Despite a bipartisan federal law
prohibiting financial contracts with the Russian government-owned arms
giant Rosoboronexport, the Obama administration announced that it would
be purchasing another $680 million worth of military helicopters from
the state company for the Afghan regime of Hamid Karzai. The contract
comes after the Pentagon already spent $411 million with the supplier
since May of 2011, bringing the estimated amount of U.S. taxpayer funds funneled to the state-owned behemoth to about $1 billion in recent years.
The
latest deal, however, drew furious outrage from across the political
spectrum. Critics and lawmakers complained that the controversial scheme
would boost Russia’s military-industrial complex even as millions of
Americans remain out of work. Other opponents highlighted national
security concerns. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and
human rights groups also expressed opposition to the plan, citing a congressional ban on deals with Rosoboronexport and the fact that the Russian military supplier has been arming rogue regimes around the world.
Under
an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed
into law by President Obama, the U.S. government is prohibited from
sending funds to or entering into contracts with Rosoboronexport,
lawmakers noted.
The only exception to that prohibition is if the Secretary of Defense
deems it to be in the “interest of national security.” Now, a bipartisan
coalition of members of Congress led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) is
demanding that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel explain what possible excuse there could be to purchase more military helicopters from the government-owned Russian arms dealer.
“Despite
this new law, we learned that the Army intends to enter into a new
contract with Rosoboronexport in the coming weeks to procure 20
additional helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces,” the 10
lawmakers said in a strongly worded March 25 letter
sent to Hagel urging him to kill the contract. “This plan runs in
direct contravention to both the spirit of the FY13 NDAA and the clear
legislative intent of Congress — to ban further business dealings with
Rosoboronexport. In our view, any attempt by DoD to utilize prior-year
funds would constitute a direct subversion of existing law.”
In
the letter, the bipartisan group of U.S. representatives also asked
Hagel to prepare a detailed briefing explaining the decision. “What is
the national security justification of continuing business with
Rosoboronexport?” the lawmakers asked, outraged because the state-owned
company has been supplying weapons to the Syrian regime amid a war
against Western-backed Islamists.
“Relatedly, last year, DoD notified Congress of plans to purchase 33
Mi-17s from Rosoboronexport for the Afghan National Security Forces.
What is the national security justification for the additional 20
helicopters this year? ... What steps is DoD taking to ensure that it
does not support — financially or otherwise — enablers of mass
atrocities?”
Hagel has received the letter and intends to respond, Pentagon spokesman James Gregory was quoted as saying in an e-mail to Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news
agency. “The Department of Defense (DOD) has notified Congress of its
intent to contract with Rosoboronexport for 30 additional Mi-17
rotary-wing aircraft to support the Afghanistan National Security Forces
(ANSF) Special Mission Wing,” he said. “Given current timelines, the
department has determined that Rosoboronexport is the only viable means
of meeting ANSF requirements.”
In the Senate, lawmakers are
furious as well. Among other concerns expressed by senators was the fact
that the Pentagon did not solicit bids from any other company for the
helicopters, according to news reports. Speaking to Businessweek, GOP Senator John Cornyn of Texas said
that “seems just plain stupid.” Sen. Cornyn is one of 17 senators thus
far, including eight Democrats and eight other Republicans, urging the
Defense Department to cancel the contract. Experts say there are plenty
of helicopter suppliers that could fill the order.
Critics,
however, lambasted the decision from all angles. "Aside from throwing
almost $700 million to a company owned by the Russian government at a
time when Obama has taken a chainsaw to the United States military,
subsidizing the Russian defense industry helps it develop more weapons
that will be sold to America’s enemies," noted analyst Daniel Greenfield in a piece for FrontPage
magazine. "That money will help fund R&D for the next generation of
weapons that an American military dismantled by Obama will be facing on
the battlefield."
In an analysis
offered by the Capitalism Institute, an organization dedicated to
advancing free markets and limited government, multiple problems with
what it called the "corrupt" deal were highlighted. Among the examples
cited in the piece about what was wrong with the contract: giving
taxpayer money to Russia, sending more military hardware to the Afghan
government, using no-bid contracts, and bypassing Congress.
"That’s
right, this foreign aid is even worse than the aid being given to
Egypt, because at least Egypt was buying U.S. hardware," the institute noted,
referring to Obama’s controversial decision to send fighter jets and
tanks to the Muslim Brotherhood regime. “In the end, like almost all of
our foreign policy, this was about power. It’s not about liberty, or
security, or the economy. It’s about power brokering. We simply can’t
afford this any longer.… People need to know that there’s bipartisan
anger over Obama taxing us to give to the Russians."
The John
Birch Society, a conservative organization and an affiliate of this
magazine, has been sounding the alarm about the Russian government for
decades. It also expressed opposition to the latest scheme — not to
mention the fact that foreign aid, including arming foreign governments,
is not authorized by the Constitution. In a weekly video address,
CEO Art Thompson criticized the deal. "Isn't that nice?" he wondered
sarcastically. "I guess they didn't inform the generals at the Pentagon
who the enemy is."
Thompson also highlighted the fact that the Obama administration was sending advanced
military weaponry to the Islamist regime now ruling Egypt after the
U.S. government-backed “Arab Spring” overthrew the previous government.
Adding insult to injury, the new Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Egyptian
government recently announced an “integration” deal with
the mass-murdering genocidal regime ruling Sudan, which the U.S. State
Department has listed as a state sponsor of terrorism for over two
decades.
Other critics of the Rosoboronexport contract pointed to documents released by WikiLeaks suggesting that the Obama campaign had received Russian money.
The controversial deal with Russia’s military-industrial complex,
however, is not the first time the Pentagon has been embroiled in
scandal surrounding its procurement decisions to arm the Afghan regime.
