Newly installed Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, only in office since February 27, has given some indications how he will deal with threats from nations who oppose the United States. Hagel has revealed his plan to thwart threats from North Korea by adding 14 new anti-missile interceptors at Fort Greely in Alaska, and has expressed his hope to create a similar anti-missile capacity on the east coast, at a total cost of about one billion dollars. If congress agrees, he also will deploy a second missile defense radar system in Japan. With these plans, our secretary of defense appears to continue the policy of some in the administration, current and previous, of throwing money at problems in the hope of solving them. Is he right?
Within just the last few days we have strengthened financial sanctions, which now are the strongest ever imposed on a foreign power, against Pyongyang. We will freeze any bank accounts that potentially could be used against us, including personal accounts of high ranking North Korean agencies. Initial sanctions were placed on North Korea's primary foreign exchange bank in response to a North Korean nuclear test in February. Also subject to massive restraints is Paek Se Bong, chairman of North Korea's Second Economic Committee which oversees production of ballistic missiles and who supervises North Korea's main conduit for arms dealings. Targeted too, were other individuals with the NK weapons program: Pak To Chun, the head of the Munitions Industry Department in managing weapons production and export; Chu Kyu Chang, director of the Munitions Industry Department, and O Kuk Ryul, vice-chairman of the North Korean National Defense Commission.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), alleges that the US is conducting cyber-attacks in concert with the “South Korean puppet regime” to disrupt the nation's Internet. Itar-Tass, the Russian news agency, reports that a “powerful attack” has halted a number of services in North Korea. One source affected was the KCNA news agency.
The North Korean government continues to pursue the union of nuclear power with missile technology. They claim they must keep pace with the world, and 
have the strength to repel any attack by the United States. NK leader Kim Jong-Un, has taken the additional step of revoking the DPRK's recognition of the armistice which ended the Korean War in September of 1945, and which created the dividing line at the 38th parallel. As the annually scheduled drills by South Korea in conjunction with the United States began, Japanese media cited remarks by North Korea's ruling party newspaper saying the armistice was no longer in effect. In that regard, the North did not answer calls on the hotline between the sides. The North earlier had vowed to cut these communication links.
Article comments
1 - Dr Joseph S Maresca
Models must be built to show how these advanced systems would operate, if built. In addition, the cost curve for building these advanced systems must be explained. Military expenditures on weapons systems tend to take on an eternal life of their own and this is what the Congress will be most concerned about.