generalspeaking

Not That He Cares

Japan is preparing itself for yet another challenge to its stability. This time not from nature itself, although the threat of earthquakes, particularly another powerful one such as occurred a year ago, is ever present. The island nation is under threat, like its neighbour South Korea, by North Korea whose bellicose rantings reflective of the raving lunatics that govern the poverty-stricken nation, forewarn its neighbours of its malign intent.

North Korea's latest assault on the sensibilities of its neighbours is yet another rocket launch. Where the Unha-3 rocket is expected to have a trajectory to take it south over Japan's western territory, the Sakishima islands, and close to the southern island prefecture of Okinawa. At the very least, booster stages of the rocket could be expected to fall on Japanese territory.

The rocket, according to North Korean state media will carry a Kwangmyongsong-3 polar-orbiting Earth observation satellite. This memorable occasion to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding president's birth. The rocket and satellite it boosts is expected to be launched somewhere between April 12 to the 16th.

And Japan is preparing its reception with the responding deployment of anti-missile warships and batteries of Patriot missiles to shoot down the rocket if its launch does happen to pose a direct threat to Japan's territory. Should that happen to occur, that the trajectory planned by North Korea carries the rocket into Japanese territory and the Japanese deploy and attack the rocket, North Korea will most certainly accuse Japan of an attack.

And that will be cause for further threats from a country that insists on trying the world's patience with its provocative acts of sticking its long-nailed thumbs in the eyes of the world's nuclear watchdogs. As far as South Korea is concerned, the North has an arsenal of medium-range missiles whose range place much of east and Southeast Asia and north Australia in potential peril.

A powerful rocket such as the Taepodong is capable of carrying explosive warheads to Alaska, Hawaii and Guam. There is not much doubt in the minds of military experts in the United States and South Korea that North Korea is in proud possession of an initial number of nuclear warheads.

Like the undisciplined child it is, the new president, Kim Jong-un, is eager to try out his new toys, urged on by his generals. Yet he still complacently awaits food aid from the United States for his starving population; not that he cares, but the international community does seem to.

Labels: Japan, North Korea, Technology, Terrorism

posted by Pieface @ Sunday, March 25, 2012