The U.S. Air Force, for example, decided to purchase fighter planes from the Brazilian government-controlled company Embraer
for the Karzai regime even though the American company Beechcraft said
it was willing and able to provide more cost-effective alternatives.
Russia and Brazil, of course, are both members of the so-called “BRICS” — an alliance of socialist and communist-minded regimes
that also includes the Communist Party dictatorship ruling mainland
China, the African National Congress (ANC)-South African Communist Party
(SACP) regime ruling South Africa, and the socialist-oriented Indian
government. The BRICS group recently released its latest manifesto calling for a global currency that would eventually displace the increasingly unstable U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency.
The
Rosoboronexport contract is also not the first time that the Obama
administration has been under fire for cooperating with the Russian
military. As The New American reported
last year, the administration invited airborne terror troops from
Russia to train with U.S. forces on American soil for the first time in
history, fueling suspicion and outrage among critics.
“The
Russian soldiers are here as invited guests of the U.S. government; this
is part of a formal bilateral exchange program between the U.S. and
Russia that seeks to develop transparency and promote defense reform,”
Cmdr. Wendy L. Snyder, U.S. Defense Press Officer for policy, told The New American
in an e-mail. “Aside from typical military training, the exchange will
include discussions on the rule of land warfare, developing appropriate
rules of engagement, and employing cultural literacy and competency in
the tactical environment.”
Analysts are not hopeful, but whether
or not the massive public and congressional outcry will end up killing
the potentially unlawful contract with Rosoboronexport remains unclear.
As Obama told then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over an open
microphone last year before his reelection, “I'll have more flexibility"
after winning another term. It appears to critics as though, unless
Congress takes serious action, the increased “flexibility” will mean
further problems for the United States — at least for the next four
years.
Alex Newman, a foreign correspondent for The New American, is currently based in Europe. He can be reached at
anewman@thenewamerican.com.
Related articles:
Russian Troops Coming to U.S. for Terror Drills, DoD Confirms
Obama to Medvedev: "After the Election, I'll Have More Flexibility"
Chuck Hagel a Committed Internationalist
FBI Busts Russian Espionage Network
Chuck Hagel: A Brief Look at Obama's Nominee for Secretary of Defense
Russia's Continued Cold War
Russia Celebrates Victory Day with Military Parade
Russian Red Jihad
Russia Threatens to Kill NATO War in Afghanistan
Decades of Suicidal Policies Vis-à-vis Russia and China
BRICS Regimes Forge New World Bank, Call for Global Currency
Obama-backed Egypt Forging “One Nation” With Sudan Terror Regime
Friday, April 12, 2013
Other critics of the Rosoboronexport contract pointed to documents released by WikiLeaks suggesting that the Obama campaign had received Russian money.
The controversial deal with Russia’s military-industrial complex,
however, is not the first time the Pentagon has been embroiled in
scandal surrounding its procurement decisions to arm the Afghan regime.
The U.S. Air Force, for example, decided to purchase fighter planes from the Brazilian government-controlled company Embraer
for the Karzai regime even though the American company Beechcraft said
it was willing and able to provide more cost-effective alternatives.
HACKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Manipulated The 2008 Election Results
A
successful challenge of Obama's wins in Pennsylvania and Ohio would not
have overturned his victory but would have tarnished the subsequent
celebratory atmosphere.
See Also   |
1) The black Dems were caught stuffing the ballot boxes in Philly and Ohio as reported the night of the election and Sen. McCain chose not to fight. The matter is not dead inside the party. It now becomes a matter of sequence now as to how and when to "out".
In an email sent two days earlier and titled "Insight - McCain #5 ** internal use only - Pls do not forward **," Burton wrote:
After discussions with his inner circle, which explains the delay in his speech, McCain decided not to pursue the voter fraud in PA and Ohio, despite his staff's desire to make it an issue.
He said no. Staff felt they could get a federal injunction to stop the
process. McCain felt the crowds assembled in support of Obama and such
would be detrimental to our country and it would do our nation no good
for this to drag out like last go around, coupled with the possibility
of domestic violence.
The Nov. 7 email also contains allegations that Democrats made a
"six-figure donation" to Rev. Jesse Jackson to silence him on the topic
of Israel after an October 2008 interview in which he said Obama’s presidency would remove the clout of “Zionists who have controlled American policy for decades.”Burton, who appears to be friendly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote:
2) It appears the Dems "made a donation" to Rev. Jesse
(no, they would never do that!) to keep his yap shut after his diatribe
about the Jews and Israel. A little bird told me it was a "nice
six-figure donation". This also becomes a matter of how and when to
out.
The email also refers to an accusation that Obama's
campaign took money from Russia, recalling memories of Bill Clinton's
1996 presidential campaign when the Justice Department uncovered evidence that China sought to make direct contributions to the Democratic National Committee.
Burton wrote:
3) The hunt is on for the sleezy Russian money into
O-mans coffers. A smoking gun has already been found. Will get more on
this when the time is right. My source was too giddy to continue. Can
you say Clinton and ChiCom funny money? This also becomes a matter of
how and when to out.
If true the allegations prompt questions of how
the fallout has affected the politics of Obama's current administration
and how it will effect this year's presidential election.
Interestingly, Mitt Romney is also facing allegations of voter fraud in
Massachusetts as he cast a ballot for Republican Scott Brown in January
2010 in the special election to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy but
didn’t own property in the state at the time.
