More NK Launches Likely

Many news agencies are reporting that it is likely that North Korea is preparing to fire more missiles: North Korea has another long-range Taepodong-2 missile of the kind that crashed into the ocean after launch on Wednesday, according to a confidential report by South Korea¿s National Intelligence Service. That means another test launch is likely once the North figures out how to fix the defect that scuppered the first attempt. Officials also contradicted reports Wednesday that the missile blew up in midair 42 seconds after launch, saying it actually traveled for seven minutes after veering from its original trajectory. With the failure of the Taepodong2, North Korea is going to feel compelled to launch a successful missile if possible in order to demonstrate that they are still a real threat towards the US. If the North Koreans can demonstrate themselves as a legitimate threat to the US mainland, then their bargaining power during negotiations is greatly enhanced. Not to mention demonstrating to potential buyers that their missile technology works. The fact that the missile possibly flew for 7 minutes is irrelevant if the guidance system doesn’t work. If you are going to shoot something 2000 miles you better be able to hit something of importance in the US or your threats appear very weak. However, if the North Koreans cannot fix the current problems with the Taepodong2 then they will not risk a second failure. Firing off more shorter range missiles seems foolish when they know and the international community knows those missiles do work. In the meantime the South Koreans are looking at bulking up their defensive capabilities against the North Korean missile threat: Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry in a report to the National Assembly’s Defense Committee announced it plans to introduce 48 Patriot missiles between 2008 and 2009 as part of the SAM-X project. After 2009, it will introduce SM-2 Block-IV sea-to-air interceptor missiles to be carried on Aegis ships to counter the North Korean missile threat. Why is the South Korean government purchasing these weapon system for? I thought North Korea was no longer the main enemy? Here is what the North Koreans are saying about their missile tests: The country’s “exercise of its legitimate right as a sovereign state is neither bound to any international law nor to bilateral or multilateral agreements … ,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said, according to the state-run news agency KCNA. “The KPA [Korean People’s Army] will go on with missile launch exercises as part of its efforts to bolster deterrent for self-defense in the future, too.” Pyongyang also warned countries against interference. North Korea “will have no option but to take stronger physical actions of other forms, should any other country dare take issue with the exercises and put pressure upon it,” the spokesman said in Pyongyang’s first official comment since test-firing the missiles on Wednesday. North Korea is correct when they say they have the right to fire missiles, but their are international standards for conducting missile tests, such as not almost shooting down a commercial airliner like they almost did with this test or violating other nation’s airspace like they did over Japan in 1998. Plus, usually countries begging for international aid don’t fire missiles.