U.S. 'ready' for N. Korean missile Pyongyang expected to test ICBM

[ddiver]

Source: washingtontimes

COLORADO SPRINGS | U.S. missile defenses are prepared to try to knock down the last stage of a Taepodong-2 missile that North Korea is expected soon to launch if sensors detect the weapon threatens U.S. territory, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command 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," said Air Force Gen. Victor E. "Gene" Renuart, Northcom commander.

The general said the United States won't activate its missile defenses if the North Korean missile appears it will fall safely into the water as the country's last test missile did.

(Corrected paragraph Asked if North Korea is likely to conduct a July 4 Taepodong-2 test, as occurred in 2006, Gen. Renuart said in an interview this week with The Times at Northern Command headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, "I think we ought to assume there might be one on the first of July and continue to be prepared and ready."

Gen. Renuart, who is commander of the military's first combatant command devoted to defending against threats to U.S. territory, is also the commander of the U.S.-Canada North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which monitors missile launches around the world and also foreign military aircraft intrusions of U.S. air space. Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD is also in charge of tracking civilian aircraft to be ready to respond to a terrorist hijacking.



Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/02/us-read... /

[maxsolomon]

1. what type of dong?

the 2nd type!

let's see if the zillions thrown at star wars has any practical use.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. A long silver one?

[C_U_L8R]

4. Long Duck Dong

[Pavulon]

7. We used to test sub kiloton tipped interceptors

in the atmosphere back in the day. That is one way to destroy an incoming weapon.

[tularetom]

2. Why does this happen when the Stephanie Miller crew is on vacation?

You've never heard anything funnier than Jim Ward's impression of "Dear Leader" Kim Jong IL

[endarkenment]

5. I predict FAIL

the question is what adjective should describe the FAIL?

As a follow up, when exactly did FAIL become a noun?

[timeforpeace]

6. I take back all the criticism I had for the missle defense system idea.