Romney registered to vote listing his son’s unfinished basement as his residence, but the Romneys' former realtor told GOP consultant Fred Karger that they moved to California. Anyone found guilty of committing voter fraud faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Burton is a former Deputy Chief of the Department of State's
counterterrorism division for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The
DSS assists the Department of Defense in following leads and doing
forensic analysis of hard drives seized by the U.S. government in
ongoing criminal investigations.Stratfor provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations and government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
WikiLeaks has published 973 out of what it says is a cache of 5 million internal Stratfor emails (dated between July 2004 and December 2011) obtained by the hacker collective Anonymous around Christmas.
Defying Congress, Obama Sends U.S. Taxes to Russian State Arms Firm
Written by Alex Newman-
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The ultimate example of Big Government gone bad: North Korea secretly murders its own officials
Thursday, May 31, 2012 by: J. D. Heyes
194 0
[Share this Article]
(NaturalNews) Just what is a rogue, all-powerful government capable of doing to its own citizens? What about its own officials? The answer lies in North Korea, the Stalinist state that has been ruled by a succession of power-mad dictators who seem to have gotten more brutal as the lineage progresses.
Amnesty International, in a recent report on the human rights records of scores of nations, found that last year the North Korean government "purged" - that is, got rid of - at least 30 of its own government officials, while an additional 200 were rounded up by the State Security Service in January as a precaution ahead of the transfer of power from Kim Jong-il, who died of an apparent heart attack in December, and his 29-year-old son, Kim Jong-un.
And the supposed wrong-doings of these 30 officials? High crimes and treason? Planning to overthrow the regime?
Nothing so compelling or serious. They were killed because they engaged in failed talks with South Korea - talks that, by the way, would never have taken place in this authoritarian state without the permission of the "Dear Leader," Kim Jong-il, himself.
Killed for doing their job
Of the hundreds who were rounded up, the Daily Telegraph reported, some of them were also executed. Many of those remaining probably wish they had been killed; they were sent to political prison camps - part of the country's gulag system which Amnesty International said holds about 200,000 North Koreans who are kept in "horrific" conditions.
It's all just part of the job in North Korea. Officials who are seen to have failed the regime in some way are often executed or jailed, even though they are merely carrying out the orders or instructions of higher-ranking bureaucrats or ruling family members. Talk about your incentives program.
Consider this example.
In 2010, Pak Nam-gi, the one-time head of the country's finance ministry, failed miserably in his attempt to reform the impoverished nation's currency. As a result of his efforts, inflation was rampant and already existing food shortages became worse. Pak died by firing squad for that little letdown.
The 30 who "disappeared" were unable to improve ties to South Korea and as such, they were made to be scapegoats for Pyongyang's new low in relations with Seoul.
Setting the bureaucrats up for failure
Part of the reason for their failure, without question, was the late Kim's insistence, no doubt, that Pyongyang continue its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile development, something South Korea has, up to now, considered a deal-breaker from the start when it came to improving ties with its northern neighbor.
And those ties are only likely to get worse, following Pyongyang's failed missile launch attempt (the government said it was trying to launch a satellite into orbit, not test a missile) in April. Now, the North appears ready to also conduct another underground nuclear weapons test. Wouldn't you hate to be a North Korean negotiator right about now?
"The North Korean regime is hell-bent on being a belligerent actor," Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., who heads up the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a recent visit with South Korean leaders. "And I think that on holidays or sad commemorations like Memorial Day weekend is when the leadership tries to provoke the democratic allies into action."
It could happen here, too, because it already has
The behavior of North Korea's elite leadership could portend what will eventually happen in the United States, if Washington's insatiable thirst for more authority isn't quenched and if the right conditions are present.
Sound impossible?
There have been periods of absolute authoritarianism throughout our history, from the earliest mobilizations of federal militia to put down the Shay's and Whiskey Rebellions, to President Abraham Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War, to FDR's outlawing of gold ownership during the Great Depression and the jailing of Japanese-Americans during World War II, to the Bush administration's passage of the PATRIOT Act, to the current administration's targeting of American citizens overseas who are only "suspected" of being terrorists.
What would happen if, say, the U.S. began to suffer sustained terrorist attacks? Do you think our civil liberties would be strengthened - or weakened? The tendency would be to become more authoritarian, as it has always been, and of course, it would be for our own protection.
There is a saying that goes, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts, absolutely." It not only applies to North Korea, it applies to any country whose leader is "above the fray" and not held to account.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
http://www.the-privateer.com/1933-gold-confiscation.html
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036033_North_Korea_government_murder.html#ixzz2QHFQED3l
Thursday, May 31, 2012 by: J. D. Heyes
194 0
[Share this Article]
(NaturalNews) Just what is a rogue, all-powerful government capable of doing to its own citizens? What about its own officials? The answer lies in North Korea, the Stalinist state that has been ruled by a succession of power-mad dictators who seem to have gotten more brutal as the lineage progresses.
Amnesty International, in a recent report on the human rights records of scores of nations, found that last year the North Korean government "purged" - that is, got rid of - at least 30 of its own government officials, while an additional 200 were rounded up by the State Security Service in January as a precaution ahead of the transfer of power from Kim Jong-il, who died of an apparent heart attack in December, and his 29-year-old son, Kim Jong-un.
And the supposed wrong-doings of these 30 officials? High crimes and treason? Planning to overthrow the regime?
Nothing so compelling or serious. They were killed because they engaged in failed talks with South Korea - talks that, by the way, would never have taken place in this authoritarian state without the permission of the "Dear Leader," Kim Jong-il, himself.
Killed for doing their job
Of the hundreds who were rounded up, the Daily Telegraph reported, some of them were also executed. Many of those remaining probably wish they had been killed; they were sent to political prison camps - part of the country's gulag system which Amnesty International said holds about 200,000 North Koreans who are kept in "horrific" conditions.
It's all just part of the job in North Korea. Officials who are seen to have failed the regime in some way are often executed or jailed, even though they are merely carrying out the orders or instructions of higher-ranking bureaucrats or ruling family members. Talk about your incentives program.
