NKorean ICBM carried dummy nuclear warhead. A US intelligence flop

The Hwasong-15 tested on Wednesday, Nov. 29, likely carried a dummy warhead equivalent in weight to a nuclear bomb, say US missile experts.

What this means is that North Korea had not just attained world-power ability to build an intercontinental ballistic missile, but had also most likely mastered the technology of trajectory re-entry to any point on earth it wished to target. Experts examining the photos released by Pyongyang Thursday found the just-launched missile to be much broader and bigger than the earlier Hwasong-14 model. It has multi-stage rockets, each containing its own engine and propellant for greater thrust and range. The experts were most impressed by what appeared to be “gimbaled engines” – meaning that the exhaust nozzles of the engines can be used for navigation while holding the missile in stable trajectory. These capabilities plus the ability to launch missiles by night from mobile launchers has put North Korea in the exclusive club of world powers in this field.
America’s UN ambassador Nikki Haley Wednesday night warned against “further acts of aggression like the latest launch,” adding, “Make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.”

No rhetoric can obscure North Korea’s breakthrough or Kim Jong-un’s success in blindsiding the intelligence services of the United States, Japan and South Korea. None of their surveillance agencies had caught on to the Pyongyang’s newfound capabilities and were caught napping by the timing of the Hwasong-15 launch. Some hard thinking is called for by American policy-makers and strategists on US intelligence capabilities following this eye-opener. It would also be interesting to find out if Chinese and Russian intelligence agencies had done better.

But, meanwhile, the time is long past for appeals, like the one President Donald Trump addressed once again to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping to use “all available levers” to convince Kim Jong un to give up his “provocations.” Such appeals only serve to highlight American ineffectiveness in the face of those provocations and encourage rogue regimes like that of Iran to take advantage and follow suit. The Trump administration must come up fast with a way of dealing with Pyongyang – somewhere between smashing the Kim regime and the policy of swinging between sanctions and diplomacy, whose inefficacy was devastatingly proven now after 25 years of failure.

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38 thoughts on “NKorean ICBM carried dummy nuclear warhead. A US intelligence flop

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 11:08 at 11:08
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    I know the answer – the IN must keep the world’s attention off North Korean and Iranian advancements to destroy mankind by focussing on Israel’s building of homes for its citizens and schools for its children. That ought solve all the problems in the world by smashing civilization while ignoring evil.

    • Nov 30, 2017 @ 11:09 at 11:09
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      IN = UN

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 11:48 at 11:48
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    good work,Kim!Well done!

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:06 at 0:06
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      congratulations on spending billions of dollars to develop nuclear capability, while starving your people to death.

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 12:58 at 12:58
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    How about a deal? Israel gives up its nukes and agrees to the creation of a Palestinian state in the 48 borders, and North Korea gives up its nukes and enters a military alliance with China and Russia. Seems fair to me…

    • Nov 30, 2017 @ 16:00 at 16:00
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      that will never happen. All the land of Israel is their’s including the undivided eternal and holy capital, Jerusalem.

    • Nov 30, 2017 @ 16:30 at 16:30
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      First of all, that would not be biblical. Secondly, even if it was, what does Israel gain from your deal? Palestinians and all other members of the ME Islamic community have proven that they cannot be trusted under any and all circumstances. Third, NoKo would never give up their nukes, simply for the fact that the US and their allies have proven time and time again throughout history that they cannot be trusted. Your deal has more holes than Swiss cheese.

      • Nov 30, 2017 @ 19:31 at 19:31
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        Hmmm … following your logic: since Israel is the US ally, it cannot be trusted too?

    • Nov 30, 2017 @ 20:13 at 20:13
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      Better yet, we give the North Koreans your home and family. Let’s see how that goes first since you are so free to do this to others against their will.

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:08 at 0:08
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      sure. it’s called “suicide”, and apparently very popular among arabs and asians. you first.

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 4:03 at 4:03
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      With such blissful ignorance, you must sleep very well at night.

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 13:37 at 13:37
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    How they know it is not empty?

    • Nov 30, 2017 @ 19:37 at 19:37
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      Because it didn’t explode, perhaps?

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 14:51 at 14:51
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    How about a four hour barrage from the DMZ to the Chinese border, . . . wiping NK as a nation off the face of the earth.

    You kill wasp nests, . . . snake broods, . . . and ant hills, . . . by full and 100% eradication. NK is a human wasp nest, bent on causing unspeakable harm and damage to people who could not care less about NK one way or another.

    If he keeps pushing, he will have to attack, . . . and then be obliterated, . . . or just obliterated, . . . and the world goes on with it’s normal life.

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:10 at 0:10
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      a waste of time and ammunition. kim jung-punk and a handful of top advisers are the source of the problem, and replacing them would fix most of the problems.

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 15:12 at 15:12
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    It seems clear after Nikky Haley response that the missile mad-man chosed for his people and himself to go to heaven babling, blastering, sparkling, exploding and imploding… let us stay outside…

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 15:48 at 15:48
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    I loved your input Dean. Nice to see someone out there has an understanding of how the world “thinks”.

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 17:10 at 17:10
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    I just hope NK will give US a real blood nose it deserves, I’m sick of the words ‘we will destroy your country’ every now and then.

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:12 at 0:12
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      even from your favourite ayatollah?

