HONOLULU, Hawaii. North Korea’s nuclear test today demonstrates to all of mankind that they have developed one of the most terrifying and devastating weapons even after warnings by the international community and the U.N. Security Council.
The North Korean Central News Agency announced that the test took place on October 9, 2006. South Korea’s defense ministry reported that the test was carried out at Hwaderi near Kilju at 10:36 a.m. (0136 GMT). The demonstration by the world’s least responsible leader with the most dangerous weapon in the world sends a message of intimidation, fear and instability to South Korea, Japan, China and the United States. This political statement and technical achievement by North Korea verifies to the international community that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong II, controls up to a dozen or more capable nuclear weapons, and coupled with his ballistic missiles can deliver a nuclear explosion on the territory and population on the world’s most powerful countries to include Japan, the western United States and those countries of the Far East region.
This sends a clear message to those countries that seek a nuclear capability that it can be done against international pressure, diplomacy and sanctions. This action reaffirms the international community’s greatest fear that North Korea will sell and export this technology.
Our world has significantly changed from this reality, and the United Sates must provide protection against North Korea for our public safety and stability in the region to protect millions of lives and ensuring peace over war.
The United States must engage and deploy its current missile defense assets and those in other theaters against North Korea. Those assets would include Patriot 3 systems out of El Paso, Texas and Germany; Aegis Cruisers deployed with all capable Standard Missile 3’s available out of Hawaii; full operation of long range defensive ground based missiles in Alaska and California; forward based X band radar in Japan; the Spy radars on Aegis Destroyers based out of Hawaii and San Diego, and the Long Range radars located at Shemya AFB, Clear AFS, Alaska and Beale AFB, near Sacramento, California, and the Sea Based X band radar currently in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
These actions in response to North Korea nuclear threat will provide an option to our Congress and President other than preemptive military action, and will demonstrate technical capability that intimidation by the threat to use nuclear weapons will not succeed because the United States can defeat this threat.
