Article snippet: Posted at 9:22 pm on July 4, 2017 by streiff On July 4, North Korea time, the Kim Jong Un regime conducted a test of what was technically an ICBM. For the first time, a part of the United States, Alaska, was brought within the range of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. The background is in the story I posted earlier today. Several things have happened in the meantime. The US and the ROK conducted a joint live fire exercise of short/intermediate range, but highly capable, missiles. This was directed from the highest levels in South Korea so we may assume the same applies to the United States The ATACMS has a range of about 190 miles (range is limited by the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia) but it has an accuracy of about 10 meters. The Korean developed Hyunmoo II has a range of nearly 500 miles and can strike anywhere in North Korea. Since the launch, the South Koreans have provided more details and they are not happy. Kim Jong Un engaged in smack talk We have to take Kim at his word as his comments are aimed at a domestic audience and at party loyalists. He says he won’t negotiate nukes or missiles, and nukes and missiles are the only things we want to talk about. It is hard to see how he will be able to climb down from this position. The most significant item though was Rex Tillerson’s statement. In my post earlier I had speculated that the United States would continue to call the missile an IRBM because earlier in the year Nikki Haley ha... Link to the full article to read more