Is the U.S. Ready for a Nuclear Attack?

The United States uses two different categories of missile defense to counter North Korea. Here’s how they work and — sometimes — how they don’t.

US Moves Missile Defences to Pacific after North Korea Nuclear Threat
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The US was last night preparing to send advanced missile defences to its Pacific territory, as North Korea further ratcheted up its bellicose rhetoric by approving "merciless" nuclear strikes on America.


Pledging a "measured" response to Pyongyang's aggression, Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, deployed anti-missile systems to Guam, the tiny western Pacific island and American military outpost.

"Some of the actions they've taken over the last few weeks present a real and clear danger," Mr Hagel said of North Korea, in remarks delivered at the National Defense University in Washington.

The $800m Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, which was slated to be installed in 2015, will now be sent within weeks, following warnings that Guam, Hawaii or the US west coast could be hit.

The land-based system, which comprises interceptor missiles, a truck-based launcher and radar tracking equipment, is capable of shooting down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

It will join two US guided-missile destroyers that have already taken position in the region to assist with defence against potential strikes ordered by Pyongyang. » | Jon Swaine in Washington and Malcolm Moore in Beijing | Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Turkey's Relationship with West on the Line in European Missile Defence Negotiations
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Turkey's government has been told that its relationship with the West could be seriously damaged if it rejects Nato's request to house part of a £165 million ballistic missile-defence shield that is being built to protect Europe from nuclear attack.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state and Robert Gates, the US secretary of defence, have held out the warning in behind-the-scenes talks with Turkish officials ahead of a Nato summit to be held in Lisbon on November 19, where a final decision is expected to be made on the missile-defence plan.

"Essentially we've told Turkey that missile-defence is an acid test of its commitment to the collective security arrangements it has with its western allies," a senior US official told The Daily Telegraph.

Nato's missile-defence programme is designed to protect Europe's population from nuclear-armed missiles the West fears Iran may acquire in coming years. The plans involve radar stations that can detect ballistic missile launches, and advanced interceptor missiles which can shoot them down.

Turkey is critical to the project, since its geographical location means radar sited on its soil will be able to detect Iranian ballistic missile launches early.

The November 19 deadline has left Recep Erdrogan, Turkey's Prime Minister, torn between his Islamist supporters and his country's western allies. Mr Erdrogan has made improving his country's relationship with Iran a central foreign policy. Turkey voted against a slew of new sanctions imposed by the United Nations on Iran this summer in an effort to slow down its nuclear programme.

"Sacrificing the Iranian friendship to Nato would mean an end to the independent foreign policy Turkey has followed in recent years, and the respect that that has earned it in the Islamic world," Hakan Albayrak, an influential pro-government commentator, said. >>> Praveen Swami, Diplomatic Editor | Friday, October 29, 2010

The Day After: 1983 – Nuclear Attack [ABC]

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Nuke Makkah and Medina in the Event of a Nuclear Attack on the US, Says Tancredo
IOWAPOLITICS.COM: OSCEOLA -- Followers of radical Islam must be deterred from committing a nuclear attack on U.S. soil, Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo said Tuesday morning, saying that as president he would take drastic measures to prevent such attacks.

"If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and Medina," the GOP presidential candidate said. "That is the only thing I can think of that might deter somebody from doing what they would otherwise do. If I am wrong fine, tell me, and I would be happy to do something else. But you had better find a deterrent or you will find an attack. There is no other way around it. There have to be negative consequences for the actions they take. That's the most negative I can think of."

The harsh approach is vital in order to prevent a worldwide collapse, Tancredo told nearly 30 people Tuesday morning at the Family Table restaurant.

"Beyond the loss of human life and devastation, it would cause a worldwide economic collapse," Tancredo said of a nuclear attack on U.S soil. "If all of a sudden we are not a consuming engine of the world, the producing nations will collapse also. That is what they want, that is what they are looking for, to end Western civilization as we know it."

Tancredo said there was no such deterrent in place right now.

LISTEN TO TANCREDO:
Tancredo Discusses His Plan

FOXNEWS:
Tancredo: If They Nuke Us, Bomb Mecca

CNN:
Tancredo: Threaten to bomb Muslim holy sites in retaliation

WELTONLINE:
Kandidat Tancredo droht mit Bomben auf Mekka

Mark Alexander