A Japanese newspaper reported last month that North Korea could test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile toward Hawaii as early as July 4. The U.S. has increased defenses around the island state.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry says North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles today.

The launches came as North Korea’s relations with the United States, South Korea and other countries were already severely strained after its May 25 underground nuclear test and a series of missile firings.

Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Missile defenses for Oahu, but cuts for the rest of us.

The Pentagon recently announced that it is repositioning ground-to-air radar and missile defenses near Hawaii in case North Korea decides to launch another long-range missile, this time toward the Aloha State. So at least 1.3 million Hawaiians will benefit from defenses that many officials in the current Administration didn’t even want to build.

But what about the rest of us? It’s an odd time to be cutting missile defense, as the Obama Administration is doing in its 2010 budget — by $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion, depending on how you calculate it. Programs to defend the U.S. homeland are being pared, while those that protect our soldiers or allies are being expanded after the Pentagon decided that the near-term threat is from short-range missiles. But as North Korea and Iran show, rogue regimes aren’t far from having missiles that could reach the U.S.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal