Pentagon Can't Explain "Missile" off California

http://www.cbsnews.com ^

[tired1]

The Pentagon Tuesday said it was trying to determine if a missile was launched Monday off the coast of Southern California and who might have launched it.

[swarthyguy]

There’s an amateur rocketeer near LA who did not foresee what a kickass missile he built.

[a fool in paradise]

Must be a model rocket like the “things” observed flying upward at planes outside Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

[tired1]

Hell, the CIA even made a computer video of how it happened.

[moodyskeptic]

Very curious, it’s a big missile with large contrail, no private toy.

[Brett66]

It could be an amateur rocket launch. Not the Estes variety, the big 10 ft. variety of a serious hobbyist.

[DannyTN]

When TWA 800 went down (off Long Island) there were close to 100 eyewitnesses who saw a missile rise up from the sea and strike the plane, causing it to explain.

I hate it when my plane explains.

[ScottinVA]

I’m thinking it’s a show of force from China, as 0bama makes visits to India and Indonesia.

[Enchante]

it doesn’t seem to approach the outer atmosphere (unless the video is simply incomplete):

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/09/national/main7036716.shtml?source=related_story&tag=related

whatever it is, it’s sizable but not remotely like any ICBM or SLBM so far as I can see (but I’m no expert!)

Doesn’t seem impressive enough to be a “demonstration test” for Asian govts etc.

But why the mystery about who launched it and why?

[a fool in paradise]

If the US were nuked, does anyone believe that Obama would retaliate with nukes?

He's already indicated that nukes are off the table.

No president should be adamant in refusal to go to war. It comes with the job.

[brytlea]

I don’t know a thing about missiles, but this seemed really big for a hand held one. Anyone?

[ClearCase_guy]

The planes in Spain explode mainly on the plains.

[Enchante]

that’s what I’m wondering about — it just doesn’t make sense for any kind of “official” test, and while it’s sizable it’s not any real ballistic intercontinental missile

[JerseyHighlander]

The families of victims of TWA800 spent over 20MM on a private investigation. Upon near conclusion of the report, the investigators resigned.
They’re kids and the children of victims were threatened with death by uniformed NSA thugs all over the NYC regoin in a two week period.
The report was copied and now sits offshore in secure locations.
Someday they hope to release it to the public.

[edcoil]

I believe ET is finally heading home.

[ClearCase_guy]

When we see evidence of a hand-held missile, we do not call it a hand-held missile -- we declare it to be a spark in a fuel tank.
When we see evidence of a much larger missile, we do not call it a launch by the Chinese navy -- we say we have no idea.

[Huskrrrr]

Aliens leaving Cal before their taxes are raised.

[sonofagun]

I hate it when my plane explains.

And I thought it never did explain!

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

A hobby missle isn’t launched from 35 miles off-shore...

[GeronL]

definitely no bottle rocket

[JerseyHighlander]

Personally I think it was a hobbyist rocket.
second guess would be a missile interceptor missile test, the prior publicly announced tests were either contrived successes, aborted launches, duds or failures to intercept.
Possibly some DoD types were not looking to have another “Missile Interceptor Program Fails Again” headline splashed across the media while the Republicans are politicking about cutting budgets.