Seoul (AsiaNews) - The North Korean regime is moving Musudan a missile, the "flagship" of its military towards its eastern coast. It is a weapon with a range of about 4 thousand kilometers that can carry a nuclear warhead. According to the South Korean government, which released the information obtained thanks to satellite images, this rocket "capable" of hitting and Honolulu (Hawaii) as well as Austin Texas. These are two symbolic targets: the first is the birthplace of Barack Obama, while the second is the production headquarters of South Korea's Samsung corporation.
After the "final threat" proclaimed last night by Pyongyang, there have been immediate countermoves by the international community. The army led by the young Kim Jong-un announced that he had "received permission to launch a lethal and surprise attack against the United States and Western bases in East Asia," and had officially "notified" the Pentagon that it is "capable of a direct hit". Even in the most dangerous military rhetoric, the government of the North, however, added that "no one knows when and if war will break out."
In the meantime, however, Pyongyang has also begun to enrich uranium in its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, closed down since 2007, but formally "reactivated" in recent days by the executive. This is yet another very clear signal: the regime has rejected the peace agreements signed as part of the six-party talks on nuclear disarmament - that includes the U.S., China, Russia, Japan and South Korea - and intends to pursue its own nuclear arsenal.
For its part, Washington has not stood idly by. The White House has posted a statement in which "continues to urge the North Korean leadership to cease its provocative threats and to choose the way of peace respecting international obligations. The U.S. remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are ready to defend U.S. territory, allies and the national interest. "
On the other hand, yesterday evening, the Pentagon confirmed the iminent deployment on the Pacific island of Guam, an anti-missile battery called Thaad (Terminal Hi Altitude Area Defense) to defend its bases from attacks from Korea North. The deployment of the Thaad system was initially planned for 2015.
The last time the Americans were mobilized following a serious threat from Pyongyang dates back to 2006, when then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered the army to prepare to intercept a missile fired by the Koreans but which exploded in flight, convincing the regime - at the time led by Kim Jong-il - to sit down at the negotiating table.
"But now - said the current Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel - they have nuclear capacity, they have missile delivery capacity now. We take those threats seriously, we have to take those threats seriously. "
One of the leading experts on North Korea, the exile An Chan-il, believes however that the alert is excessive: "Pyongyang wants first of all to strengthen its internal power and open up a market economy. They know they have no other choice. They want to raise tensions and then go back to the negotiating table with greater weight. They do not want a war, because it would destroy the country. "
