quote: Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the military is "watching" that situation "very closely," and would have "some concerns" if North Korea launched a missile in the direction of Hawaii. But he expressed confidence in U.S. ability to handle such a launch.
So how long do you really think we'd let the capitol of North Korea stand if they were to lob a missile at Hawaii?
Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Even if they could launch a missile that far, they're nowhere near to being able to launch a nuclear weapon in any of their long-range missiles.
And if they launched some conventional missiles at us, we'd flatten them.
(Also, their missile launches have been at best mediocre successes, so a range of "up to" some distance is probably only practical at a good deal shorter for a while to come.)
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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And keep in mind that China is holding the leash, so to speak. As long as that's the case, they probably won't do anything terribly stupid.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Juxtapose: From what I understand, Hawaii is outside the range of even their best missiles.
It, and some parts of Alaska, are within the theoretical high end range of the Taepodong 1 (yes I know I spelled it wrong, I'm doing it phonetically from memory). But thus far missile tests from North Korea have been lackluster.
If it hit Hawaii, it'd be more from luck than design.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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The news regarding their nuclear tests said that their nuclear range was 80 miles (130 kilometers).
Posts: 688 | Registered: Nov 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Juxtapose: From what I understand, Hawaii is outside the range of even their best missiles.
It, and some parts of Alaska, are within the theoretical high end range of the Taepodong 1 (yes I know I spelled it wrong, I'm doing it phonetically from memory). But thus far missile tests from North Korea have been lackluster.
If it hit Hawaii, it'd be more from luck than design.
They're scared to go after Alaska. Palin's out on her porch keeping a lookout. She'll shoot it out of the sky.
Posts: 688 | Registered: Nov 2008
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I doubt the missiles are the major concern. We have the ability to shoot down missiles. What S Korea is afraid of is the massive amounts of artillery that is aimed at Seoul. Artillary that cannot be shot down and could lay waste to that city in short order. The have threatened to unleash their artillary if the west intervenes.
Posts: 1495 | Registered: Mar 2009
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North Korea's behavior makes my normally pacific tendencies go sideways. Part of me says, "Who the <BLEEP> do these idiots think they're dealing with? Let's pound 'em flat until they stop pulling this nonsense and finally recognize their relative importance on the global map, shall we?"
...And then I take a breath and am glad cooler heads make these kinds of decisions...
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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quote:...And then I take a breath and am glad cooler heads make these kinds of decisions...
I do hope we'll all have cause to continue to be glad of those cooler decision-making heads. Sometimes, though, I don't expect we will.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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