More "good news" from the Age of Obama:
North Korea is making final preparations for the launch of what is thought to be a long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting America.
The rocket has been moved onto a launch pad in Musudan-ri, in the east of the country, and experts say blast off could be just days away.
Military experts say it is a Taepodong-2 missile, capable of hitting America's west coast.
The US is now warning that a missile test will force it to take the matter to the United Nations.
US officials have told journalists that technicians have already assembled two stages of a three-stage rocket, suggesting the missile test could come in a matter of days.
The provocative move comes after weeks of tensions and threats over North Korea's planned missile test, and has alarm bells ringing from Tokyo to Washington.
A North Korean missile test would contravene a UN resolution that bans the country from ballistic activity.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Mexico, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "This provocative action and violation of the United Nations mandate will not go unnoticed, and there will be consequences."
But if the UN attempts to punish North Korea, the country's leaders say they will shut down disarmament talks aimed at ending their nuclear programme.
The talks - which include North Korea and its neighbours, as well as the US - have dragged on inconclusively for nearly six years.
So Hillary Clinton is warning North Korea that its action "will not go unnoticed, and there will be consequences."
That's great, but how about consequences now, before ballistic missiles capable of reaching the western United States are actually launched, rather than after the fact? What are we waiting for?
Supposedly the concern is that North Korea will shut down disarmament talks. If so, who cares? As the story notes, the talks "have dragged on inconclusively for nearly six years."
Ending fruitless talks would seem to be a very productive step.
The problem is that the Obama administration is unwilling or unable to seriously confront North Korea, and North Korea knows it as well as anyone.
Now Clinton is threatening to take the matter to the U.N.
Wow. North Korea must be quaking in its boots. This is the same U.N. that North Korea is already ignoring. This the same U.N. that has done nothing effective stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
I don't think North Korea will launch a nuclear missile at the western United States -- this time. But frankly, I'd prefer that we not bet American lives on it. That's exactly what the Obama administration is doing, especially since Obama also opposes nuclear missile defense, which he refers to as "weaponizing space."
Under Obama and leftists who control the debate, America is a sitting duck, quacking once in a while but doing absolutely nothing effective while dangers grow before our eyes.
I agree, Gina. America should be very afraid of the way B. Hussein Obama is weakening our defenses. This is Obama's first big test in the world of foreign relations and he's already failed it miserably. (I'm not counting the British Prime Minister fiasco)
Posted by: DavidB | March 26, 2009 at 08:21 PM