U.S. confident over possible shootdown of N. Korean rocket: commander

By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Tuesday expressed confidence that it will be able to intercept any North Korean missile approaching from North Korea, dismissing concerns over U.S. missile defense capability.

The remarks by Gen. Victor Renuart, commander of the U.S. Northern Command and
the North American Aerospace Defense Command, come as critics are saying the U.S.
may not try to shoot down any North Korean ballistic missile or satellite due to
technological shortfalls and its political implications.
North Korea has said that it will launch a rocket in early April to put a
communications satellite into orbit as part of its space development program,
although the U.S and its allies see that as a guise to test a ballistic missile
capable of reaching the mainland U.S.
"If we felt the North Koreans were going to shoot a ballistic missile at us
today, I am comfortable that we would have an effective system able to meet that
need," Renuart told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I think, as you know,
we're right now in a mode of very limited threat.
Essentially, North Korea is the system that we are focused on."
The commander said that he was "confident that with the capabilities that are
designed into the system -- the various radars and sensors -- it would give us
good enough information against that single target to be successful."
Renuart's remarks echo those of Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, director of the
Missile Defense Agency, last month that the U.S. has successfully practiced
intercepting missiles flying from North Korea three times.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has also hinted that the U.S. might intercept
a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile should one approach American territory, saying,
"My colleagues, the secretary of state, national security adviser, president and
vice president, understand what our capabilities are."
Art Brown, former chief of the Asian Division for the Central Intelligence
Agency, however, said last week that the U.S. has "never conducted a realistic
test of the Ballistic Missile Defense system against an unknown target."
He said all tests have been with complete advance knowledge of the target's
course, timing, and characteristics, adding, "Even then, the results have been
very poor sometimes. My personal opinion is that, if we tried, the chance of
missing is very high. This would be a very embarrassing event."
North Korea, which has notified international authorities of its plans to launch
a rocket in early April, threatened to fire back and wage a war if the U.S.
shoots down the rocket.
Opinions are divided over whether to further sanction North Korea for a satellite
launch, with Washington and its allies seeing the launch as violation of a U.N.
resolution and China and Russia less insistent.
The resolution, adopted in 2006 soon after North Korea test fired a ballistic
missile, bans all ballistic missile activities by North Korea.
North Korea claims it has the right to develop its space program.
The technology for space and ballistic missile launch is indistinguishable as
both use the rocket boosters that penetrate the atmosphere and then move into
space.