Quote:
WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea is loading a Taepodong rocket on its east coast launch pad in anticipation of the launch of a communications satellite early next month, U.S. officials say. U.S. counterproliferation and intelligence officials have confirmed Japanese news reports of the expected launch between April 4 and 8.
North Korea announced its intention to launch the satellite in February. Regional powers worry the claim is a cover for the launch of a long-range missile capable of reaching Alaska. National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said earlier this month that all indications suggest North Korea will in fact launch a satellite.
North Korea faked a satellite launch in 1998 to cloak a missile development test. In 2006, it launched a Taepodong-2 that blew up less than a minute into flight.
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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090325/D975ALGO0.html
Thoughts? NK playing hardball because they're trying to test Obama? Or is it just the launch of a communications satellite?
Be pretty stupid if the US acted, and in the end NK was only trying to launch a satellite.
Who knows though.....if its just a satellite, I would expect NK to let inspectors in and avoid a conflict.