June 19, 2006 :: New York Times :: News
North Korea has completed fueling a Taep’o-dong 2 long-range ballistic missile, greatly increasing the probability that it will go ahead with its first major test launch in eight years. On Sunday, U.S. officials reported that satellite photographs of a launch site on North Korea’s eastern coast suggested that liquid-fuel tanks had been fitted to the missile. Fueling is a late step in the preparations for a liquid-fueled missile launch. U.S. officials and analysts regard the move as a leading indicator of North Korea’s intentions. Reports also indicate that booster rockets have been loaded onto the launch pad.
North Korea has not conducted a major test launch since August 1998, when it fired a Taep’o-dong 1 missile over Japan. In 1999, North Korea agreed to a moratorium on long-range missile testing, which it has maintained, although in the past year there were indications that North Korea had declared itself no longer bound by that moratorium. Yet five weeks ago, U.S. officials received satellite images indicating that North Korea was preparing to test the three-stage Taep’o-dong 2. The first stage is believed to be a cluster of No-dong missiles, which are single-stage, shorter-range rockets; the second stage is likely a No-dong missile; the third would probably be solid-fueled. U.S. officials believe that North Korea has enough plutonium for at least half a dozen nuclear weapons and has already produced a small but growing nuclear arsenal.
If North Korea launches the Taep’o-dong 2, with a range possibly sufficient to reach the continental U.S., the consequences could be tremendous. The New York Times comments that the result could be “a political chain reaction in Japan, the United States, and China,” the three nations that have been trying to re-engage North Korea in stalled talks about its nuclear weapons program. The U.S. and Japan might step up financing and efforts for ballistic missile defenses, and Japanese politicians might even push to reconsider their nation’s nuclear weapons policy. (Article)
» More stories on: North Korea, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: Tien Ma 1
