Does North Koreas Taepodong-2 Ballistic Missile Pose Serious Threat?
By Andre de Nesnera Washington 06 July 2006 In-Depth Coverage Just a few days ago, North Korea triggered an international furor when it conducted several ballistic missile tests. In this report from Washington, VOA Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera looks at whether the largest missile tested – the Taepodong-2 – poses a serious threat to the United States and other countries. On July 4 – America’s Independence Day – North Korea test launched several missiles. Most of them were of the short and medium-range variety – but one of them was a long-range ballistic missile known as the Taepodong-2. U.S. Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters that missile failed after less than a minute of flight. “The Taepodong-2, the missile that had been watched for some time, that we have been talking about for the past couple of weeks, appears to have failed on its own in the early stages of its launch – and also went into the Sea of Japan, along with the rest of the short-to-medium