Consider this example.
In 2010, Pak Nam-gi, the one-time head of the country's finance ministry, failed miserably in his attempt to reform the impoverished nation's currency. As a result of his efforts, inflation was rampant and already existing food shortages became worse. Pak died by firing squad for that little letdown.
The 30 who "disappeared" were unable to improve ties to South Korea and as such, they were made to be scapegoats for Pyongyang's new low in relations with Seoul.
Setting the bureaucrats up for failure
Part of the reason for their failure, without question, was the late Kim's insistence, no doubt, that Pyongyang continue its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile development, something South Korea has, up to now, considered a deal-breaker from the start when it came to improving ties with its northern neighbor.
And those ties are only likely to get worse, following Pyongyang's failed missile launch attempt (the government said it was trying to launch a satellite into orbit, not test a missile) in April. Now, the North appears ready to also conduct another underground nuclear weapons test. Wouldn't you hate to be a North Korean negotiator right about now?
"The North Korean regime is hell-bent on being a belligerent actor," Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., who heads up the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a recent visit with South Korean leaders. "And I think that on holidays or sad commemorations like Memorial Day weekend is when the leadership tries to provoke the democratic allies into action."
It could happen here, too, because it already has
The behavior of North Korea's elite leadership could portend what will eventually happen in the United States, if Washington's insatiable thirst for more authority isn't quenched and if the right conditions are present.
Sound impossible?
There have been periods of absolute authoritarianism throughout our history, from the earliest mobilizations of federal militia to put down the Shay's and Whiskey Rebellions, to President Abraham Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War, to FDR's outlawing of gold ownership during the Great Depression and the jailing of Japanese-Americans during World War II, to the Bush administration's passage of the PATRIOT Act, to the current administration's targeting of American citizens overseas who are only "suspected" of being terrorists.
What would happen if, say, the U.S. began to suffer sustained terrorist attacks? Do you think our civil liberties would be strengthened - or weakened? The tendency would be to become more authoritarian, as it has always been, and of course, it would be for our own protection.
There is a saying that goes, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts, absolutely." It not only applies to North Korea, it applies to any country whose leader is "above the fray" and not held to account.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
http://www.the-privateer.com/1933-gold-confiscation.html
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036033_North_Korea_government_murder.html#ixzz2QHFQED3l
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph
www.telegraph.co.uk
Latest news, business, sport, comment, lifestyle and culture from the Daily Telegraph and
Home > National > Politics/Diplomacy
2012/12/05 17:11 KST
(2nd LD) N. Korea completes installation of long-range rocket on launch pad
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- North
Korea has assembled all three stages of a long-range rocket on its
launch pad, a South Korean official said Wednesday, the latest sign that
preparations to fire off the rocket is in full swing.
"North Korea is believed to have completed the installation of a long-range rocket on the launch pad" at the Dongchang-ri base in the country's northwest, a government official said on condition of anonymity. "Some workers are pulling out of the site."
The first stage was put on the pad on Monday and the second stage on Tuesday.
A South Korean expert said the Unha-3 rocket is estimated to have a range of about 10,000 kilometers, a distance that could reach Los Angeles in the mainland United States, considering the "burn-out" time of its engine.
The expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he drew the range estimate because the North launched the same type of rocket in April that had a burn-out time of 130 seconds, which translates into the 10,000 km range.
The North has said it will launch the same Unha-3 model this time as in April.
The previous version, the Unha-2, had a burn-out time of 112 seconds and flew about 3,800 km in a 2009 launch. The first stage of that rocket was made up of four Nodong-B missile engines while its second stage had one Nodong B missile engine.
Now that all three stages have been placed on the pad, the North is expected to install support equipment, such as radar, cameras and measuring equipment before fueling the rocket. Should fueling take place over the weekend, the rocket is expected to be launched between Dec. 10-12.
"If the North begins fueling the rocket, fuel tanks will be seen around the launch site," the official said. "If many fuel tanks are spotted, we should take that as meaning that fueling has begun."
Pyongyang announced Saturday it will launch a long-range rocket to put what it calls a "working satellite" into orbit, with much of the world suspecting it is in reality testing intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Officials at South Korea's state weather agency forecast no precipitation at the launch site between Dec. 10 and 22, although it will be cloudy. That means the communist nation can go ahead and fire the rocket.
The planned launch will be the North's second launch attempt under current leader Kim Jong-un, following a failed launch in April. The young leader took power following his father's death last December.
On Monday, North Korea notified the U.N. shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization, about the launch.
Coordinates provided by Pyongyang showed the rocket's first stage would fall into the Yellow Sea between the Korean Peninsula and China, and the second stage drop-off would take place off the Philippines.
South Korea has warned it will take North Korea to the U.N. Security Council and press for new sanctions if the rocket launch proceeds, though it is unclear whether China, the only major ally of the North, would agree to further sanctions.
There have been questions about the effectiveness of any additional sanctions on North Korea, a country that has been under a string of sanctions for decades. Widespread views are that new sanctions would be aimed at identifying and freezing secret North Korean bank accounts overseas.
In 2005, the U.S. imposed similar financial sanctions on Pyongyang by blacklisting a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau with links to the North. That not only froze North Korean money held in Banco Delta Asia, but also scared away other global financial institutions from dealing with Pyongyang for fear they would also be blacklisted.
The measure hit Pyongyang hard, and reports at the time said that North Korean officials had to carry around bags of cash for financial transactions because they were not able to use the international banking system.
Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Lim Sung-nam, arrived in Washington Tuesday (local time) for discussions on the issue.
"In line with the principle, (we) will first focus consultations on a direction to stop North Korea's missile launch plan," Lim told reporters as he arrived in Washington for a three-day trip.
