North Korea Crisis: North Test-Fires Ballistic Missile

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39750240

Another failure, and yet more NK missile scientists due for the chop I suppose.

[Jackdaw33]

"Chop" being the operative word. Even losing an international football match can see you in front of a firing squad.

[NoMercy]

He's a dangerous loon. Maybe Trump should just dust him.

[EDDIE51]

There is speculation that the USA has found a way to hack the guidance system and is altering the programing to cause them to fail.

[NoMercy]

That sounds like another outlandish conspiracy theory, Eddie.

[EDDIE51]

Not really, all missiles have a control system operated from the launch site. This has to include a 'self destruct' function that will blow up the missile if it goes wrong and is heading towards 'home' territory.
If the USA has managed to hack that they can send the 'self destruct' code and get the missile to itself blow up.

[mikey4444]

I have just heard on the Radio Four, that China is NK's ally.

You would have thought China would have helped its friend in its rocket propulsion program, but instead, China just seems to stand by and let NK make a fool of itself.

Don't get me wrong.....I hope China stays aloof, but I am not sure I understand why.

[Jackdaw33]

You've just heard that? It's been common knowledge for the past 60 + years. If it wasn't for China there would never have been a NK.

[vulcan42]

If you are looking for world domination surely the last thing you would do is to kill off the only people capable of achieving it.

[ichkeria]

As Eddie says, it is feasible that the US has found a way to cripple these test launches.
If they keep failing it won't make Mr Kim look too good at home either

[ichkeria]

Mikey the Chinese probably understand the N Korean mentality better than other nations. I am sure they detest Kim but they can also see that the country is trying to protect itself against attack. The US thinks that more of a stick is needed and the Chinese prefer the carrot approach. Arguably they are correct. Hard to say

[-Talbot-]

I have just heard on the Radio Four, that China is NK's ally.



Titter Ye not.

[mikey4444]

Itchy...they only reason that NK feels threatened, is because Kim is acting in an extreme belligerent fashion.....this is all of his own doing.

[vulcan42]

I doubt the majority of people in Korea will even know about the failure. All media is state controlled, they might be shown the missile taking off and told it was a success. Kim Jong un has said he thinks America is jamming the missiles but I wonder if it's not closer to home. A failed missile has been found to contain Chinese components, it's feasible they have found a way to jam them.

[ichkeria]

I am not saying N Korea is justified in feeling threatened, but don't forget that they still see themselves at war with the south. It makes no sense to N Korea to launch a pre-emptive strike against anyone. That would precipitate a war they'd lose and Mr Kim's comfortable life as a despot would be over.

[ToraToraTora]

TBH mikey I think China may be getting a little embarrassed by ding dong jun and co and is probably considering slapping him down themselves.

[jambutty]

I agree with NoMercy.

[Jackdaw33]

I agree with TTT @ 10.16. The Chinese must be fed up to the back teeth with this nutcase.

[fender62]

it's sad the ordinary pople there have to starve to prop up a tyrant

[Jackdaw33]

In the 50s China was insecure and felt threatened. That is no longer the case. It now bestrides the world stage and has no further need of a basket-case little country like NK to act as a buffer. Incidentally I saw the pictures of the Fat One visiting a pig farm. Initially I was hard-pressed to distinguish him from the pig, but the pig looked far more content and sensible. Talk about Animal Farm!

[ToraToraTora]

thanks for the BA mikey