[TigerLikesRooster]

The third one would be another 'October Surprise.' Not that U.S. has another election this year, but October is about the right time. Important NK anniversary is around that time of the year.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[kalee]

“despite looming U.N. sanctions on the communist state for its previous test in May”

Commons sense would indicate sanctions don’t work.

[Steel Wolf]

Were they going for political value, I'd be inclined to go with October. I don't think they are, though. I think these are now real tests, not political stunts to win cash and concessions. They will likely continue on a much faster timetable than before because they're looking to improve as rapidly as possible.

In other words, I think they're past the stage where the nuclear weapons program was primarily a tool to get attention and blackmail. Now it's primarily a tool to get nuclear weapons.

In the end, it's all about money and stability. Blackmail worked for a while, but the regime simply needs more income. Being the nuclear weapons Wal-Mart of the world will fix the income issue for decades.

But first, they need a working product.

[LibLieSlayer]

Are the youth there protesting in the streets, to reunite with their nuclear brothers in NK? Have they thrown rocks at the US Embassy yet? Have they demanded that the US leave the peninsula?

LLS

[demshateGod]

Don’t you wish reporters would omit the verb “braces” from their repertoire? I mean, is SK really Bracing for it? Is the gulf coast really bracing for “the worst hurricane season in history?”

[Mister Da]

“South Korea was bracing for a possible third nuclear test by the North, ...”

Reminds me of the old “Duck & Cover” films the schools showed us in the 50s & 60s. Brace yourself! Don't look at the blast!

Of course, the cowards in DC will be bracing themselves, too. And that is ALL they will do.

If I were KJI, & I kept testing nukes & firing missiles for practice, & the USA, despite claiming to be able to intercept these missiles, never did try to intercept these missiles; I might just believe the USA is lying about its anti-missile missiles. And if I thought that, then I can hold SK & Japan nuclear hostage & demand anything I want. If I don't get it, then my “tests” will become ever more threatening & frequent, until one day it is NOT a test.

Who's gonna stop him, Zer0, Hillary, Nancy, & Harry? The UN (Useless Nannies)? How about a “coalition of the willing”? KJI would laugh at that louder than I do.

Obviously, the policy has been to let NK starve itself into collapse, a policy Zer0 seems content to continue. But KJI has a nuclear “ace up his sleeve”, & as his hold on power becomes more flimsy, his desperation will increase, as will the temptation to use that Ace.

Though I doubt KJI has yet to have a “deliverable” nuke, he is obviously much further along in this than is Iran, & his 2 potential targets - SK & Japan - are much closer than Iran is to Israel.

So Zer0 & co. need to get serious with NK & shoot down at least one of these missiles, so that KJI will know that he can't win this game. Others will take note of our anti-missile capability & be fairly warned.