Rockets For Peace…
By: Nathan Morrison
July 6th, 2006 8:07PM California Time
Is North Korea actually able to threaten the United States mainland with Nuclear Warheads?
Of course not, but it makes a great headline. In fact, in researching this article I found that every headline read similarly. The content of each article did not answer these questions with the ‘YES!’ that the titles implied.
First and foremost, the point:
The United States of America cannot dictate to sovereign nations (in this case North Korea) on whether or not the nation is allowed to test Rockets.
Why not? Well for one thing, we’re testing them ourselves constantly. The picture above shows the launch of a highly classified spy satellite known only as NROL-22, launched on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
http://www.nro.gov/
The image is of a Delta IV Rocket, in it’s first stage of ascent. Powers and I both watched this rocket launch, while speaking on the telephone. He from Los Angeles, and I from San Diego. The picture above was taken from Viejas Concert Park off Interstate 8 in California during a RadioHead concert. It was taken by Paul Parks of San Diego, Ca. An article on this, the first ever launch of a Delta IV rocket from the West Coast of America, can be found here:
http://www.spacearchive.info/
Why is this important? The United States did virtually the exact same thing we just told another country not to do. In fact, we actually attached a payload to our missile. Why this is pertinent to this discussion, is because the Delta IV failed upon it’s initial East Coast launch out of Florida.
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Heavy_lift_Delta_IV_rocket_launch_problems
The United States is clearly still testing our capabilities. Neither country claims their testing to be aimed at a military end. In fact, North Korea even offered to abandon it’s test launch in exchange for direct talks with the US on the subject. The talks were refused, and the launch followed.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article1094691.ece
What do we know about these Rockets? The example given herein, the Delta IV, is classified thus by it’s creators:
Delta IV Rocket Info from Boeing
Delta IV vehicles can launch payloads weighing from 4,231 kg (9,327 lb) to 12,757 kg (28, 124 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit, and can lift over 23,000 kg (50,000 lbs.) to low-Earth orbit (LEO)
Delta IV rockets can accommodate single or multiple payloads on the same mission and can launch payloads to polar orbits, Sun-synchronous orbits, geosynchronous and geosynchronous transfer orbits, and low-Earth orbit.
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/delta/delta4/delta4.htm
This amply demonstrates the rocket’s ability both to carry nuclear warheads and to achieve strikes on globally based targets.
What do we know about North Korea’s Rockets?
Well, sadly, not much. In fact, we’re not even sure what sort of fuel they’re using.
‘The United States has insisted since last week that, at the very least, intelligence is fairly certain the reclusive communist regime has taken steps to ready a launch of a long-range missile, most likely a Taepodong-2 with an estimated range of up to 9,300 miles.
Beyond that, it’s all guesswork.’
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13508300/
Regarding The Capability of North Korea to Manufacture Nuclear Warheads Small Enough To Be Carried As Payload In A ‘No-Dong’ Type Missile:
‘The Japanese have publicly said they doubt it. “At this point, we have encountered no information that indicates North Korea has the technology,” Senior Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki said this week.’
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/td-2.htm
What we do know about Rockets is vast. The technology is simple, and mostly a carry over from the work of Werner Von Braun. You can find myriad sites online instructing you on the building of rockets, yes, even the ones that can go orbital.
Here is the Kid’s Play version:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/rocket.htm
Rockets are not only an old technology, they are widely understood throughout the world. North Korea cannot be expected to be ignorant of the technology. Nor can any nation be expected to forego the benefits that Rockets can provide, such as a Space Program, GPS, Weather Monitoring, etc.
And after all of the saber rattling about ‘The Big One’, the missile that would kill us all…
After all of the challenges to sovereignty and calls for pre-emptive strikes, what happened when North Korea finally conducted their test? Nothing.
‘About 35 seconds after the launch, officials say the ICBM either failed outright or was aborted by plan, reports CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews. It did not reach deep space and posed no danger to Japan or the U.S.’
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/03/world/main1773966.shtml
The next time everyone gets all excited about a ‘threat’ to the US, I want to see some evidence.
No more Yellow Cake in a tube to justify our very real White Phosporus. No more will we accept anything less than actual evidence before even thinking of discussing arms, as Americans.
Yeah, I see a rocket. Yeah, I saw it launched. Big frickin deal. That is a normal occurrence in Southern California. Where’s the warhead? Where is the follow-up force? Where are the bombers? Where is the threat?
The truth is, North Korea is no threat to us. And there is no evidence backing the claim that they are. The Press should be embarrassed for even posing the question, one they could have answered themselves with a little research.
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For Further Information on this Article, or on Any Article viewed on this page, please contact:
Nathan Morrison, Morrison@PowersAndMorrison.com
http://www.LibertyInChaos.PowersAndMorrison.com