Gates: U.S. Ready to Defend Hawaii

[tekisui]

Source: The Swamp

Reacting to reports that North Korea may be preparing to test-fire a missile toward Hawaii, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today that he had concerns about such a launch and had ordered additional missile defense assets deployed to shore up defense of the islands.

Gates said he had ordered the deployment of a powerful sea-based radar that can help closely track the path of intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as terminal phase missile interceptors to Hawaii. Although Gates did not explicitly say that the U.S. would try to shoot down a missile test aimed in the direction of Hawaii, he noted that interceptor missiles in California and Alaska also were ready.

"The ground-based interceptors are clearly in a position to take action," Gates said. "So without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say, we are -- I think we are in a good position, should it become necessary to protect American territory."

Gates said the Defense Department was watching the North Korean situation and missile preparations closely.

"We're obviously watching the situation in the north, with respect to missile launches, very closely,'' Gates said. "And we do have some concerns, if they were to launch a missile to the west, in the direction of Hawaii.''

Theater missiles in the Pacific Ocean or the mid-course interceptors would be the most likely defenses able to shoot down a North Korean missile.

more: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/06/gates_us_ready_to_defend_hawai.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Great, Pearl Harbor, The Sequel.

:sarcasm:

[Mz Pip]

2. Is North Korea nuts?

I guess that is a rhetorical question. Does Kim Jong Il have a clue as to what would happen if he actually hit]/i] Hawaii? I can only hope this is all bluster. :crazy:

[timeforpeace]

4. Would something happen? Another war? Or diplomacy?

[tekisui]

5. If NK actually launched a missle that came close

or hit any US territory, or SK or Japan for that matter. It would be the end of NK. The response would be multi-lateral and it would not be talks, it would be large bombs on the capitol and every military base in NK.

[timeforpeace]

9. Multi-lateral? What countries would do that if the US was hit?

[tekisui]

10. Not that they would be needed, but any and all NATO members

would be willing to help.

[timeforpeace]

11. You say they will nuke them? Why, if the US was hit?

Besides, how many NATO countries have nukes? And why would the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization risk nuclear war when we were the ones hit? What would China do if France nuked N Korea as you say?

No, I doubt that even the US will nuke N Korea should this happen. The risk of nuclear war with China and/or Russia would preclude action in response to a nuclear attack on Hawaii.

[Southpaw07]

13. In theory,

an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all. I am not sure it serves an other purpose. From Wiki:

The NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium,<3> and the organization constitutes a system of collective defense whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.

[tekisui]

14. Not nukes, big bombs.

[TheMightyFavog]

15. I have a feeling even China would join our side

China's getting sick and tired of Kim Jong Il's craziness.

[tekisui]

16. And Russia.

[jimshoes]

22. That's the first thing

I thought too. WTF does little kim jong dill think he's going to prove?

[timeforpeace]

3. Probably best to not worry about it

What's the worst that can happen?

[Mz Pip]

6. What's the worst that can happen?

A chunk of Hawaii is anihilated and an even bigger chunk of NK is turned to glass.

That's the worst. Hopefully, it won't come to that. Hopefully it won't even be close.

[timeforpeace]

7. I "hope" you're right. Not even close is still too close with nukes.

[spanone]

8. well, duh

[ellisonz]

12. Go Rainbow Warriors!

:)

[shadowknows69]

17. Give me a boat I'll defend Hawaii

I'll crack a bottle of wine and float out to where I can see Kim's piece of shit rocket fall into the ocean about 1000 miles short.

[timeforpeace]

19. I think you've hit on what will be the conventional wisdom on this

No worries, mate. It's North Korea after all. Carry on.

[Cha]

18. Rec'd~ Well, that makes

me feel better. NK is Nuts..they sound like the danger..that was one "axes of evil" that bushcheney didn't mess around with.

[Cyrano]

20. "Great Leader" and his son are nuts. But not that nuts.

Hawaii is an American State. Launching a nuclear missile at Hawaii would be no different from launching one at California or New York.

Even the deluded father and son who run North Korea understand that we would turn them into a nuclear wasteland.

There's crazy, and then there's crazy. I don't believe that even they are insane enough to not realize the consequences.

[krispos42]

21. This is not a repeat from 1942, 1943, 1944, or 1945

:-)