Was It All A Hoax?

Was it all much ado about nothing? Over one week since North Korea first caught the world's attention by making moves to carry out a test-firing its new Taepodong-2 ICBM, the missile is still on its launch pad... and it appears it may be there for awhile.

The London Guardian says recent evidence contradicts earlier reports from US military officials that the missile had been fueled... and that all systems were go for launch.

"My understanding is that the fuel is too unstable. There is only a small number of days before they'd have to defuel it," said Michael Green, who until last December was President Bush's adviser on Asian affairs. "I understand that the fuel trucks moved up there, but we don't know if it was actually fuelled."

So... was it all a hoax on the part of North Korea? A ploy to gain international attention? Or was the threat serious... but international pressure convinced the Communist regime in Pyongyang to call off the launch?

It's hard to say... but Green, who now works for a Washington think-tank, said it's possible the launch preparations were little more than a show for orbiting spy satellites.

Analysts believe North Korea intended the missile launch... or even the threat of one... to cause panic, and convince other countries to allow concessions in talks over North Korea's nuclear program.

FMI: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/index.html