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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Japan Dispatches Ships to Monitor N. Korea | |
| 2006-06-22 | |
| TOKYO (AP) -- Japan has dispatched ships and planes to monitor North Korea amid regional jitters about a possible long-range missile launch, but it played down the communist nation's capacity to load a nuclear warhead atop its rockets. Fukushiro Nukaga, the head of Japan's Defense Agency, told a parliamentary committee that Japan had deployed naval ships and patrol planes to monitor developments in North Korea as the country apparently prepares to test a long-range missile believed capable of reaching the United States. Senior Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki said, however, that Japan had "encountered no information" indicating North Korea had the technology to put a nuclear warhead on a missile. "It requires tremendous technology to miniaturize an atomic weapon in order to load into a missile warhead," he said.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 Yeah it should be a fun time. I'll let you know how it goes. |
| Posted by: bombay 2006-06-22 21:34 |
| #8 Bombay: Rantburg's Man in Japan. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2006-06-22 20:17 |
| #7 Report back if you would be so kind, bombay. And have fun! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-22 18:55 |
| #6 I am going there in less than a month, should be interesting to see Japanese reaction and sentiment to this firsthand. Last time I was there the NK 'liberating' Japanese citizens was huge news. |
| Posted by: bombay 2006-06-22 18:31 |
| #5 Japan has AEGIS-capable destroyers in the Kongo class. If they're packing SM-3 missiles, they could splash the Taepodong all by themselves. (The Global Security article at the link says that the SM-3 is operational with the USN, and that Japan is supposed to start getting operational SM-3s in fall 2007. We could probably speed that up a bit if we have to.) |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-06-22 14:38 |
| #4 Notice he said that like they have it down... "You want the 10KT Nano-Nuke, or upgrade to the 25KT Mini-Nuke with iTunes?" |
| Posted by: Steve 2006-06-22 14:35 |
| #3 Senior Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki said, "It requires tremendous technology to miniaturize an atomic weapon in order to load into a missile warhead," he said. Notice he said that like they have it down...just a hint to the NK's and Chinese? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-06-22 13:01 |
| #2 Where is the "Yamato" when Japan really needs it? |
| Posted by: borgboy 2006-06-22 12:02 |
| #1 KHAAAAAAAAAAN! |
| Posted by: Flinert Grins3151 2006-06-22 09:50 |