Gridlock News

US defence officials in Washington reportedly stated on Tuesday that the US may attempt to intercept a North Korean fired Test Missile if the North Koreans fire the missile over the Pacific Ocean. The Tae Po Dong missile's reportedly have a range that could allow the missile's to reach Alaska and possibly the coast of California. Thomas Scheiffer, who called on Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks, indicated that the United States has the capability to respond to a North Korean missile test, a capability that the US did not have in 1998 during the last test launch. The US has been working on missile defence technologies since the Regan era when the Star Wars program was launched as a nuclear deterrent against the former Soviet Union. Many of the tests for the Star Wars program were lated shown to include false or misleading reports partially intended to portray to the world a capability the US did not really have. In recent years the program has made more progress, but publicized tests have failed to intercept missiles. If North Korea were to fire a test missile and the United States successfully intercepted it the fall out could be wide spread. Not only would the US show its ability to thwart North Korea's test, but it would be showing the world a working defence system. North Korea could see the interception of one of their missile's as an imposition of US authority into their perceived sovereignity, or more simply put they could view this as an act of reciprocal aggression back at the United States. The United States, Japan and South Korea already see the potential test fire as an act of aggression by the North Koreans. 'We want direct talks with US'- The Times of India