Here we go again. N. Korea now prepping an ICBM.

[FBM]

I know, I know, who gives a shit? I do. These are my balls swinging in the breeze over here.

NK Long-Range Missile Arrives at Launch Pad

06-01-2009 18:15

NK Long-Range Missile Arrives at Launch Pad



By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

North Korea appears to be accelerating preparations to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and provoke an incident near the western sea border, military and intelligence authorities here said Monday.

Tension has been growing on the Korean Peninsula since the communist state's second nuclear test and test-firings of short-range missiles last week.

An object presumed to be an ICBM was recently transported by train to the Dongchang-ri missile site, a newly-built long-range missile site located on North Korea's western coast, according to authorities.

In a related move, the North also banned ships from waters off its west coast until the end of July, an apparent sign of a further provocation near the sea border.

Citing an unidentified government official, Yonhap separately reported that North Korea has doubled ammunition for its patrol ships and artillery units deployed near the western coast and increased the number of joint live-fire exercises.

``North Korea has strengthened its military training exercises near the western sea border. Intelligence shows that the North has also conducted amphibious attack exercises, using high-speed landing vessels,'' the official was quoted as saying.

Observers expect North Korea to conduct an ICBM test-firing near the middle of this month when the South Korea-U.S. summit takes place in Washington, in a bid to further ratchet up tension on the peninsula and add pressure on U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.

``As it did before, North Korea will weigh in much on political impacts before provocative acts,'' Rep. Hwang Jin-ha of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) said in an interview. ``I believe that would be the case this time.''

Hwang, a retired major general, said North Korea appears not to have fully secured the ICBM technology. Many other analysts still believe Pyongyang has not mastered the technology of miniaturizing a nuclear warhead to mount on a missile.

North Korea's Taepodong-2 ICBM is believed to have a striking range of between 4,000 and 6,700 kilometers and be able to hit Alaska.

Last September, South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee confirmed that North Korea had almost completed a new missile launch site in Dongchang-ri, North Pyeongan Province.

North Korea has another long-range missile site in Musudan-ri on the eastern coast, where a Taepodong-2 missile and several short-range and medium-range missiles were test-fired toward waters off Japan in July 2006.

A senior official of the U.S. Department of Defense said last week that the U.S. military would activate its ground-based interceptors to shoot down an incoming missile from the North should Pyongyang fire an ICBM.

On April 5, North Korea fired a rocket from the Musudan-ri site, which was widely seen as a disguised test of the Taepodong-2 missile.

The rocket splashed down in the Pacific Ocean about 3,000 kilometers after launch, South Korea and U.S. intelligence officials said. The Alaskan coast is about 4,800 kilometers from North Korea.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

[AshtonBlack]

Interesting. You still like living that close?

[FBM]

Interesting. You still like living that close?

Yeah, really I do. It keeps me awake and alert. Sometimes the immediacy of the whole thing is a bit off-putting tho.

[AshtonBlack]

Well, you know that during times of heavy stress (such as the Blitz in the '40s ), that women seem less prudish! (if you know what I mean!)

[FBM]

Well, you know that during times of heavy stress (such as the Blitz in the '40s ), that women seem less prudish! (if you know what I mean!)

I have a certain awareness of what you mean... And that sure explains the past few weeks! And the creeping hemlines...

[AshtonBlack]

Well, you know that during times of heavy stress (such as the Blitz in the '40s ), that women seem less prudish! (if you know what I mean!)

I have a certain awareness of what you mean... And that sure explains the past few weeks! And the creeping hemlines...

See, not all bad. Inevitable radioactive destruction is a great knicker elastic loosener!

[FBM]

Well, you know that during times of heavy stress (such as the Blitz in the '40s ), that women seem less prudish! (if you know what I mean!)

I have a certain awareness of what you mean... And that sure explains the past few weeks! And the creeping hemlines...

See, not all bad. Inevitable radioactive destruction is a great knicker elastic loosener!

Well, if I knew that death could be just around the corner, I know how I'd like to spend my last hours...Apparently, I'm not alone in that sentiment...

Shit, you've almost got me singin' the Kim Jong Il praises here!

[AshtonBlack]

..... my work here is done.

[FBM]

..... my work here is done.

[normal]

Iiiiiih. I'm just scared again. But if you get more lbfm I guess it's sort of okayish in a strange way

[FBM]

Since AshtonBlack's comment, I'm starting to see stories like: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 00418.html
in a whole new light.

[al-rawandi]

Interesting. You still like living that close?

Yeah, really I do. It keeps me awake and alert. Sometimes the immediacy of the whole thing is a bit off-putting tho.

I have similar concerns, I am living in Israel right now. One crazy Iranian away from a shit storm.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Since AshtonBlack's comment, I'm starting to see stories like: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 00418.html
in a whole new light.

I think I mentioned already that my cruiser went on a "freedom of navigation" exercise above the 38th when NK declared the whole area between them and China a "private lake". Gulf of Sidra all over again.

[FBM]

I have similar concerns, I am living in Israel right now. One crazy Iranian away from a shit storm.

Don't you find it makes you a bit more alert and alive to know that war and chaos are just a stone's throw away?

I think I mentioned already that my cruiser went on a "freedom of navigation" exercise above the 38th when NK declared the whole area between them and China a "private lake". Gulf of Sidra all over again.

If you mentioned it, I either missed it or was durnk and forgot about it. They've always disputed the NLL, and to be honest, since it was unilaterally decided upon, I can't say I blame them. They need all the fishin'/crabbin' holes they can get, more so than the South.

And there was this today: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/na ... 46269.html. Slowly warming up, or just routine flaunting of the NLL?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It's an improvement from when they claimed everything north of the 38th.

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/Pubs/cib/ ... IB33-2.GIF[/imgc]