Gird your loins: North Korea stacking long-range missile on launchpad
posted at 7:14 pm on March 25, 2009 by Allahpundit
Another missile test in the guise of a satellite launch, a la Iran’s fireworks last month, but with the stakes much higher. The regime’s less predictable; the missile is longer range; and the chances of a regional war being touched off by a misfire are greater.
Other than that, nothing to worry about.
The launch has drawn concern from the United States and Asian countries because the same technology used to launch a satellite can be used to launch ballistic missiles and would amount to a test of North Korea’s ability to reach the United States with a ballistic missile.
One US official says that North Korea appears to have set up two stages of a three stage Taepodong 2 missile at the Musudan Ni launch facility located on the country’s northeast coast…
The State Department and regional partners have stated that the launch of any missile, even the launch of a satellite, is a violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution that North Korea from engaging in ballistic missile activity…
Admiral Timothy Keating, who heads US Pacific Command, told a congressional panel yesterday that the US military is ready for a North Korean launch.
Via Closing Velocity, North Korea says it’ll regard a rocket intercept as an act of war but Japan has no choice except to prepare one. The One certainly isn’t going to intercept it unless it’s absolutely necessary: Not only would it put us on the brink but it’d demonstrate the utility of that missile defense system he’s so ambivalent about. Exit question: Any U.S. options here besides crossing our fingers and hoping the missile falls harmlessly into the Pacific? One possibility is shooting it down secretly and announcing publicly that the missile failed on its own, a la the 2006 Taepodong launch. That would let the North Koreans save face, which might be enough to avoid confrontation.
Blowback
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Loins Girded!
Amadeus on March 25, 2009 at 7:17 PM
Barry soils his long pants.
TexasJew on March 25, 2009 at 7:17 PM
But “smart diplomacy” will stop them! Or another basketball. Some DVDs (Asia region)….
Wethal on March 25, 2009 at 7:17 PM
Obama’s probably hoping it will land right on the Cuda’s house, problem solved for 2012.
Hey precedent, this may need your attention. Could you please stop your bowling game please?
HornetSting on March 25, 2009 at 7:17 PM
Huh?
progressoverpeace on March 25, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Someone get Biden, Barry’s diaper needs changing!
anniekc on March 25, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Barry soils his long pants.
TexasJew on March 25, 2009 at 7:17 PM
i think michelle is the one who has the accident, given that she wears the pants in that family.
Ghoul aid on March 25, 2009 at 7:19 PM
I feel safe knowing Obama will have a rippin’ statement to read… a couple of days after the thing lands on Hawaii.
Y-not on March 25, 2009 at 7:19 PM
Didn’t Hillary take care of this last month?
neuquenguy on March 25, 2009 at 7:20 PM
You think he is merely ambivalent about our missile defense?
myrenovations on March 25, 2009 at 7:20 PM
Maybe California won’t NEED that stimulus now. I thought the world was supposed to just drop their greivances against us and sing cumbaya with us. I guess precedent will have to actually do some work.
HornetSting on March 25, 2009 at 7:20 PM
Barry soils his long pants.
TexasJew on March 25, 2009 at 7:17 PM
To me, that is pure poetry
Locrian on March 25, 2009 at 7:20 PM
Obama blows.
First Iran, then North Korea…next week, the Maldives. Missiles for everybody. Whee!
Don’t worry. He’s got steel in his spine.
Obama blows.
back to you…
whitetop on March 25, 2009 at 7:20 PM
As Barry chuckles…
Firebird on March 25, 2009 at 7:20 PM
I notice these “global tests” aren’t getting a lot of press. Like when the Norks arrested those two American reporters over the weekend. It’s almost as if some people aren’t interested in covering stories that might be of inconvenience to the administration…
Blacklake on March 25, 2009 at 7:21 PM
I don’t think they are targeting anything here, so it will probably fall harmlessly into the Pacific. My understanding is that any launch will help the North Koreans make adjustments, so we should probably hope it doesn’t even launch.
Finally, I don’t think we could “secretly” shoot it down and then blame it on the wind or something. Further, if North Korea was worried about saving face, there would be a united Korea already. Whatever happens, it will be called a success by the government controlled news in North Korea.
