NORTH KOREA SABER RATTLING

North Korea launched five short range and one long range missile with yet one more launch taking place during the early morning hours Eastern Time today. Each of the missiles landed in the Japan Sea with the long range Taepodong 2 failing 40 seconds after launch. While there is need for concern about these launches unless Kim Jung, "Mentally, " IL has varied from previous action this will in the final analysis be another attempt by the rogue dictator at saber rattling in order to blackmail the United States and other countries into giving him what he wants. The Taepodong 2 missile has proposed the most concern because if successful it has the capability of reaching the U.S. Yet just as in 1998 this missile had an unsuccessful attempt. The last time that North Korea attempted a long range missile launch was August 1, 1998 and though the Taepodong 1, (predecessor to yesterdays version), missile left the launch pad and actually separated in stages the launch was considered a failure because the mission of this particular launch was to place a satellite in orbit and the missile could not reach escape velocity before destruction. Yesterdays test and failure after 40 seconds proves that North Korea has not advanced in their missile technology. There will be some who think that this post is taking a rather matter of fact stance on the events of yesterday which to a certain extent is true. Keep in mind though that Kim Jung has throughout his reign as dictator continually used his , "military, " as a threat to gain favor and financial assistance from the world. During the Clinton administration this worked in the sense that to appease this lunatic nuclear technology was given to Kim Jung, on his promise that it would be used for energy purposes which of course everyone knows is not the case, but his saber rattling succeeded in getting him what he wanted. This time though it looks as if this attempt at saber rattling has somewhat backfired on Kim Jung since it has actually turned even his defenders, Russia and China against him for both came out in condemnation of the missile tests. This is not to say that this lunatic should not be taken seriously because as with any rogue state and any dictatorial regime with a madman at the helm there is always the possibility of sable rattling becoming actualities rather than threats. But judging from his past and the fact that Kim Jung knows that if he were to seriously attack a neighbor or the U.S. his days would be over and his country would be decimated by military action on an unprecedented scale. He also realizes that the U.S. in support of our South Korea ally has a sizable presence just across the DMZ with whatever back up necessary only hours away in Okinawa and the Philippines. Not to mention the task force that is stationed out of Japan. Taking all of this in mind is why I believe that this is yet another attempt by Kim Jung to use his military capability to blackmail, only this time he may wish that he had not because of the polarizing effect it is having. Time will tell and his continuance with the tests and the world response will determine to what extent and significance this will have. But the bottom line is this, if he takes this to the next level and does more that rattle the saber and seriously threatens or begins an attack he will feel the full force of the United States and the rest of the world upon him.

Ken Taylor