Tuesday, June 20, 2006

U.S. weighs shootdown of N. Korea missile

The Bush administration is weighing responses to a possible North Korean missile test that include attempting to shoot it down in flight over the Pacific, defense officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Because North Korea has made it a practice not to announce its missile tests in advance, U.S. officials say they cannot be sure of the government's intentions. Under that circumstance, the Pentagon is considering the possibility that it might need to attempt an interception, two defense officials said.

The officials agreed to discuss the matter only on condition of anonymity because of its political sensitivity.


Wow! Talk about an understatement. "political sensitivity" indeed. This is such a loaded political bomb I can't help but wonder what they are thinking. Consider: if it works, what does that mean on the international scale? For China? Russia? Did the US unilaterally decide to whack the NK missile? If it fails that could be a lot worse. If we don't use it...and we have it...and the NK missile actually hits near the US?
Wow. Now that this "option" is out of the closet and marching in the pride parade...this is gonna be hairy.

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