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:21 PM
Obama blames Bush. Film at 11.
JustTruth101 on March 25, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Barry will laugh when NK launches the same way he laughs at the current US crisis he and the Demotards have put us in.
He will laugh when Iran puts the bomb on the missle as well. He is plain ignorant and stupid just like all the idiots that voted us into this mess.
lasertex on March 25, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Sounds like a good opportunity to test our missile shield. Blow it out of the sky.
echosyst on March 25, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Quick Barry, for the love of God, send them a message of hope and greeting before it’s too late.
jjshaka on March 25, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Yeah, I don’t think there’s going to be any war any time soon. China would come in a crush North Korea for such a move.
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:23 PM
So, now that the global war on terror is called an overseas contigency operation, is the north korean missle insurrection going to be called ‘launching a sweet and sour dog across the big blue ocean’?
HornetSting on March 25, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Did that actually happen or did the Nork missile just EPIC FAIL on its own. If we did secretly shoot it down, that would be cool. Dangerous but cool.
I guess I could search Nexis or the series of glass tubes known as teh intarwebz and try to find out but fuq it. somebody knows. Can you help a brother out?
Mike D. on March 25, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Barry said he will shoot it down, right, just like all the other promises he has kept.
lasertex on March 25, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Bret Baier just read my question on the Fox News Special Report online show regarding this. Whoo hoo!!!!
Major Garrett reported that Hillary Clinton said that it “would not be helpful” for N Korea to launch their missle.
Oh, so Carteresque, don’t you think?
ladyingray on March 25, 2009 at 7:24 PM
“Uh, well, uh, it’s funny that you ask… Why, uh, yes, we are monitoring the situation. We, uh, will keep you informed when we fully understand what’s going on.”
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:24 PM
The Japanese were threatening to do so if the flight path met certain criteria (this was in the news last week sometime). Does anyone know if they have the capability to do that?
Y-not on March 25, 2009 at 7:24 PM
Well. Choice of five U.S. states within probable range. Me: 1/5 chance of not having to plan the next phase of my life.
Anwyn on March 25, 2009 at 7:25 PM
**Face Palm**
Do ya think?
Knucklehead on March 25, 2009 at 7:25 PM
Sure did. She strutted around, posed for some photo ops, made a gaffe or two and dropped some dorky liberal slogans.
A job well done.
whitetop on March 25, 2009 at 7:25 PM
Maybe he will make a video.
redrock on March 25, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Question: If America was attacked, or even if a major war erupted that involved America, would that benefit Obama or hurt his popularity?
Usually, populations rally around wartime presidents, if the war is big enough. Bush got that benefit for a few days after 9/11.
keep the change on March 25, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Cross our fingers and hope it doesn’t make it past the west coast? Actually, it’d be damn-near wonderful if the thing plunked inert into the water a few miles off San Fran. Some people might be led to re-evaluate their existential priorities. Don’t be too confident in the capabilities of NK technology, though.
Blacklake on March 25, 2009 at 7:27 PM
Christopher Hill, the cowboy diplomat who engaged in unauthorized talks with NoKo, is up for ambassador to Iraq. His hearings should be lively.
Wethal on March 25, 2009 at 7:27 PM
It’s called “Taepodong 2 goes on a date with TOTUS on a Friday night.”
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:27 PM
KTC, if he actually attacks back on the people who attacked us, yeah, I’ll have a little more forgiveness for the guy. Otherwise, Not. So. Much.
Anwyn on March 25, 2009 at 7:27 PM
No, shoot it down. Put the shootdown on YouTube. Then tell North Korea you have one of two choices: Accept our aerospace dominance and like it… or lash out and get your just desserts.
Noballma probably wouldn’t do that though. He probably will pass the buck to Japan.
