I haven’t heard much on the recent arrest and thwarting of a terror plot in New York City aimed at decimating Jewish Synagogues and community centers, but it took place earlier this week.  Nary a peep or a whimper from the anti-American mainstream media, because heaven forbid we let the American people know that there is still a major islamo-fascist threat even on our own soil.

The media elite should be ashamed of themselves, but they don’t want anyone to really find out how politically biased they are, so they would rather put people’s lives in danger than let them know the truth;  that national security is not a joke and it’s quite necessary for our future survival.

Four New York men were arrested Wednesday in connection with an alleged plot to blow up area Jewish centers and military targets. The plot, however, was foiled by undercover agents.

Raids by the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorist Task Force in the Bronx captured the suspected ringleader and three followers in what law enforcement sources are calling a homegrown terrorist plot.

Agents and police watched Wednesday night as the suspects allegedly planted what they thought were bombs outside two Jewish community centers in Riverdale, a Bronx, New York neighborhood. In one case the suspected terrorists planted a bomb inside a parked car.  However, officials said the suspects were actually using fake explosives given to them in an earlier sting operation to make sure they didn’t get their hands on real bombs.

“The bombs had been made by the FBI technicians, they were totally inert, no one was ever at risk,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

The FBI said the Muslim suspects were angry and full of hate for America.

“Hatred of the West. The leader of the group, James Cromitie was concerned about deaths at the hands of the U.S. military in Afghanistan,” and also expressed anti-Jewish sentiment, Joseph Demarest the head of the New York FBI said.

According to the criminal complaint, Cromitie said “I hate those f-ing Jewish bastards.” He bragged that it would be a “piece of cake” to bomb a Jewish Center in Riverdale, according to the complaint.

Cromitie was the first to approach the informant, authorities said.  He told the informant he has ties to the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad.  Authorities said Cromitie had 27 past arrests and had recently been working at a nation-wide discount retailer, authorities said.

Several of the suspects have previously been arrested on drug charges and may have converted to Islam in prison, authorities said.

Another shining example of the religion of peace.  And what was it that Obama and his liberal buddies in congress said about moving the Gitmo Muslims into prisons? It wouldn’t cause any problems?  Prisons have become a breeding ground for islamo-fascism…

MM has more info and data regarding this recent terror threat and other data regarding our prisons and Radical Islam.

After a year-long investigation launched by the Bush administration, the feds cracked down on a ring of murder-minded black Muslim jailhouse converts preparing to bomb two Bronx synagogues and “eager to bring death to Jews.” They also planned to attack a New York National Guard air base in Newburgh, New York, where the suspects lived and worshiped at a local mosque.

Not one word from the president on the jihadists’ intended victims, motives, or means.

No comfort for the reported targets in the Big Apple, still raw from the Scare Force One rattling that so vainly and recklessly simulated 9/11.

No condemnation for the accused plotters.

Why? Because doing so would force Obama to abandon his cottony “extremist ideology” euphemisms and confront the concrete truth. To borrow one of our obtuse president’s favorite clichés, “let me be perfectly clear” about the reality Obama won’t touch: America faces an ongoing Islamic jihad at home and abroad. Not merely “man-caused.” But Koran-inspired. Yet, Obama refuses to spell out the centuries-old roots of the war that he claims he’ll win faster, better, and cleaner than any of his predecessors.

This reminds me of personal stories when somebody gets injured or has an illness… He/She hates doctors and thinks that if he/she continues to avoid the problem or the inevitable, turning a blind eye to the situation, it will just go away.  However, the opposite usually happens, without proper treatment the malady gets worse until sometimes it becomes too late…

Share on Facebook

Obama does’t  even know his own Secretary of Defense’s name!  He is probably so used to talking to liberal William Gates of Microsoft that he forgot the real important one would be our national defense guy; Robert.

Maybe he was speaking to us in ‘Austrian’

Share on Facebook

Harry Reid, the soothsayer and fortune teller, was able to predict the future of the Iraq war and the affect of the surge to a ‘T’…

Wait a minute!  Harry Reid was way off base on his predictions – what was I thinking?  2 years ago Harry Reid made those statements and two years ago there was a dire situation in Iraq, but the surge worked and had a tremendous impact.

I hope that democrats are lauding what recently took place in the region, in which Iraqi officers arrested four children under the age of 14 who were being recruited by Al-Qaeda.  This would never have happened under Saddam Hussein or either of his two sons.

Iraqi security forces have arrested four children who were recruited by Al-Qaeda to carry out suicide attacks in and around the northern city of Kirkuk, an army general told AFP on Sunday.

“Specialforces units have arrested an organisation of children consisting of four individuals under the age of 14 who call themselves the ‘Birds of Paradise’,” General Abdelamir al-Zaidi said.

“The group relies on children and is connected to Al-Qaeda. It works to recruit children and young people to carry out suicide attacks and to aid the terrorist groups in detonating roadside bombs,” he said.

The name of the group likely comes from the traditional Islamic belief that when children die they become birds in paradise.

