According to today's UK Times online, North Korea said it would conduct a nuclear test as part of measures to bolster its self-defense amid what it calls increasing US hostility toward the communist regime.
"The DPRK will in the future conduct a nuclear test under the condition where safety is firmly guaranteed," the North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, using its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The statement gave no precise date as to when a test might occur. Pyongyang has said it has nuclear weapons, but has not conducted any known test to prove its claim. The story was also carried on Reuters - North Korea says will conduct nuclear test and Sky News - Koreans' Nuclear Test . So, now we have a lunatic with nuclear weapons.
Taep'o-dong 1 and Taep'o-dong 2 Missile Programs
On July 4, 2006, DPRK attempted to fire a long-range Taep’o-dong 2 ballistic missile but it failed after about 40 seconds in flight. The development of the Taep’o-dong 2 is estimated to have begun at the same time as another missile, Taep’o-dong 1, in 1990. The Taep'o-dong 2 missile has been described to be a 2-stage liquid, possible 3-stage, with a range of 6,000-9,000 km.
Over the next several days after the unsuccessful Taep'o-dong 2 test, DPRK successfully fire several non-guided, medium-range Scud-style missiles which landed in the Sea of Japan and caused a furor with the United States' Asian ally. Unfortunately, these tests were downplayed by the mainstream media as simply "scud type missiles" with little amplifying information provided. The medium - range Scud -style missiles were Taep’o-dong 1 (Daep’o-dong 1, Nodong 2, Scud X, Scud Mod. E, Rodong 2) or perhaps advanced versions of the same.
The Taep’o-dong 1 is a medium-range, liquid and solid propellant, single warhead ballistic missile. The Taep'o-Dong 1 is said to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to a maximum range of 2,000 km (1,243 miles). The Taep'o-dong 1 program has been in development and testing since 1990.
Do you recall that DPRK successfully test launched the Taep'o-dong 1 in 1998, which caused an outrage in Japan? From January 1993 - January 2001, North Korea developed its “Nodong” missile delivery programs and apparently steadily worked on its nuclear program. The "Nodong" missile is capable of covering South Korea and most of Japan, and our American military forces stationed in those countries.
Strange bed fellows
Along with DPRK, Pakistan and Iran have jointly worked with DPRK on similar missile projects. The Iranian Shahab-5/Shahab 6 is similar in technology and in design to the Taep'o-dong 2. There is much more that meets the eye on this problem. (Source: Missile Threat.Com)
30 Years of miscalculations
For the past 30 years, as the international community idly sat by wringing its hand, DPRK has pursed the development of their ever expanding ballistic missile program and apparently their nuclear weapons program. Mismanagement and miscalculation has occurred on every American Presidents' watch for probably the past 30 years. DPRK has devoted itself to developing weapons and delivery systems under the noses of the world community. Now DPRK is going to test their nuclear weapon? What next? Are they going to collude with their "partners" to hold the free world hostage?
Perhaps you should dig into the problems a little more with these "open source" links on DPRK Missile and Weaponry programs.
- Missilethreat.Com - News Archive North Korea
- FAS - Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) DPRK - Iranian Shahab - 3 Technology
- FAS - Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) DPRK - Iranian Shahab - 6 Technology
- Jane's: Iran moves its Shahab 3 units
- History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK
Technorati tags: Iran ... United States ... Ballistic missile ... North Korea ... Shahab - 3 ... Shahab - 6 ... Missile test ... International diplomacy .... Chess ... Strategic ... Nodong-1 ... Taep'o-dong 2 ... Taep'o-dong 1 ... Warhead ... Weapons ... Nuclear ... Opinion
2 comments:
You're not kidding. It has been 30 years. Let me see, what happened 30 years ago that made our intelligent suck? Aha! The Church Commission.
I want all of these commissions gone. I want Congress do the job we elected them to do!
I knew about this a couple days ago, but I just haven't gotten around to it.
Japan is already on it, though. :)
We are living in some very tense and interesting times. Over the next few months, the mid-term elections are going to be very important and the followup Presidential election is going to be equally important (to our suvivial in this tense world.)
We cannot even blink. It scares the hell out of me if we get a bunch of appeasers and apologists in power. I am uncertain of the outcome.
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