How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Missile

I mentioned a few days ago the the North Koreans were setting up for a launch of what they claim is a communications satellite and what looks suspiciously like a long-range missile.

Closing Velocity has a story mentioning some of the guests of honor: an Iranian missile team. As McKittrick at CV goes on to say:

Iranians in North Korea, North Koreans in Iran. It's as if WMD proliferation is something around which the North Koreans and Iranians revolve. An "axis," if you will. You know, another laughably archaic term, like "enemy combatants" and "Global War on Terror."

Well, yesterday came this cheery news:

Gates: U.S. Not Prepared to Respond to North Korea Missile Launch

The United States can do nothing to stop North Korea from breaking international law in the next 10 days by firing a missile that is unlikely to be shot down by the U.S. or its allies, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday.

Appearing on "FOX News Sunday," Gates said North Korea "probably will" fire the missile, prompting host Chris Wallace to ask: "And there's nothing we can do about it?"

"No," Gates answered, adding, "I would say we're not prepared to do anything about it."

Last week, Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said the U.S. is "fully prepared" to shoot down the missile. But Gates said such a response is unlikely.

"I think if we had an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it," Gates said. "But I don't think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point."

Great. Just great.

The Japanese aren't being quite so timid, preparing ships and land-based launchers to shoot down any missile that threatens Japanese territory.

Head to Closing Velocity for the latest.