Independent Review Team Report
June 13, 2005 :: Washington Post :: News
An independent panel chartered by the Pentagon has concluded that the “rush to deploy” a national missile defense system at Fort Greely, Alaska, led to shortfalls in quality controls and engineering procedures, reports The Washington Post. Although the report contains no mention of any fundamental flaws in the system’s design, it argues that recent flight-test failures stemmed from the Pentagon’s preoccupation with deadlines. According to the panel, the “rush to deploy” resulted in insufficient ground tests, a lack of specifications and standards, and a tendency to postpone the resolution of bothersome issues. The panel’s recommendation is that the Pentagon “reorient the program” to place greater emphasis on verification and reliability, thus making successful testing “the primary objective.” In the future, the program should “be event-driven rather than schedule-driven.”
The panel’s conclusions notwithstanding, it is important to remember the Bush administration’s justification for deploying these interceptors: to defend the U.S. against a potential missile attack by North Korea. In recent years, North Korea has acquired the capability to launch long-range missiles at the U.S., which could be armed with nuclear, chemical, or biological warheads. Faced with this threat, the Bush administration was correct to pursue a limited missile defense, rather than leave the U.S. completely vulnerable to attack. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis, North Korea
U.S. Intercepts Nuclear Material Bound for North Korea and Iran
June 1, 2005 :: Bloomberg :: News
The U.S. and its allies have intercepted 11 shipments of nuclear materials bound for North Korea and Iran. According to the State Department, the successful interdictions were carried out by the Proliferation Security Initiative, a two-year program started by President Bush that has the support of 60 nations. At present, the U.S. is withholding specific details of the interdictions to ensure continued cooperation from countries that do not otherwise wish their participation made public. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Iran, North Korea, Proliferation
Report: North Korea Could Market Frog Missile
May 12, 2005 :: Geostrategy-Direct :: News
North Korea may be planning to offer for export to the Middle East an upgraded—but nevertheless simple—missile which North Korea is believed to have recently tested, on May 1.
The FROG-7 missile is of Soviet-origin. North Korea is believed to have increased its range and accuracy, possibly tripling its previous range of 70km, according to Geostrategy-Direct. The source of the report of a planned sale, however, is unclear.
The significance of a FROG missile sale would be relatively minor given North Korea’s willingness to proliferate more advanced systems and technologies. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: North Korea, Proliferation
» Missile details: FROG-7B
North Korea Tests Short Range Missile
May 1, 2005 :: New York Times :: News
North Korea on Sunday, May 1, conducted a successful test of a short range missile which traveled some 65 miles (104km) into the Sea of Japan.
Andrew Card, the White House chief of staff, confirmed the missile launch but played down its military significance: “The North Koreans have tested their missiles before.” As to their motivation, he said, “I think they’re looking to kind of be bullies in the world.” Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, warned on Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee that North Korea has the ability to deliver a nuclear-armed long range missile to American territory. The short range missile may have been a land-to-ship missile.
Despite its moratorium on missile tests—which it recently repudiated—North Korea has intermittently tested short-range missiles off its east coast, including a launching in February 2003, according to the New York Times.
Update: On May 3, the South Korean JoonAng Daily reports that South Korean military officials report that an analysis of the North’s test reveals upgrades to short range rockets, both in terms of guidance systems and range. “Tracking the trajectory of the missile, it appeared to be a ballistic missile, not a cruise missile such as Silkworm,” said one military official quoted by the paper, adding that the missile appeared to be equipped with a guidance system using an inertial navigation system to increase its accuracy; “If the North Koreans upgraded their FROG-7 rockets to ground-to-ground missiles with ranges of 100 to 200 kilometers (62 to 124 miles), the U.S. military bases to be relocated to Pyeongtaek by 2008 will fall under their range.” An excerpt from JoonAng Daily about the older FROG-7 Soviet missile, from which the South Korean missile tested may be derived: (More »»»)
» May 2, 2005: Possible failed launch on April 29
» March 3, 2005: North Korea says no longer bound by missile moratorium
» May 3, 2005: South Korean Military says test was of newer, Russian-derived missile
» More stories on: North Korea, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: FROG-7B
North Korea Ends Missile Testing Moratorium
March 3, 2005 :: News
North Korea today issued a 5,000 word statement which declared that it no longer considered itself bound by the self-imposed moratorium on missile testing, announced in September of 1999, approximately one year after its long-range missile launch over Japan on August 31, 1998. The lifting of the moratorium was said to be in response to “hostile” U.S. policies.