He headed straight to the State Department for a series of meetings with Ambassador Glyn Davies, Washington's top envoy on Pyongyang, and Wendy Sherman, under secretary of state for political affairs.
Lim and Davies are also scheduled to have a trilateral meeting later in the day with Shinsuke Sugiyama, the director general of the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, who serves as Tokyo's point man on Pyongyang.
"We need to talk about specific ways" to block North Korea from firing a long-range rocket, Lim said. "We will discuss what measures are necessary to maximize diplomatic efforts."
(END)
"North Korea is believed to have completed the installation of a long-range rocket on the launch pad" at the Dongchang-ri base in the country's northwest, a government official said on condition of anonymity. "Some workers are pulling out of the site."
 |
The first stage was put on the pad on Monday and the second stage on Tuesday.
A South Korean expert said the Unha-3 rocket is estimated to have a range of about 10,000 kilometers, a distance that could reach Los Angeles in the mainland United States, considering the "burn-out" time of its engine.
The expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he drew the range estimate because the North launched the same type of rocket in April that had a burn-out time of 130 seconds, which translates into the 10,000 km range.
The North has said it will launch the same Unha-3 model this time as in April.
The previous version, the Unha-2, had a burn-out time of 112 seconds and flew about 3,800 km in a 2009 launch. The first stage of that rocket was made up of four Nodong-B missile engines while its second stage had one Nodong B missile engine.
Now that all three stages have been placed on the pad, the North is expected to install support equipment, such as radar, cameras and measuring equipment before fueling the rocket. Should fueling take place over the weekend, the rocket is expected to be launched between Dec. 10-12.
"If the North begins fueling the rocket, fuel tanks will be seen around the launch site," the official said. "If many fuel tanks are spotted, we should take that as meaning that fueling has begun."
Pyongyang announced Saturday it will launch a long-range rocket to put what it calls a "working satellite" into orbit, with much of the world suspecting it is in reality testing intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Officials at South Korea's state weather agency forecast no precipitation at the launch site between Dec. 10 and 22, although it will be cloudy. That means the communist nation can go ahead and fire the rocket.
The planned launch will be the North's second launch attempt under current leader Kim Jong-un, following a failed launch in April. The young leader took power following his father's death last December.
On Monday, North Korea notified the U.N. shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization, about the launch.
Coordinates provided by Pyongyang showed the rocket's first stage would fall into the Yellow Sea between the Korean Peninsula and China, and the second stage drop-off would take place off the Philippines.
South Korea has warned it will take North Korea to the U.N. Security Council and press for new sanctions if the rocket launch proceeds, though it is unclear whether China, the only major ally of the North, would agree to further sanctions.
There have been questions about the effectiveness of any additional sanctions on North Korea, a country that has been under a string of sanctions for decades. Widespread views are that new sanctions would be aimed at identifying and freezing secret North Korean bank accounts overseas.
In 2005, the U.S. imposed similar financial sanctions on Pyongyang by blacklisting a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau with links to the North. That not only froze North Korean money held in Banco Delta Asia, but also scared away other global financial institutions from dealing with Pyongyang for fear they would also be blacklisted.
The measure hit Pyongyang hard, and reports at the time said that North Korean officials had to carry around bags of cash for financial transactions because they were not able to use the international banking system.
Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Lim Sung-nam, arrived in Washington Tuesday (local time) for discussions on the issue.
"In line with the principle, (we) will first focus consultations on a direction to stop North Korea's missile launch plan," Lim told reporters as he arrived in Washington for a three-day trip.
He headed straight to the State Department for a series of meetings with Ambassador Glyn Davies, Washington's top envoy on Pyongyang, and Wendy Sherman, under secretary of state for political affairs.
Lim and Davies are also scheduled to have a trilateral meeting later in the day with Shinsuke Sugiyama, the director general of the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, who serves as Tokyo's point man on Pyongyang.
"We need to talk about specific ways" to block North Korea from firing a long-range rocket, Lim said. "We will discuss what measures are necessary to maximize diplomatic efforts."
(END)
Missile spotted in 'launch position', United States and South Korean armed forces placed at 'vital alert' Watchcon 2
- AFP
- April 12, 2013
- US, South Korea declare "Watchcon 2" - the highest level of alert
- 'Multiple launches' expected as more missiles spotted
- See our interactive timeline at the bottom of this story
PYONGYANG has kept the world on edge over an expected missile launch
while turning its own energies to celebrating leaders past and present
amid soaring tensions on the Korean peninsula.
The United States warned North Korea it was skating a "dangerous
line", as South Korea remained on heightened alert for any missile test
that could start a whole new cycle of tensions in a region already on a
hair-trigger.G8 foreign ministers meeting in London drove home the message, condemning "in the strongest possible terms" the North's nuclear activities and threats to the region.
CLICK HERE FOR CONTINUING LIVE COVERAGE OF THE NORTH KOREA CRISIS.
The following is our earlier rolling coverage of what happened overnight.
But Mr Obama also says that no one wants to see a conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea ratcheted up its threats against the US after the UN Security Council levied new economic sanctions on the isolated nation. The penalties were in response to a February rocket launch.
Mr Obama spoke alongside UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon after the two met in the Oval Office.
5:15am (AEST): North Korea is poised to launch as many as five missiles from its east coast, South Korean intelligence officials said.
Others think the military exercise is just part of the festivities planned for a national holiday on Monday marking the birthday of the country's late founder, Kim Il Sung.
"There is no threat,” said Xu Guangyu, a senior military analyst in Beijing. “The grandson is using the missiles to salute his grandfather and celebrate his power.’’
