North Korea Tests Missiles - Badly
North Korea today tested at least three missiles today including the problematic Taepodong 2 long-range missile. However, that missile failed.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea launched a long-range Taepodong-2 missile and two small Scud-type missiles within a two-hour period, but the long-range missile appears to have failed, a diplomatic source told Reuters on Tuesday.
CNN also reported that a Taepodong had been fired.
The Taepodong 2 missile, which had been under intense scrutiny by the United States and other western powers, appeared to have failed in flight, the diplomatic source said.
A Pentagon official told Reuters North Korea appeared also to have launched at least two small Scud-type missiles, but not the intercontinental ballistic missile that has been a focus of international concern.
"This appears not to be the launch of the missile that's been so widely reported of late," said the official, who asked not to named. He referred to the small missiles as "lesser variety" Scud types.
The official spoke before reports that the third, long-range Taepodong missile firing had been reported.
Japan's NHK TV reported the first of the two smaller missiles landed in the Sea of Japan about 375 miles from Japan.
Cheyenne Mountain went into a heightened state of readiness within the last two weeks, Reuters reports.
The commander of U.S. Northern Command ordered the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, which rings the bunkered operations center, to take "necessary security precautions commensurate with its missions," said Michael Kucharek, a spokesman for the U.S. Northern Command.
American officials have led a global chorus of concern that North Korea may soon test the Taepodong-2, believed capable of reaching Alaska.
It was the North's first missile firing in eight years.
On Monday, Pyongyang vowed to respond with an "annihilating" nuclear strike if attacked preemptively by the United States.
The heightened "force protection" level was put in place in the past two weeks, said Kucharek, adding that he could not be more specific because details of the move were classified.
Lt. Col. Marcella Adams, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Space Command, said precautions had been stepped up for the safety and security of people working in the complex.
Now, inquiring minds might want to be asking if the North Korean Taepodong 2 missile failed all by itself, or if the failure had a wee bit of help from the US.
Oh, by the way, Kim old man. The US sent a manned mission into space today.
UPDATE: More from the New York Times. Still not much detail as yet.
World news | Gaius Tuesday, 4 July , 2006
By Shawn, Tuesday, 4 July , 2006 @ 9:40 pm
I doubt that it was coincedence that they fired that piece of junk on July 4th. I was hoping it would blow up during lift-off or go wonky and land in China.
By Gaius, Tuesday, 4 July , 2006 @ 9:48 pm
I doubt it was coincidence, either. I really wonder if the failure had help…..