We don't have that capability, quite frankly.

Think about it - if we "try to shoot it down" and we MISS - then what message are we sending, here at Ground Zero in Seattle.

Yup, we're saying "Fire Away!" ... at us.

I don't think we should attempt to shoot down this missile even if we begin to have the capability. I don't think anything good can come of it. Lets say we do shoot it down. You can't shoot it down in the boost phase because at that point it is over North Korean territory. SO if you shoot it down during reentry, well the North Koreans still have succesfully tested their missile. Also they undoubtably will claim it was an attempt to put an object into orbit as they do every other time. Some will believe them and hostility towards the US will increase.

If we suceed yes we will gain the knowledge that it is possible, but one success does not make a functioning system. The managers of this system know there is still a lot of work to be done. I am afraid with a success such as this more money will be put into missile defense something I do not believe is advisable even if we could get a system that is 95% effective. It will still cost a lot of money and that money is better spent on things that are more probable then a missile attack such as preventing terrorism or making the situation in Iraq better.

North Korea is not going to attack the US with a missile, they are just using it as a bargaining chip. Yes if we can deploy an effective missile defense this bargaining chip is gone, but there are many others that North korea could pursue as well including developing systems that may more useful to terrorist groups they could sell the tech to. Plus missiles are expensive, I am all for North Korea wasting as much money as they can on things as that is more likely to lead to its eventual collapse. (Though I do realize that this collapse has been predicted ever since Kim il-Sung died. Someday it will happen. In my belief engagement is the proper way to bring it about)

Back to the scenarios. So lets say the US attempts to shoot it down and fails. Well then the risk of increased hostility towards the US for attacking north Korea's "space vehicle" still will result. Plus the ambiguity of missile defenses capability is lost. In the unlikely result the situation deteriorates all the way to war, this could be a problem.

The point is moot anyway as any North Korean launch will be South over Japan into the middle of the Pacific as previous ones have would likely be out of the range of any interceptors based Alaska or California.

In fact this is part of the World Cup. I think Mr.Erasurehead is doing this to grab some attention from the Red Devils of South Korea.

Korean pride is focused Soccer not Kim and his toys.

It is not a coincidence.

This ain't a fuckin' soccer game.

there's your answer.

How about just blowing the fucker up pre-launch?

http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/images/military/abl/pics-clips/index.html

while trying to find the Boeing parking lot I was supposed to park in for a visit up to Everett. If this is on their web page, wouldn't it (or something way more secret) already be loitering somewhere near Ko-Ree-ahh? You'd probably have the insight. This would be the perfect time to try the (some)thing out. If it didn't work, who'd know? I'm no hawk by any means, but I'd be foolish to think that there haven't already been a shitload of military maneuverings for this event.

Certainly an option - albeit remote. (of course, would also have the by-product of getting Iran to the table)

Otherwise you leave your fuckin' ABMs right where they are until the Big One - that's what they're in place for, not for playing cowboy

I've got a better idea: why don't we just launch one of our missiles - sans warhead, of course - and drop that empty payload package about 5 nautical miles outside N. Korean territorial waters.

THAT would send a message of unmistakeable clarity.

Look, in real life, in real battle conditions, without any "help", they just plain don't work against any decent multi-missile MIRV-warhead, counter-measure deploying attack.

Let's get real. Firing and missing will just make things a LOT worse.

I have not stopped worrying, and I do not love The Bomb...