HotAirJosef on March 25, 2009 at 7:28 PM
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
BUSH’S FAULT
benrand on March 25, 2009 at 7:28 PM
If Barry sends DVDs, he had better send the porn kind. I hear Kim likes bad movies, and signed basketballs. Or so that was the way it went when Madeline went over during the Clinton era.
freeus on March 25, 2009 at 7:28 PM
Very true. But my main obkection was the strange notion that we need to allow NK to “save face” (as you also pointed out in your first comment). I take a bit of a different tack; this desire to let them “save face” is a call for appeasement, even if it was attached to us shooting down their missile. NK needs to have their “face” smashed so that they cannot escape it (if that were even possible). Too many people are treating them as if they’re just playing some game and that we are bound to follow their rules. Crazy. But this is all moot, given that The Precedent is a turd, anyway, who wants a weak US even more than NK does.
progressoverpeace on March 25, 2009 at 7:28 PM
And thanks a fraggin’ lot, Blacklake.
Anwyn on March 25, 2009 at 7:28 PM
Hey! Anyone here watching the Special Report online show? You should be.
ladyingray on March 25, 2009 at 7:28 PM
Why didn’t being on the ‘axis of evil’ list stop them in their tracks?
exit question…
What does a North Korean satellite do, what protection do our satellites have against a poorly launched ‘enemy’ satellite, and what is stopping NK from using their satellites to snoop on us?
barkolounger on March 25, 2009 at 7:29 PM
I think us righties could turn that into Obama’s Katrina – except, like you can control the weather so Katrina was way worse…
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:30 PM
A real CIC would order this thing to be blown out of the sky, and would then warn the Norks if they fired another, it would be assumed to be a nuke attack on the U.S.
President FUBAR will probably be found in a fetal position under his desk.
-Dave
Dave R. on March 25, 2009 at 7:32 PM
keep the change,
It would depend on the big 0′s response. Remember the Nork’s will share the results with the Iranians.
calguyintexas on March 25, 2009 at 7:32 PM
Yeah, you have a good point. I mean, clearly N.K. is just testing us – they’re calling our bluff. Yes, they could make things nasty for the entire region, but do you really think that China wants S.K. and Japan burning? China would completely tank. I think in the end, Obama is better off letting the Chinese save face and completely bypassing N.K.
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:33 PM
Dear Leader VS Dear Leader
Oh, I forgot. The “adults” are in charge now.
Del Dolemonte on March 25, 2009 at 7:33 PM
The only thing SCROTUS has the guts to shoot down are the expectations of his faithful.
(SCROTUS = Screen Caption Reader Obama The Usurping Socialist)
Daggett on March 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM
Living in range of a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, possibly armed with a nuclear warhead: Another reason to re-consider living on the West Coast.
gmoonster on March 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM
We already have two huge divots in New York City… Probaly no need to worry.
Dire Straits on March 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM
The question is, upstater85, does it put out on the first date or is it just a dud?
HornetSting on March 25, 2009 at 7:34 PM
Hillary ThunderThighs Clinton just released a statement and said there will be consquences. You’ve got to hear this audio they just played on Fox to believe it.
Do we all feel just a wee bit safer now?
Knucklehead on March 25, 2009 at 7:36 PM
Yet another crisis for the Obamatons to not waste.
Kalapana on March 25, 2009 at 7:37 PM
Is TOTUS heavy shielded for EMP?
jukin on March 25, 2009 at 7:37 PM
Can’t figure out how the site works. Do you have to register? Instruction please for the computer challenged.
Knucklehead on March 25, 2009 at 7:38 PM
Could you fit an M in there?
I’ve heard that Taep is da bomb! Taep is so explosive that Bawney just put in an order for the miniature version.
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:38 PM
To my knowledge, no one in the intelligence or military communities believe this is a satellite.
Every milblog I’ve checked refers to this (and the engines tested last fall) as being a test for an ICBM.
Y-not on March 25, 2009 at 7:38 PM
Joey was right.
Johan Klaus on March 25, 2009 at 7:40 PM
Since Hillary was recently in China groveling to get them to buy more bonds, and they already hold about a trillion or so in US bonds already, Obama will do what China wants.
Wethal on March 25, 2009 at 7:41 PM
Ogabe likes his loins medium rare, sort of pink with a trace of blood….
sven10077 on March 25, 2009 at 7:42 PM
Great chance for the Air Force and Navy to get some unscripted target practice. Too bad that Jimmy Carter removed all the nuclear mines along the DMZ as well as all the nuclear warheads for Field Artillery, just in case.