4:20am (AEST): China appears "frustrated" with volatile rhetoric from its North Korean allies but is eager to see the regime stay in power as a "buffer state" on its border, US spy chief James Clapper said Thursday.
The national intelligence director told lawmakers North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-Un, who has threatened nuclear war with the United States, was testing China's patience.
"China is under new leadership and the indication we have is that China is rather frustrated with the behaviour and belligerent rhetoric of Kim Jong-Un," Mr Clapper told the House Intelligence Committee.
3:30am (AEST): The Washington Post says that Google searches for North Korea in the US are seven times higher than the last peak, which was during the country's 2006 nuclear test. More Americans are Googling North Korea than Beyonce or Barack Obama, two of the most consistently popular searches.
Pew estimates that 36 per cent of Americans are following the news “very closely”, which is unusual for an international news story. About 56 per cent said the US should take the threats “very seriously.”
However, despite Americans reading more about North Korea, Pew found 47 per cent believe the country has a nuclear missile that could hit the US (which it does not).
North Korean military officers
on a boat on the Yalu River, the China-North Korea border river, near
North Korea's town of Sinuiju.
Source: AP
"If there is a missile test, we will advocate further measures to the UN security council," he said.
British Foreign Secretary
William Hague holds a news conference after hosting the G8 Foreign
Ministers meeting in Lancaster House in London.
Source: Getty Images
Coren said South Koreans seem more interested in the imminent release of pop artist Psy's new song Gentleman than they are about the prospect of war.
1.54am (AEST): One of China's leading experts on North Korea has warned there is an 80 per cent chance of war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula.
"There is a 70 to 80 per cent chance that a war will happen because North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may want to use this opportunity to force a reunification of the Korean Peninsula," Zhang Liangui, a professor of international strategic research at the Communist Party's Central Party School, told the South China Morning Post.
Professor Zhang said China needed to do more to get nuclear weapons out of North Korean hands.
South Korean Air Force's E-737 Peace
Eye, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. South
Korean and US forces raised their alert status to "vital threat" before
an expected North Korean missile test.
A North Korean soldier,
background, looks to the southern side as South Korean soldiers stand
guard at the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two
Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, north of Seoul. Picture: Lee
Jin-man
Source: AP
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress that his analysts believe North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is using rhetoric to gain recognition, and to manoeuvre the international community into concessions in future negotiations.
CIA director John Brennan says judging his actions is made tougher because he hasn't been in power long.
Mr Clapper says the intelligence community believes the North would only use nuclear weapons to preserve the Kim regime, but says they do not know how the Kim regime defines that.
Both men say China is best able to influence North Korea to tone down its rhetoric.
12.50am (AEST): Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has given his fellow Republicans a dire warning on the ongoing crisis in North Korea.
“We’re in deep doo doo,” Mr Cheney told Republican lawmakers, according to a leadership aide who spoke to CNN.
A North Korean Air Koryo
attendant wears a pin showing portraits of the late North Korean leaders
Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, while she prepares the cabin before take
off for Pyongyang from Beijing. Picture: Alexander F. Yuan
Source: AP
South Korean soldiers sit in a truck at the inter-Korean transit office in Paju, South Korea.
11.40pm (AEST): Why does North Korea get so upset when the US and South Korea hold joint war games? Find out why here.
11.26pm (AEST): On the streets of Pyongyang, North Koreans have celebrated the anniversary of leader Kim Jong-un's appointment to the country's top party post - one in a slew of titles collected a year ago in the months after father Kim Jong Il's death.
North Korean students put on suits and traditional dresses to celebrate Kim Jong-un's appointment as first secretary of the Workers' Party a year ago.
A flower show and art performances are scheduled over the next few days in the lead-up to the nations' biggest holiday, the April 15 birthday of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung.
North Koreans dance together
beneath a mosaic painting of the late leader Kim Il Sung during a mass
folk dancing gathering in Pyongyang to mark the anniversary of the first
of many titles of power given to leader Kim Jong-un after the death of
his father Kim Jong Il. Picture: David Guttenfelder
Source: AP
10.10pm (AEST): Reports that North Korea is ready to file a nuclear missile come after the rogue nation was said to be 'shuffling' its mobile missile launchers after Japan reported spotting one in a "ready to fire" position.
9.50pm (AEST): US Secretary of State John Kerry (centre) has been pictured taking a walk in Green Park during a break in the G8 Foreign Ministers meeting in central London on Thursday.
North Korea must end belligerent approach
World
leaders urged North Korea to end what has been described as its
belligerent and paranoid rhetoric after it threatened to reduce its e...
US Secretary of State John
Kerry (centre) takes a walk in Green Park during a break in the G8
Foreign Ministers meeting in central London on Thursday.
Source: AFP
G8 foreign ministers including US Secretary of State John Kerry have held a second day of talks in London with the crisis on the Korean peninsula topping the agenda.
Kerry has already met with his Russian and Japanese counterparts to discuss the Korean crisis, in which US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel warned Pyongyang was ''skating very close to a dangerous line''.
The secretive communist state has threatened nuclear strikes against the United States and South Korea, and observers are expecting a missile launch at any time.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia, which maintains close ties to North Korea's key ally China, warned after talks with Kerry on Wednesday against exacerbating tensions with military manoeuvres.
While stressing that Russia and the United States had ''no differences'' on North Korea, Lavrov said: ''One just shouldn't scare anyone with military manoeuvres and there's a chance that everything will calm down.''
Kerry also held talks late Wednesday with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, where they discussed China's role and how to ''change the dynamic'' in North Korea, according to a US State Department official.
A South Korean protester attaches a
picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with balloons on a barricade
during a rally demanding a regular operations of the Kaesong industrial
complex near Unification Bridge near the border village of Panmunjom in
Paju, north of Seoul, South Kore.
