Breaking: N. Korea Targeted Hawaii

From Reuters,

TOKYO (Reuters) - A North Korean missile launched on Wednesday was aimed at an area of the ocean close to Hawaii, a Japanese newspaper reported on Friday.

Experts estimated the Taepodong-2 ballistic missile to have a range of up to 6,000 km, putting Alaska within its reach. Wednesday's launch apparently failed shortly after take-off and the missile landed in the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan, a few hundred kilometres from the launch pad.

But data from U.S. and Japanese Aegis radar-equipped destroyers and surveillance aircraft on the missile's angle of take-off and altitude indicated that it was heading for waters near Hawaii, the Sankei Shimbun reported, citing multiple sources in the United States and Japan.


More information will be posted as it becomes available, but at least at this early stage it appears that the technological failure of the Taepo Dong-2 missile may have averted war. A successful attempt by North Korea to fire a missile at Hawaii, landing just short of land, would be nothing short of an act of war.

Read on...

 
Would we accept it if the North Koreans flew fighter jets or bombers into American airspace but did not attack a target? It is unlikely, and it should be equally unlikely that we would accept an attempt by the North Koreans to fire a missile into Hawaiian waters.

I have at no point prior to this been an explicit supporter of military retaliation against North Korea, but let it it be said: if they fire another Taepo Dong-2 missile at Alaska, Hawaii, or even the continental West Coast, I will consider it an act of war.

Comments

Papa Bear said…
Feeling pretty militaristic there? "Waters near/close" to Hawaii could mean just off shore, but more likely, means between 3-200 miles away - also known as international waters. Which, while reckless, isn't a violation of US airspace in any way - just like it isn't a violation for the US to conduct "naval exercises" just off the coast of Iran from time to time.

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