Update 2: The CNN article has been updated to say that:

North Korea tested at least two missiles early Wednesday but has not fired the long-range Taepodong-2. . . Both missiles were launched from a site other than the one intelligence officials have watched for weeks ahead of a possible long-range missile test, a senior State Department official said. (emphasis added)

Update: An American Independence Day launch of a Taepodong? Reports say that, “fuel trucks and other auxiliary equipment [being moved away] means the North Koreans may have finished fueling the missile.” On the other hand, it could signal the end of training.

Original Post: No doubt in response to a combination of the highly-unlikely-to-ever-occur suggestions of Clinton era Secretary of Defense William Perry and assistant SecDef Aston Carter that the U.S., “strike and destroy the North Korean Taepodong missile before it can be launched” (a day after Newt Gingrich made the same suggestion), the movement of U.S. military aircraft in the region, South Korea’s purchase of U.S. SM-2 (anti-cruise) missiles, as well as recent statements from the U.S. and Japan, North Korea has upped the theoretical ante:

North Korea would respond to a pre-emptive U.S. military attack with an “annihilating strike and a nuclear war,” the state-run media said Monday, heightening anti-U.S. rhetoric amid close scrutiny of its missile program. (emphasis added)

The KCNA report likely was via radio, as it is not on the website. Update: It’s available today.

Related or not (probably not), NORAD is apparently at an elevated level of warning, and the White House has played down the threat at “hypothetical”:

“It is a statement about what may happen if something that hasn’t happened, happened … it is still deeply hypothetical,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

This is actually the first time North Korea has threatened to use nuclear weapons if attacked, despite Dan Rather’s 60 Minutes report from January 15 that claimed to have a DPRK General making such a threat – it turned out to be another Rather fabrication.

North Korea’s antics have not been missed by the American public. According to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News, 56 percent believe the current situation is a viable threat and 33 percent think North Korea is bluffing. A majority of Americans also favor blowing up the Taepodong missile where it sits (emphasis added):

Do you think North Korea is bluffing and the threat is part of a larger negotiating plan or do you think there is a real threat that North Korea will launch a long-range missile soon?

Real threat, 56%
Bluffing, 33%
Don’t know, 11%

If North Korea does test its long-range missile capabilities, do you think the United States should respond with diplomacy or by blowing up their missile?

Blow up missile, 51%
Diplomacy, 35%
Depends, 6%
Don’t know, 7%

Do you think the United States will eventually have to take military action against North Korea?

Yes, 46%
No, 40%
Don’t know, 14%

As I wrote a few days ago, I don’t believe that North Korea will be launching the Taepodong soon, for some of the same reasons pointed out here – too much to lose. But the fact that a majority of the American public, already concerned about being overextended in Iraq and worried about Iran, believes that we should conduct a pre-emptive attack on North Korea to counter the threat is somewhat surprising, but also signals that North Korea is reaching the brink of brinksmanship.

Unless I missed it, not much has been said about this in the major English language South Korean news outlets, aside from a brief mention of Snow’s comments at Yonhap. Perhaps the looming strike by umbrella unions is sexier. The South Korean media, caught up in both the appeasement policy of its government and perhaps numb to DPRK rhetoric, are missing the real story, which is public opinion in the U.S.

A search for “North Korea” news on either Yahoo or Google results in dozens of local news sites carrying the DPRK threat of nuclear war, which is rather unusual. This story is getting attention and is only bound to reinforce the sentiment that North Korea should be attacked before they have a chance to launch. The Bush administration hasn’t failed to notice, but of course isn’t talking pre-emptive attack, yet.
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