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 17:12 at 17:12
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    (don’t publish please, just pass it on)
    Sent some thoughts months ago to Dutch military intelligence and some to Korean Embassy. But to no avail.
    One could sent commando’s via Chinese border to eliminate Kim (take out command structure) and destroy launch sites little later. Temporarily sent Seol into shelters and carpetbomb their canons. Or pressure China via Daila Lama. Americans can leave Korea later. China can choose. Hold interreligious peaceconference was also an idea. Drop communication devices and broadcast.
    Worst thing though is the false narrative that they need the nukes to defend themselves. Many countries defend themselves without nukes! And now you can’t attack them because of their weapons overlooking Seol? So why they need the nukes for than? But the conflict is about nukes ! So after all the tests or an attack even by them, you can still not attack them because of Seol problem? Might just as well attack now to atleast pre empt some of the (nuclear) problem. Because problem only grows worse. As you say also, with counties like Iran copying this behaviour ( and might infact already been working with them and financing them thanks to Obama) But also Kim on himself is not going to give up his toys after all this effort, but is pissed of because of sanctions. So gets cornered anyway. Will try to break out some time anyway.

    • Nov 30, 2017 @ 17:24 at 17:24
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      There was a glitch, did you get it? Not publish though! There goes the suprise attack. Okay, can only do so much. I made a painting about all of this 27 years ago. Long before I read on internet about midrashim about Korea or in the zohar or predictions by rabbis and what have you. Other side was about the ‘ 88 Olympics. So what about the ‘ 18 Olympics? Better pre empt before that. Get some sort of all is well end all bracha that way scenario ? (?)

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:15 at 0:15
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      there is a much simpler way – strike a deal with the chinese to put down their rabid dog. they can get another dog later.

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 17:29 at 17:29
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    well said patty sheneman

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 18:03 at 18:03
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    This punctuates the end of Pax Americana and the absurd notion of the US as the world’s only superpower. Russia and China are ascending and the US is receding…no matter what the US proclaims. Israel needs to read the Book of Joel because the Day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come Joel 1:15.

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 18:44 at 18:44
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    Don’t blame Trump for the ineffective politicians from the past. This was dumped on him.

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 18:53 at 18:53
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    lol at “pressure China via Daila Lama” — do you even know anything?

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 18:58 at 18:58
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    I do not believe that N Korea has checkmated the US. The US can easily shoot down any missile headed to the US. It is Japan and S Korea who should worry. Also, this missile went 600 miles in 30 minutes. Yes, it went high, but that is a LONG way from being an ICBM which goes from the US to Russia in 20 minutes. There is considerable difficulty in hitting a target from such a long distance and the amount of intelligence it takes is beyond N Korea. At best, they have a terror weapon and not a strategic weapon. If launched to the US, or one of the US territories, it will never land. N Korea will be eliminated before Kim can even blink.

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 10:08 at 10:08
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      Can you tell me how many countries border with North Korea???

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 20:25 at 20:25
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    EMP N.Korea……..booooooooom baby

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 20:31 at 20:31
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    Marcus….100%

  • Nov 30, 2017 @ 20:58 at 20:58
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    Sadam had WMD’s. The Americans are losing credibility in their assessments.

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:20 at 0:20
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      iraq declared their wmd programmes to the un security council, in a detailed, written reply. it was delivered by hans blix on live tv. and they also demonstrated their nerve gas on iraqi villagers.

      the american medianever did find them, but after the war, syria started producing nerve gas, and iran started its nuclear programme.

  • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:16 at 0:16
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    “acts of aggression “?

    Test firing a Rocket. . .

    Yet Americas practise of specific attacks NK are not “acts of aggression “. . .

    Now Black is White. . .

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 0:23 at 0:23
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      firing rockets into japanese airspace IS an act of aggression, and a violation of security council resolutions.

      when did america attack north korea?

  • Dec 1, 2017 @ 8:20 at 8:20
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    PING PONG FROM N.KOREA HAS 2 SATELLITES IN ORBIT 300 MILES ABOVE AMERICA WITH NUCLEAR PAYLOADS ON THEM , ALL HE HAS TO DO IS DROP ONE AND EXPLODE IT ABOUT 100 MILES ABOVE AMERICA AND WE`RE BACK TO THE STONE AGE AS ALL ELECTRICITY IS GONE FOR YEARS AND CONGRESS HASN`T DONE A DARN THING ABOUT IT —— THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SOLAR POWERED BUNKERS . ALSO , IRAN COULD ATTACK ISRAEL THE DAY AFTER AND TAKE OUT PART BUT NOT ALL OF ISRAEL AS THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A REMANANT OF ISRAEL AND IT`S ALL ABOUT JERUSALEM !!! WHY THROUGH OUT HISTORY HAS THE WORLD HATED THE JEWS ??? EVEN IN AMERICA , JEWS TODAYS ARE OSTRACIZED MORE THAN ANY OTHER PEOPLE , INCLUDING BLM ETC.

    • Dec 1, 2017 @ 8:27 at 8:27
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      Time for your meds.

  • Dec 1, 2017 @ 22:17 at 22:17
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    The us navy picked up what was left of the missile nose out of the sea and examined it.

  • Dec 2, 2017 @ 2:49 at 2:49
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    they picked kim jongs nose?

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