US Sees North Korea Satellite Launch as Excuse for Missile Defense Shipments

Pentagon: Missile Defense Coming to South Korea 'as Quickly as Possible'

Never let it be said the Pentagon wastes a good “crisis.” After making a huge deal about North Korea’s launching of a satellite into orbit, Pentagon officials are talking up plans to dramatically increase their missile defense system deployments around the region.

The US presented the launch as a “long-range missile test,” accusing North Korea of violating bans on such tests. There is no such ban on North Korea putting satellites into orbit, but that’s not stopping the Pentagon from saying they want more missile defense in South Korea “as quickly as possible.

US missile defense systems have a spotty record, at best, in testing of their ability to actually shoot things down. They are unparalleled, however, in their record of costing huge amounts of money, which with the Pentagon looking for budget increases is always seen as welcome.

Adding to the hysteria were reports that the satellite, which is in a non-geosynchronous orbit, passed sort of near the stadium the Super Bowl was held in last night, though the pass was a couple hundred miles away and well after the game had already ended.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.