North Korea set to launch Taepodong

[Weatherman]

WASHINGTON - North Korea has positioned a Taepodong-2 missile on the launchpad at its facility in Musudan in the east of the country, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.

Pyongyang has said it intends to use the missile to launch a satellite into space. The North Koreans issued an international notice that the launch may occur sometime between April 4 through the 8th.

and Japan readies to shoot it down:

TOKYO (AFP) — The Japanese government's powerful security council will meet this week to prepare for the shooting down of a North Korean rocket if it threatens to hit the country, the premier said on Wednesday.

The isolated Pyongyang regime has said it will launch a communications satellite over Japanese territory in early April, but the United States and its Asian allies suspect the launch is a ballistic missile test.

Tokyo, which has developed a missile defence system with the United States in recent years, has warned it will attempt to shoot down any missile or debris that threatens to hit its territory.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i6FNzvoiaT0ma6H91CBmNPEgTVmA

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29875242/

Fun.

[The Brain]

Pathetic. How much damage can they do with a Tampon?

[Razgovory]

What an odd thing for th Japanese government to say.

[jimmy olsen]

What an odd thing for th Japanese government to say.

What do you mean?

[DisturbedPervert]

It's probably a nuke, and it's probably gonna hit that double A bomb survivor, so stay away from him.

[Razgovory]

What an odd thing for th Japanese government to say.

What do you mean?

Well it's unlikely that NK will fire a rocket into Japan.  Trying to intercept a rocket (or worse just a piece of debris) is dangerous.  What you shootup will also come down.  Firing four rockets up to hit a tailfin that fell off a rickety NK missile is foolhardy.  Even if the NK missile was going to hit Japan firing anti-ballistic missiles at it would likely only exacerbate the problem.  Now you have the debris of several rockets coming down on you.

[The Brain]

What an odd thing for th Japanese government to say.

What do you mean?

Well it's unlikely that NK will fire a rocket into Japan.  Trying to intercept a rocket (or worse just a piece of debris) is dangerous.  What you shootup will also come down.  Firing four rockets up to hit a tailfin that fell off a rickety NK missile is foolhardy.  Even if the NK missile was going to hit Japan firing anti-ballistic missiles at it would likely only exacerbate the problem.  Now you have the debris of several rockets coming down on you.

[grumbler]

Well it's unlikely that NK will fire a rocket into Japan.  Trying to intercept a rocket (or worse just a piece of debris) is dangerous.  What you shootup will also come down.  Firing four rockets up to hit a tailfin that fell off a rickety NK missile is foolhardy.  Even if the NK missile was going to hit Japan firing anti-ballistic missiles at it would likely only exacerbate the problem.  Now you have the debris of several rockets coming down on you.

What an odd thing for Raz to say.

[CountDeMoney]

It's probably a nuke, and it's probably gonna hit that double A bomb survivor, so stay away from him.

To be honest, I like his odds.

[DontSayBanana]

Oi. Have we confirmed that it's a Taepodong-2?

[Habsburg]

The Japanese should shoot it down in principle.  Regardless of destination. 

[jimmy olsen]

Oi. Have we confirmed that it's a Taepodong-2?

I believe so, US satellites monitored it's delivery to the launchpad after all.

[KRonn]

Didn't President Clinton make a deal with North Korea? Then the Bush administration? I think deals were usually made as NK would begin testing, again, and again. So isn't this a new try for a deal by NK with the Obama admin? Time to "make a deal", again? And how can I not expect the same behavioral pattern by NK, as they do what ever it is they do to cajole, weasel and reneg their way to get what they want?

Still waiting for the day the NK people to see the world as it really is, emerge into the light outside of their barbed wire cocoon, and realize how badly they've been served by their labor camp government! Man, will the fur fly then....

[Alatriste]

If we can use the most close precedent, Ceaucescu's Romania, when the end comes it will be quick, nasty and bloody...

[KRonn]

If we can use the most close precedent, Ceaucescu's Romania, when the end comes it will be quick, nasty and bloody...

I would tend to think so, as I do say, but in reality I kind of think the NK people will be more docile than that, not have a revolutionary fervor against their former masters/govt. So I'm not sure what I'd expect. But it just seems that there will be some real awakening among the NK people, one day when they can finally see the real world away from the propaganda, outside the confines of what the govt allows. They lead such a tough life it seems, always food shortages, no rights, govt controlling so much and so repressive.