The Group of Eight rich nations are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Britain, which holds the rotating chairmanship of the group this year, will host a leaders' summit in Northern Ireland in June.
7.12pm (AEST): South Korea urges North to talk on Kaesong
South Korea has called for negotiations with North Korea on the future of the Kaesong joint industrial zone, which Pyongyang has threatened to shut down permanently after suspending operations.
''Normalisation of the Kaesong industrial complex must be solved through dialogue,'' the South's Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-Jae told reporters.
''I urge North Korea to come to the dialogue table.''
Pyongyang announced the withdrawal of its 53,000 workers and the suspension of operations at Kaesong at the beginning of the week, as military tensions on the Korean peninsula soared.
A rare symbol of cross-border economic cooperation, Kaesong is a crucial hard currency source for the impoverished North, through taxes and revenues, and from its cut of the workers' wages.
A South Korean soldier sets a barricade on the road leading to North Korea at a military checkpoint in the border city of Paju.
South Korea's new President Park Geun-Hye described the suspension of operations as ''very disappointing'' but Pyongyang today said her administration was personally responsible.
''Needless to say Kaesong industrial district will cease to exist should the Park Geun-Hye regime continue pursuing confrontation,'' a spokesman for the North's Bureau for Central Guidance to the Development of the Special Zone said.
''The current powerholder in the South can never be able to shake off responsibility for having Kaesong, which survived even the traitor Lee Myung-Bak's term in office, all but closed.''
7pm (AEST): The foreign editor of The Australian Greg Sheridan joined David Speers on PM Agenda. See what he had to say about North Korea's threats in the video below.
The South Korean and U.S. militaries remained on high alert with North Korea expected to test-launch at least one mid-range ballistic missile in the coming days.
3:10pm (AEST): Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government was doing everything it could "to protect the lives and the safety of our people''.
A Japanese soldier walks past a
Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile launcher deployed at the
Defence Ministry in Tokyo.
Two PAC 3 Patriot anti-missile batteries now sit on a baseball pitch in the grounds of Japan's Ministry of Defence, pointing northwest in the general direction of North Korea, CNN reported.
They were moved here to the heart of the Japanese capital in the early hours yesterday, alongside further batteries in two Tokyo suburbs.
NORTH KOREAN IN A PERMANENT WAR
2:58 (AEST): US confirm sea-based radar ready for missile launch
A powerful US military sea-based radar is now in place to detect any possible missile launches by North Korea, according to a senior US defence official in Washington.
"The SBX is in position,'' the defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
The official would not offer more details but confirmed the SBX, a floating X-band radar that resembles a giant golf ball, had reached a location at sea where it could track missiles fired by the Pyongyang regime.
North Korea has proved quite adept at confounding intelligence monitoring in the past.
US Army soldiers prepare for an
exercise during their annual military drills with South Korea in
Yeoncheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea.
2:.35 (AEST): Missiles shifted to interfere with monitoring
Several missiles have moved repeatedly on North Korea's east coast in an apparent attempt to interfere with intelligence monitoring by South Korea and the US,
Intelligence analysis, reported by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, stated that the North has moved two Musudan intermediate missiles, which had been concealed in a shed in the eastern port city of Wonsan.
Four or five wheeled vehicles, suspected to be so-called transporter erector launchers (TEL), were also spotted being moved around in South Hamgyeong Province.
1:03 (AEST): United States island of Guam placed on 'yellow' alert
Guam has raised its official threat level and tested its emergency alert system after warnings from North Korea identifying the island as a potential missile target, according to news agency AFP.
With a North Korean missile test expected at any time, authorities said the US territory in the western Pacific was on yellow alert, the middle phase of a three-step "traffic light" system comprising green, yellow and red levels.
"This is the same colour used by government agencies to indicate there is a medium risk for the island," the government said in a statement.
A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet
prepares to land on the runway during a military exercise at the Osan US
Air Base in Osan, South Korea.
Seoul has announced it is ready to activate its Patriot PAC2 missile defence system. The statement said the interceptor missiles cannot cover all of South Korea, but will protect everything within its reach.
The missile system is deployed around Seoul, and is believed to have a reach of up to 30km.
1:18 (AEST) Two "Musudan" missiles being moved
Yonhap news agency reports intelligence analysts as saying two Musudan missile launchers have been seen moving in and out of a concealed building in the port city of Wonsan.
Several mult-wheeled vehicles, suspected to be transporter erector-launchers, have also been seen on the move in South Hamgyeong Province.
12:47 (AEST) North Korea shuffles launcher positions
This April 5, 2009 file image shows the launch of a North Korean missile.
12:41 (AEST): China warns North Korea: Do not misjudge situation
The Chinese People's Daily Online has published an article warning North Korea "not to misjudge" the situation with the United States and South Korea.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has reportedly spoken with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon over the phone, expressing severe concern over the current tense situation on the Korean Peninsula.
He reportedly said Beijing "does not allow troublemaking at the doorsteps of China."
The article goes on to defend North Korea's right to develop its weaponry, "but there is no reason to violate the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council to engage in nuclear testing and launch missile using ballistic missile technology".
"The DPRK has its own special circumstances, political needs, policy choices and political language style, which is its internal affairs and the outside world has no right to interfere in. But if its choice and words intensifies the Korean Peninsula tensions and affects peace and stability in the region, it becomes the international issues. The situations development on the peninsula will not necessarily go according to the ideas and expectations of the DPRK."
12:37 (AEST): Financial markets show little fear
South Korean news agency Yonhap reports local financial markets appear largely unmoved by the most recent developments in the North Korean missile crisis.
Trade is continuing within "normal boundaries".
12:18 (AEST): Japan says missile may be "Musudan".
