Predictable

So this whole North Korean missile thing? It turns out, South Korea (who should know) isn't as worried as the US is trying to make everyone:

Today, there were hints from S. Korea officials they may be starting to doubt the key parts of the story, at least as it has been spun by US “official sources”, specifically challenging “intel” that fueling has been completed. And one Korean “source who asked not to be named” in a Korea Times story went to far as to charge ulterior motive in all the US-based leaks, “Frankly speaking, aren’t the United States and Japan in a position that could enjoy the current situation?”

This anonymous source the specified how a DPRK missile shoot helps boost US and Japanese supporters of national missile defense, but said for S. Korea, the situation is vastly more complicated, since, the Korea Times paraphrased, “the South Korean government, placed in a different position as a ‘directly concerned party’, is forced to deal with the problem not only as a mere military and security issue but also a political and diplomatic one.”

You could hear the Reagan freaks positively squeal with glee with the news that those magical broken missiles in Alaska were being turned on, and that two AEGIS cruisers were being tasked to track any outbound missile from the DPRK. Similarly, the US will conduct a test of the sea-based BMD system. William Arkin, meanwhile, throws some cold water on the idea:

I don't know which would be worse for the United States: an American shoot-down of a North Korean missile test, or an unsuccessful attempt to do so. The latter might remind the American public of the vast sums wasted on "defense," and provoke a discussion of the flawed strategy and policy behind missile defenses. That strategy assumes diplomacy will fail, and only our shield will protect us from irrational states.

Of course, the situation is ridiculous. Between Iran, North Korea, and whatever they think of next week, the Bush Administration is desperate for some distraction - anything - that can make a real increase in the polls.

Apparently, embracing sanity was ruled out early in discussions between VPOTUS and DoD.