U.S. Prepared To Shoot Down Any N. Korean Missile
Reports suggest N. Korea may fire towards U.S. on July 4
By EMILY FELDMAN
Updated 10:45 AM PST, Fri, Jul 3, 2009
U.S. military officials are ready to make some real Fourth of July fireworks if North Korean missiles threaten to spoil the holiday.
Missile defenses are in place and ready to knock down any Taepodong-2 missile that Pyongyang's military may fire towards U.S. soil Saturday, a military commander told the Washington Times.
"The nation has a very, very credible ballistic-missile defense capability. Our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, I'm very comfortable, give me a capability that if we really are threatened by a long-range ICBM that I've got high confidence that I could interdict that flight before it caused huge damage to any U.S. territory," Air Force Gen. Victor E. "Gene" Renuart, Northcom commander told the Times.
Reports that North Korea is preparing to fire a long range missile towards the Hawaiian islands appeared in Japanese paper, Yomiuri, last month sparking concern. Recent military activity and a spotty track record has lent credibility to these reports and prompted international vigilance.
The communist nation fired four short-range missiles off its east coast on Thursday. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missiles traveled 60 miles before landing in the sea. North Korea has placed restrictions on surrounding waters through July 10, citing military drills.
Two months earlier, Pyongyang drew the ire of the United Nations after conducting an underground nuclear test in violation of U.N. regulations.
If North Korea does go through with the Fourth of July power show, it wouldn't be the first time.
Three years ago, they made an attempt to show their military prowess by firing their most advanced Taepodong 2 missile towards the U.S., though quite anticlimactically, the missile broke up shortly after launch and fell into the ocean.
This time around, the world has its eye on the sky, and is preparing for what could be a successful launch.
"We are keeping a close watch on North Korea as it may fire more missiles," an official with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Associated Press.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told the AP that "we cannot rule out the possibility" of a long-range missile launch this weekend.
While U.S. missile defenses are in place and prepared for the worst, Defense officials have insisted there's no immediate threat to the U.S. and no indication that a rocket launch will take place.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Bay Area
First Published: Jul 3, 2009 10:05 AM PST
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