A Japanse official has told NBC News that the missile spotted in a firing posture could be the "Musudan" medium range type.
This missile has a potential range of up to 4000km, placing all of Japan and the United States base on the island of Guam within its reach.
It is, however, a relatively new type that has not yet undergone extensive testing.
The official said the discovery may be part of North Korea's "strategy of deception".
12:10 (AEST): South Korea 'concerned' at developments
Senior South Korean defence officials are reportedly saying they expect a launch within the next few hours.
South Korean officials have announced they are very concerned at the recent sighting.
"Nobody knows if North Korea will launch Scud, Rodong or Musudan (missiles), how many... or (what) direction," a statement read.
"We are at full readiness posture worrying that missile(s) North Korea may launch will threaten our citizens and territory."
EARLIER
Kyodo News reports the latest missile launcher sighting comes after Japan moved itself to a heightened state of alert earlier this week, deploying missile to surround the capital Tokyo and key defence facilities.
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said that so far Tokyo was responding to the sighting by "gathering a variety of information ... with a sense of tension,'' according to Kyodo.
South Korean and US forces last night raised their alert status to the highest possible level as more missile launchers were spotted on the move.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a government source saying Pyongyang might be preparing "multiple" launches, after other launch vehicles were reportedly detected carrying shorter-range SCUD and Rodong missiles.
The military alert status is now at "vital threat" level before an expected North Korean missile test as the Pentagon warned a bellicose Pyongyang it was "skating very close to a dangerous line".
The launch is expected to come at any time.
EX-SPY SAYS JONG-UN STRUGGLING TO CONTROL TROOPS.
The South Korea-US Combined Forces Command raised its "Watchcon" status from 3 to 2 to reflect indications of a "vital threat", Yonhap news agency said, citing a senior military official.
Watchcon 4 is in effect during normal peacetime, while Watchcon 3 reflects indications of an important threat. Watchcon 1 is used in wartime.
The North last week told foreign diplomats in Pyongyang they had until April 10 to consider evacuation, fuelling speculation of a launch between April 10 and April 15, during birthday celebrations for late founder Kim Il-Sung.
Any launch could coincide with visits by US Secretary of State John Kerry and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who will both be in Seoul on Friday.
South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se told parliament the launch could take place "any time" and warned Pyongyang it risked triggering a fresh round of UN sanctions.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters on Wednesday that the United States and its allies hoped Pyongyang would tone down its inflammatory language, but said the American military was prepared for any possibility.
"North Korea ... with its bellicose rhetoric, its actions, has been skating very close to a dangerous line," he said.
"Our country is fully prepared to deal with any contingency, any action that North Korea may take or any provocation that they may instigate."
MISSILE THREAT TO AUSTRALIA `REAL'.
THE TWO FACES OF KIM JONG-UN.
GALLERY: KOREAN TENSIONS MOUNT.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned against heating up the crisis and stressed Moscow and Washington had a common stance.
"One just shouldn't scare anyone with military manoeuvres and there's a chance that everything will calm down," Lavrov told reporters after meeting Kerry in London.
Kerry also discussed North Korea with Japan Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in London and emphasised the importance of putting pressure on Pyongyang with economic sanctions, a senior State Department official said.
South Korean intelligence says the North has prepared two mid-range missiles for imminent launch from its east coast, despite warnings from ally China to avoid provocative moves amid soaring tensions.
On Tuesday the North reiterated a warning that the peninsula was headed for "thermo-nuclear" war and advised foreigners to consider leaving South Korea.
Although the North's warnings to embassies in Pyongyang and foreigners in the South were largely shrugged off, there is growing global concern that sky-high tensions might trigger an incident that could swiftly escalate.
The mid-range missiles mobilised by the North are reported to be untested Musudan models with an estimated range of anywhere up to 4000 kilometres.
That would cover any target in South Korea and Japan, and possibly even US military bases on the Pacific island of Guam.
The US military's top officer, General Martin Dempsey, told a press conference that he could not publicly comment on intelligence estimates as to how close North Korea was to placing a nuclear warhead on a missile.
But the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said the United States military was ready for the "worst case" scenario.
"They have conducted two nuclear tests. They have conducted several successful missile launches," Dempsey said.
"And in the absence of concrete evidence to the contrary, we have to assume the worst case, and that's why we're postured as we are today," the four-star general added.
The military has deployed US naval ships in the region capable of shooting down incoming missiles and staged a show of force with bomber aircraft in a bid to deter North Korea from launching any attack.
Hagel's comments came amid widespread speculation North Korea is poised for a missile launch in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.
The head of US Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Locklear, told senators Tuesday that he favoured shooting down a North Korean missile only if it threatened the United States or Washington's allies in the region.
Locklear, however, said he was confident the US military would be able to detect quickly where any missile was headed.
At budget briefings at the Pentagon on Wednesday, senior officials said automatic cuts adopted by Congress were worrying but would not affect the combat readiness of US troops or air squadrons in or near South Korea.
"I don't want to suggest to the North Koreans they have a free pass here," said comptroller Robert Hale, who oversees Defense Department finances.
"We will protect the readiness of the forces on the Korean peninsula and any that are deployed."
Meanwhile, the US Air Force is taking aim at its big costs of fuel and flight this week, temporarily halting training operations for 12 active duty fighter and bomber squadrons across the United States in order to save nearly $300 million.
New details on the cuts emerged today. They will total 45,000 flight hours, and hit squadrons in eight fighter wings in at least seven states and the Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
The cuts will not affect current military operations, such as fighters in Afghanistan or bombers training over South Korea. But the Air Force warned that they will have a ripple effect, sharply reducing the service's ability to be prepared for future operations because pilots must meet minimum flight hour requirements in order to fly.
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