This is a class blog for the students of POLSCI 426: Congressional Politics at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Gates: U.S. Not Prepared to Respond to North Korea Missile Launch

North Korea has moved a missile onto a launch pad and says it will be fired by April 8. Pyonyang insists the missile is designed for carrying a communications satellite, not a nuclear warhead that the secretive nation appears bent on developing.

2 comments:

bsavage said...

Welcome a new foreign policy to the United States of America. While what I'd have to say here is rather personal opinion than anything else, I am curious to see how the administration responds once the testing is complete. An interesting factor to consider is: why would North Korea announce such an event well ahead of time? I'm sure North Korea knows we have satellites that can read license plates on cars, and we do not need to be informed when a missile is going to be launched.

In what I see to be a meek attempt at publicity, North Korea will face an America that will not preemptively strike its soil, but rather approach with democracy (unless the Unites States or an ally are unlawfully attacked). The United States shouldn't respond. At all. Continue trilateral diplomatic talks and work towards a solution. Acknowledging the situation would only play into the blackmail that North Korea is hoping for.

Nathaniel Haack said...

North Korea is just trying to flex some muscles while the US's military is spread impossibly thin. I am not overly concerned right now, but one never knows with desperate dictators.

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