'US can intercept N.Korean missile but may opt not to'
WASHINGTON - The United States is capable of intercepting a North Korean missile, should it launch one in the coming days, but may choose not to if the projected trajectory shows it is not a threat, a top US military commander told Congress on Tuesday.
Admiral Samuel Locklear, the commander of US forces in the Pacific region, said the US military believed North Korea had moved to its east coast an unspecified number of Musudan missiles, with a range of roughly 3,000-3,500 miles.
An Obama administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters "our working assumption is that there are two missiles that they may be prepared to launch" - which was in line with South Korean media reports.
Locklear said the Musudan's range was far enough to put Guam, a US territory, at risk but not Hawaii or the US mainland.
"If the missile was in defense of the homeland, I would certainly recommend that action (of intercepting it). And if it was defense of our allies, I would recommend that action," Locklear told a Senate hearing.
The US seems like they are trying to avoid war or at least not throw the first punch.
If North Korea does decide to launch nuclear weapons (which will obviously not make it to our shore) I really hope that the US doesn't launch a nuclear retaliation. So many countries have nuclear weapons readied for this kind of thing and once someone launches one, the world is pretty much screwed. North Korea is so ****ing stupid I can't even handle it. Like do they live in a fantasy world?
lil kim too much spent his time playing sid meier CIVILIZATION games.......
shouldn't the US strike them now? I mean they are threatening them of nuclear attack, isn't it enough to warrant a preventive attack? Much less was needed for the Iraq war...
It's not like he wished death on them, he - himself wants to die.
Yes and that is why i said he was selfish , there aare millions of people who die every day and have no choice and wanna live in this amazing world we live in.... I have no time for selfish people who want to take their own life while other die wishing to get another chance.