In September 1999, during the former US administration period, we already announced the moratorium on the missile launch while dialogue was under way, but in 2001 when the Bush administration took power, dialogue between the DPRK and the United States was completely suspended. Therefore, we are not bound to the moratorium on the missile launch at present.
Full text of the statement delivered by the Central Broadcasting Station in Pyongyang: (More »»»)
» Text of North Korean announcement, delivered over North Korean radio
» More stories on: North Korea
Analysis of North Korean Announcement
February 11, 2005 :: Analysis
On February 10, North Korea announced publicly for the first time what it had previously only stated in veiled terms, that it possesses nuclear weapons and has the intention to increase such capabilities.
Ben Johnson and Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Cucullu analyze the meaning of such an announcement, and its accompanying pull-out from negotiations, in today’s FrontPage Magazine. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: North Korea, Nuclear Weapons
Report: North Korea Purchased Nuclear Weapon
January 31, 2005 :: Reuters :: News
Reuters reports that North Korea may have purchased a complete nuclear weapon from either Pakistan or a former Soviet Union state, citing Washington and South Korean sources. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: North Korea, Nuclear Weapons
U.S. Sanctions Major Chinese Firms for Proliferation to Iran
January 18, 2005 :: New York Times :: News
Earlier this month, the State Department yet again sanctioned seven Chinese companies for their illicit proliferation of ballistic missile aid to Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism. Sanctions were also applied against one firm based in Taiwan and one in North Korea. The notice in the Federal Register said that the nine were being penalized for transferring to Iran “equipment and technology controlled under multilateral export control lists.”
As President Bush observed a number of years ago, China is a “strategic competitor” of the United States. It would be well to remember this as we formulate a more aggressive anti-proliferation policies. The real sources of proliferation are Russia and China. It is from these countries that Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea received the vast amount of missile technology and equipment. As the New York Times notes, the most recent round of sanctions will probably have little effect on any of these companies’ financial well being. And the companies’ ties to the Chinese government and military make such financial sanctions even less dubious of success. At some level, a policy decision to proliferate such technologies to these regimes has been made. Unless the Chinese government changes that policy, or unless we are willing to boldly identify it and employ more serious sanctions, we must resign ourselves to the inevitability of such proliferation. (Link)
» August 30, 2004: Photographs suggest changes to Shahab reentry device
» January 18, 2005: China says sanctions “not wise”
» September 27, 2004: Seven Chinese companies sanctioned
» November 18, 2004: Powell claims Iran modifying Shahabs to carry nuclear warhead
» More stories on: China, Iran, North Korea, Proliferation
Rademaker Reminds of North Korean Threat
December 18, 2004 :: Reuters :: News
Asst. Sec. of State for Arms Control Stephen Rademaker warned yesterday that North Korea could, at any time, fire a long range ballistic missile, its Taepo Dong II, capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to parts of the United States.
The reminder of the threat came at a speech for the American Foreign Policy Council, and days after an unsuccessful attempt to test the missile defense system being deployed in Alaska and California. The three stage missile, Rademaker said, “could deliver a several hundred kilogram payload up to 15,000 kilometers.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: North Korea
» Missile details: Taep'o-dong 2
CIA Report on Proliferation
November 24, 2004 :: New York Times :: News
In a report to Congress yesterday, the CIA said that North Korea had repeatedly threatened to test, or “transfer,” a nuclear weapon. Furthermore, North Korea could test a long-range ballistic missile at any time, “potentially capable of reaching parts of the United States with a nuclear-weapon-sized payload.” These threats took place in April, and again in August 2003.
The report also noted that Iran continues its ambitious nuclear program with significant aid from Pakistan, and that Beijing’s proliferation “remains of great concern.” Russia’s role in missile and nuclear proliferation, especially to Iran, was also discussed. (Article, Link)
» Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions
» More stories on: North Korea, Nuclear Weapons
