4/1/2009 8:28:28 PM

they are going to shoot it up, it will mess up, blow up, and we will all rejoice. that is my prediction.

4/1/2009 8:33:26 PM

best possible outcome

4/1/2009 8:47:41 PM

^^^thank you. Are ^you paying attention to that? You catch that. I know the UN is really just a shell of an authority figure but stands nonetheless.

4/1/2009 10:48:02 PM

It's also provocation for another country to violate your sovereign airspace without permission by shooting a rocket through it.

We have agreements and deals in place with other nations for our space program. North Korea is the black sheep of the region and lacks any proper friendly nations.

4/2/2009 1:17:41 AM

best possible outcome for the US is for it to go crazy and hit china

4/2/2009 1:36:41 AM

not a rickroll, i promise..

i found this hillarious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHkWv1vHtHk

4/2/2009 1:03:15 PM

Quote :

"^you paying attention to that? You catch that."

UN resolutions? are you fucking kidding me? we're america. we don't need no stinkin' UN resolutions. we need to remove our country from the UN, remember.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 5:43 PM. Reason : .]

4/2/2009 5:42:49 PM

Hey re-re I'm talking about Japan not us.

4/2/2009 6:19:46 PM

well. much of the military in japan is "us". and the missile defense tech is most definitely a lot of "us".

4/2/2009 6:25:41 PM

haha

4/2/2009 9:45:00 PM

Quote :

"We have agreements and deals in place with other nations for our space program."

Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case...

Quote :

"The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has established the Kármán line, at an altitude of 100 km (62.1 miles), as the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and the outer space, while the United States considers anyone who has flown above 50 miles (80 km) to be an astronaut; indeed descending space shuttles have flown closer than 80 km over other nations, such as Canada, without requesting permission first.[1] Nonetheless both the Kármán line and the US definition are merely working benchmarks, without any real legal authority over matters of national sovereignty."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace

[Edited on April 3, 2009 at 2:03 AM. Reason : Admittedly, the example given was Canada and the link regarding the issue has since died]

4/3/2009 2:00:42 AM

Its up and seemingly sucessful

4/4/2009 11:07:38 PM

awesome

4/4/2009 11:20:39 PM