MB4 on March 25, 2009 at 7:44 PM
“Hello? Jimmy? I need your help with some emergency diplomacy. How soon can you catch a plane to North Korea?”
backwoods conservative on March 25, 2009 at 7:44 PM
My loins are girded. Oh wait, I just realized who’s president of the US now. And that’s not girding.
rbj on March 25, 2009 at 7:44 PM
Uh, yeah, we probably don’t want to upset them because we have been borrowing from them heavily the past few uh years; however, we could probably just negotiate with the Chinese (and not include the N.K.s). It could be their opportunity to show their “true leadership” in the region… but it won’t happen. We’ll pander to the N.K.’s because it would be somehow cruel to cut them off…
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:45 PM
If it is ignored by Obama, did it happen?
albill on March 25, 2009 at 7:46 PM
I’m sure our Secretary of State will give them a stern warning. Maybe if we make Kim laugh hard enough, he’ll have a stroke.
GarandFan on March 25, 2009 at 7:46 PM
I feel much better knowing you think there is nothing to worry about.
tarpon on March 25, 2009 at 7:46 PM
Obama did Blow, Hawaii died.
(not too catchy, but it works for me)
omnipotent on March 25, 2009 at 7:48 PM
There would be two SMART things to do:
1) Say we won’t shoot it down, but send an Aegis interceptor near Japan anyway, and shoot it down. We did have to protect our ally Japan, didn’t we?
2) Send a drone over North Korea to take the missile out on the launchpad with a Hellfire. Did we violate Nork airspace? Nah–nobody in that drone!
Oh, and in either case, we’re velly velly solly. Oopsies.
But that would be SMART. Who believes Obama is smart?
Steve Z on March 25, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Yes, they do. And they’re ready.
BobMbx on March 25, 2009 at 7:49 PM
Yea, I mean look at the Dear Leader. Still, the threat should be taken seriously. Another day, another challenge for America. It would help a lot if I were confident OUR leader would do the right thing.
scalleywag on March 25, 2009 at 7:49 PM
I have this really sick feeling in my stomach that when it is “crisis” time, and everyone is looking to the President of the United States for leadership…………..
……………. Mr. Teleprompter will be staring blankly into TOTUS, waiting to be told what to do.
Seven Percent Solution on March 25, 2009 at 7:49 PM
If I knew what loins were, I’d gird the hell out of ‘em!
whitetop on March 25, 2009 at 7:49 PM
Send them a video.
Johan Klaus on March 25, 2009 at 7:49 PM
Tonight was my first time. LOL Anyhoo, I just went to foxnews.com/sponline about 6:50. It’s only on Wednesday nights, too. (at least for now, it is a big hit). On the left is where the video comes on after 7. On the right is the message portion. You don’t have to sign up, but I typed in several messages before one of them posted. You have to keep trying. And be succinct and pithy, as BOR would say.
ladyingray on March 25, 2009 at 7:50 PM
Don’t forget the basketball.
BobMbx on March 25, 2009 at 7:50 PM
This hits close to home for me…my son is stationed in S Korea, less than 100 miles from the DMZ.
ladyingray on March 25, 2009 at 7:51 PM
LOL!
scalleywag on March 25, 2009 at 7:53 PM
Here’s a thought…Hillary told them to put on a big show…lot’s of Death to Capitalist Pigs!!!
Boy Blunder comes out and puts on a well rehearsed ‘I’m in Charge’ act, rattles off a speech that was written 4 months ago….NK ‘backs down’….Boy President buys them off with a bail out…
Simple….Wait…we’re not really Capitalist Pigs anymore are we??
BigWyo on March 25, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Answer to the Exit Question:
Gee, there might have been a chance we could have done that with this. Alas, development has slowed somewhat (funding a factor?), and we are just a bit behind schedule.
Tremor on March 25, 2009 at 7:56 PM
I wonder if old Hillary has some camouflaged pants suits and a designer flak vest.
rplat on March 25, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Thanks. I went over there last Wednesday and was typing in good questions, but the video never started on the other side. I’ll try again next week. Good to see you had a question posted and read. Too bad Dr. K wasn’t around tonight.
