CIA sounds new warning on North Korea missile that could hit US

The CIA is sounding a new alarm that North Korea may be ready to flight test a nuclear capable multi-stage missile capable of reaching parts of the United States.

The assessment in an unclassified report to Congress gels with another recent analysis of Pyongyang's missile programs by the Defense Intelligence Agency, made public last week, and will fuel fears the Stalinist state may end its missile test moratorium.

"The multiple-stage Taepo Dong-2 capable of reaching parts of the United States with a nuclear weapon-sized payload may be ready for flight-testing," the Central Intelligence Agency said in the report, which analyses weapons of mass destruction production for the first six months of 2003.

It is not the first time that the CIA has warned that Pyongyang may have reached the flight-test stage for the Taepo-Dong 2, but concern is growing with the Stalinist state locked into a nuclear showdown with Washington.

(more)

http://www.spacedaily.com/2003/031114165323.40f0yiia.html

also grossly misestimated USSR weaponery and numbers during the Raygun years to push hugh military over spending.

The entire NK land mass is turned into an inferno.

They can't be that stupid.

There is a possibility they could be insane though. The leaders of our country seem insane to me.

They're just pissed off because they can't invade North Korea without risking a nuclear counter-attack.

Would the BFEE be willing to sacrifice the west coast to consolidate their power?
:nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::scared:

Goodnight Frisco.

...about San Francisco. You have to think he's privy to some of the things the Chimpster hears...you just never know.

If something does happen along the west coast, North Korea will be blamed regardless of whether or not they actually did it.

And can anyone tell me what is meant by a "nuclear showdown" when one side barely has a warhead or two, while the other side has well over 10,000 warheads?

The North Koreans haven't even figured out to launch a successful multi-stage Taepo-Dong 1. The reason pieces of junk end up in strange places like remote North Pacific islands is not because of their impressive range but because the rockets are unreliable and breakup of after launch. The modest range goals set by the North Koreans can't even be met by a multi-stage rocket with NO payload.

Bottom line...Parts of Japan are now threatened by single stage Taepo-Dong 1. If ever they develop a successful Taepo-Dong 1 two-stage let alone three-stage Japan in its entirity would be threatened. Reports of threats to the US are gross distortions of facts.

links

http://www.nautilus.org/fora/security/0320A_%20Wright.html

From north korea?

Thanks for the informative link.

Bomb Syria.

Cheers
Drifter

Edit: should say: from Mr. Shew's link.

If one is concerned about near-term capabilities for missile delivery of
lethal payloads to US territory, a more likely threat is short-range
missiles launched from ships, which uses simpler technology than
long-range missiles and appears feasible for a country like North Korea.
Such forward-based threats have a number of advantages compared
to using intercontinental missiles, since they use short-range missiles,
are likely to have higher accuracy, and do not pin-point the country of
origin. They could also not be engaged by the planned Ground-based
Midcourse or Aegis-LEAP missile defenses, but would require
large-scale deployment of short-range defenses around coastal cities.