Gates says US concerned North Korean might fire missile toward Hawaii, defenses in place

July 30th, 2009 US set to resume missile defense tests in HawaiiHONOLULU — The latest U.S. missile defense test is expected to come Thursday evening in Hawaii waters as tensions continue with North Korea over that country's missile program.

July 3rd, 2009 South Korea: North Korea may fire more missilesSEOUL, South Korea — South Korea shrugged off North Korea's firing of short-range missiles saying Friday they were part of routine military exercises and warning more launches are likely in coming days. Whether the communist country will fire a long-range missile toward Hawaii remained unclear, though U.S.

July 3rd, 2009 South Korea says NKorea may fire more missilesSEOUL, South Korea — South Korea shrugged off North Korea's firing of short-range missiles, saying Friday they were part of routine military exercises, but it warned more launches are likely in coming days. But whether the communist country will fire a long-range missile aimed at the United States remained unclear, though U.S.

July 2nd, 2009 Chronology of North Korea's missile programDevelopments in North Korea's missile program: — Aug. 31, 1998: North Korea fires suspected missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean, calling it a satellite.

June 29th, 2009 NKorea criticizes US missile defense for HawaiiSEOUL, South Korea — North Korea criticized the U.S. on Monday for positioning missile defense systems around Hawaii, calling the deployment part of a plot to attack the regime and saying it would bolster its nuclear arsenal in retaliation.

June 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Defence Ministry has shrugged off a threat from North Korea to wipe America off the map, as silly on the part of the Communist regime of the country. North Korea made the threat as a US destroyer trailed a North Korean ship suspected of transporting illicit weapons to Myanmar in what could be the first test of UN sanctions passed to punish the nation for an underground nuclear test last month.

June 19th, 2009 US boosts Hawaii defense to counter NKorea threatSEOUL, South Korea — The United States says it has deployed anti-missile defenses around Hawaii, following reports that North Korea is preparing to fire its most advanced ballistic missile in that direction to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day holiday next month.

June 19th, 2009 Officials: US tracking suspicious ship from NKoreaWASHINGTON — The U.S. military is tracking a ship from North Korea that may be carrying illicit weapons, the first vessel monitored under tougher new United Nations rules meant to rein in and punish the communist government following a nuclear test, officials said Thursday.

June 19th, 2009 Officials: Hawaii anti-missile move a safeguardWASHINGTON — A new anti-missile system ordered for Hawaii is partly a strategy to deter North Korea from test-firing a long-range missile across the Pacific and partly a precaution against the unpredictable regime, military officials said Friday. The United States has no indication that North Korean missile technology has improved markedly since past failed launches, and military and other assessments suggest the communist nation probably could not hit the westernmost U.S.

June 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States is prepared to defend against a possible North Korean missile launch toward the US state of Hawaii, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday. "We're obviously watching the situation in the North with respect to missile launches very closely," Gates told reporters.

June 18th, 2009 Source: Military watching suspicious NKorea shipWASHINGTON — The U.S. military is tracking a ship from North Korea that may be carrying illicit weapons, the first vessel monitored under tougher new United Nations rules meant to rein in and punish the communist government following a nuclear test, officials said Thursday.

June 18th, 2009 Gates: US puts more missile defense around HawaiiWASHINGTON — The United States has positioned more missile defenses around Hawaii as a precaution against a possible North Korean launch across the Pacific, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday. "We do have some concerns if they were to launch a missile to the west in the direction of Hawaii," Gates said.

May 27th, 2009 SEOUL/TOKYO - The North Korean military fired another short-range missile across the Sea of Japan, its third such launch since conducting an internationally condemned nuclear test Monday, South Korean media reported early Wednesday. The missile was launched after 9 p.m.

March 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US has no definitive plans for military intervention if North Korea launches a long-range missile, but would take steps if it were headed to US territory, US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates said. Gates, who made the remarks on a Fox News Sunday talk show, said if an 'aberrant missile' were headed for Hawaii, 'we might consider' action.

March 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States has no plans to militarily pre-empt the launching of a long-range missile by North Korea, but has added that it would act only if the missile or its parts appeared to be headed toward American territory. US Defense Secretary Robert M.