A POTENTIAL MISSILE ATTACK by "rogue" nations, such as North Korea, is a driving force behind current U.S. defense plans. In 1998 North Korea flight-tested its Taepo-dong 1 missile, which could presumably haul a 1,000-kilogram nuclear bomb about 2,500 kilometers. The same missile might carry a lighter biological or chemical warhead 4,100 kilometers - just shy of the two closest parts of the U.S. (The tip of Alaska's Aleutian Islands and the western end of the Hawaiian Islands lie about 4,500 kilometers away.) The untested Taep-dong 2 missile is thought to have a range of up to 6,000 kilometers. North Korea could also launch shorter-range missiles from ships-a tactic that would render the current U.S. defense plan worthless.
4 posted on 09/01/2002 6:07:45 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
