Sunday, April 15, 2012

N. Korea Shows Off New Missile During Parade





As part of celebrations marking the centennial of the state's founder Kim Il-sung Pyeongyang showed off nearly 900 units of weaponry Sunday, the largest number of weaponry showcased in North Korea's history.
They included a new type of long-range missile, which some experts say could be placed on par with the intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM.
South Korean and U.S. military sources say the newly unveiled missile is over 18-meters long, and has a range of up to six-thousand kilometers, giving it a capacity similar to that of an ICBM.
However, some analysts stress that it COULD be intended to be used as an ICBM, but is hard to tell at this point.
What does North Korea's possession of ICBM imply for US and its allies?
It means that NK has the capability to fire missiles US soil, possibly California.
And if the missiles were loaded with nuclear weapons, that could mean trouble for US.
Last week's failed rocket launch is good news for US and its allies because it implies that NK doesn't have the technology to launch WMDs into US. However, this is just a temporary relief.
The launch implies that NK has the intention to develop ICBMs. And these intentions are sufficient to impose sanctions on NK and deter its efforts.

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