Knucklehead on March 25, 2009 at 7:57 PM
Yes, they do. And they’re ready.
BobMbx on March 25, 2009 at 7:49 PM
What do they have that can do that? Is it this Aegis BMD thing?
Y-not on March 25, 2009 at 7:58 PM
I’m not sure… Maybe O’s just feels bad for one of his mother’s husbands – you know, the North Korean one.
It’s rumored that O has some long lost sister in a N.K. orphanage. He wants N.K. to become economically successful via terrorism so that they can provide enough rice for sister O.
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 7:58 PM
Golly gee whillakers. Those NK people don’t know what they are getting themselves into taking on Barack like that. Why, he might even get as pissy with them as he did with those AIG execs. Chocked with outrage.
My guess is they think our new president is a sissy and they want to play with him.
I wonder where they got an idea like that.
Terrye on March 25, 2009 at 7:58 PM
Heard Bill Engvall tell this joke once. Seems appropriate.
austinnelly on March 25, 2009 at 7:58 PM
The letters in “Barry soils his long pants” can be rearranged to spell “Brashly, a snot grips loins.”
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on March 25, 2009 at 7:58 PM
I hope the TOTUS has a plan, because I’m sure the POTUS doesn’t.
AUINSC on March 25, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Darn, did we send Joe over to N.K. again?
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Obama needs to shoot this thing down. If he were half a president – he’d already have several MEU’s and ESG’s off the coast of South Korea and an arsenal of Tommahawks off the coast of North Korea – just for any crap the NK’s try to start.
Shoot the missile – if the NK’s roll into the South – respond with overwhelming force – and quickly. If I were President I’d throw a couple of tactical nukes on Pyongyang – but hey, that’s me.
Only way to deal with these idiots is to convince them that you have 100 times the nuclear capability they will ever be able to muster and you’re every bit as crazy to use it as they are.
HondaV65 on March 25, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Not if the MFMSM dont bother to report it… Kind of like the Tea Parties aren’t happening because the MFMSM is refusing to cover them…
doriangrey on March 25, 2009 at 8:00 PM
I dunno, I’m not afraid of North Korea. Now obviously there’s some truth to Kim Jung Il’s crazy, but I get the impression that a lot of it is strategic irrationality, if he convinces us that he’s crazy we can’t dismiss him doing something irrational because we think he’s crazy and so we think he’s liable to do anything. I think most of it is strategic, we pay them off to not do the things we think they might do that we don’t want them to do, so he wants to convince us that we’re paying him off not to do a larger set of things.
As far as I’m concerned, recognize good strategy for what it is, and let them know that although we’re not threatened, we’re willing to pay them off to not cause problems. Make sure he knows he isn’t going to scare us, and if he actually pushes the envelope too far and attacks someone we’re gonna make it damn clear why it’s irrational. We’ll still have stories like this, but at least for the foreseeable future I’m not afraid.
galenrox on March 25, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Only problem with that, Y-not is that those intercepter missiles do leave exhaust trails, and you better believe the NorKs will have spotters to track and record their “satellite.”
Tremor on March 25, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Like I mentioned above, TOTUS is going to try to seduce the other technological device (Taep.) and then we will make love and not war.
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Exactly what I’ve been thinking. At that point, I hope congress will begin preparing for an impeachment due to incompetence.
behiker on March 25, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Did Hillary give them a button that accidentally said launch in Korean?
aikidoka on March 25, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Yes, he does need to shoot it down.
Secondly, I don’t think they would “roll into S.K.” That’s not their style, but I think they are just testing O.
Upstater85 on March 25, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Oops, sorry.
foxnews.com/sronline
my bad.
ladyingray on March 25, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Ahhh…no matter what happens, I’m betting on some serious backpedaling/concessions/pay-offs/groveling…
Let Japan and South Korea deal with em…
Gird yer Loins…Should be ‘Don yer Knee Pads’…..
BigWyo on March 25, 2009 at 8:04 PM
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