The children were arrested west of Kirkuk, the main oil hub in northern Iraq that is the subject of a long-standing dispute between Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdish region and has seen several recent attacks.

Zaidi said security forces are still investigating the group and have arrested other suspects, but he declined to give further details because of the secrecy of the operation.

Another Iraqi officer said the existence of the children’s unit proves Al-Qaeda is losing ground.

This is a remarkable turn of events and should speak volumes for democracy and freedom.  Iraq now has more civil liberties and human rights afforded to them and although we often hear of the negativism, because negativity sells better for the media than positive stories, many in Iraq are happy with what has taken place – ask a soldier or ask an Iraqi who has endured the torture and suffering of Saddam Hussein.

Share on Facebook

Our enemies rejoice!  They can now know what it is we do and or did and can train accordingly.  We officially have just shot ourselves in the foot thanks to Obama and his ridiculous appeasement, anti-American and apologetic beliefs and the rest of his incompetent administration.

Four former  CIA directors protested the release of these Bush-era memos and although the natural argument from the left would be because they had things to hide, this is not the case yet again when dealing with terrorists and individuals whom do not fall under article IV of the Geneva Convention.  The major concern was the trust in D.C.’s Intelligence operations and trust in the CIA for accepting the release of these documents and also releasing them for the rest of the world to see and to know what it is we actually do to obtain crucial information.  This means we would have to start from scratch on different methods.

Former CIA chiefs Michael Hayden, Porter Goss, George Tenet and John Deutch all called the White House in March warning that release of the so-called “torture memos” would compromise intelligence operations, current and former officials say. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to detail internal government discussions.

President Barack Obama ultimately overruled those concerns after internal discussions that intensified in the weeks after the former directors intervened. The memos were released Thursday.

Obama’s personal involvement grew as the decision neared, and he even personally led a National Security Council session on the matter, said four senior administration officials.

Senior White House adviser David Axelrod, who said he also talked with Obama about the pending release of the memos in recent weeks, said the CIA directors’ opposition was considered seriously but did not impede the decision-making process.

So let me get this straight… A man who has never served in our armed forces, never worked in the defense industry and has never been in charge of a national guard (being a governor) thinks that he personally knows what is best for the country in regards to national defense and intelligence operations?  Just wonderful… I once again believe this to be an act to appease his liberal base who has wanted to persecute Bush and his administration for some time now and believe him to be some torturous, murderous dictator, of which they will most likely be sorely mistaken – and will wind up doing more harm to our country than they could possibly even know.

The most well known technique used for detainees was called water-boarding and liberals make it sound like it’s some horrible torture – it is annoying more than anything since water is poured continuously on the neck of the individual to give the sensation of drowning – but stipulations were enacted for the amount of time allotted among other measures so that there would be nothing considered harsh or cruel punishment.  These types of methods were drawn up and created by the Bush administration, lawyers well versed in the torture treaties and the CIA.  I would love to know what liberals think of the torture techniques used in China, Cuba, North Korea, punishment in Singapore, by Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and the rest of the Middle East.  How about visiting a torture museum in Spain to see what used to be used during the Spanish Inquisition?

Not everything in life is roses and gum drops and I hope that some begin to wake up and realize that in this life we all have the capability of evil, cruelty, anger, violence and all those other emotions and actions that can be considered the negative aspects of human nature.  Reality is not sunny and reality can and will be painful at times and this is what needs to be understood.  Those who live in reality and know suffering can see the best when it comes and can appreciate those things that are better than the worst they have seen and experienced in their own lives.
 
Obama gave the matter “the appropriate reflection,” Axelrod said. He said Obama’s deliberations revolved around “the issue of national security versus the rule of law,” and amounted to “one of the most profound issues the president of the United States has to deal with.”

On March 18, the Justice Department told CIA Director Leon Panetta — as he was leaving for a foreign trip — that it would be recommending that the White House release the memos almost completely uncensored, officials said.

Which rule of law was Obama referring to?  Sharia? (sorry I had to be snarky).

Senior CIA officials objected, arguing that the release would hurt the agency’s ability to interrogate prisoners in the future. They also said the move would further tarnish CIA officers who had acted on the Bush officials’ legal guidance. And they warned that the action would erode foreign intelligence services’ trust in the CIA’s ability to protect national security secrets, current and former officials said.

On March 19, the Justice Department requested a two-week delay in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union that asked for release of the memos. Justice officials told the court dealing with that lawsuit that it was considering releasing the memos voluntarily.

Two weeks later, Justice lawyers told the court the memos would come out on or before April 16.

This is the prime reason as to why the ACLU must be stopped and must be abolished.  What they do to our society is detrimental to us all, whether you understand that now or in the future is up to you.

The Justice Department argued that the ACLU lawsuit would in the end force the administration to release the documents anyway, officials said.

Obama eventually agreed. The administration decided it would be better to make the release voluntarily, so as to not be seen as being forced to do so, the officials said.

How can a president, the person holding the highest office not have enough “chutzpa” to hold his ground against an agency like the ACLU?  If he can’t stand up to the ACLU how would anyone ever be able to think that he could stand up to the leader of another nation?  Something we are seeing play out currently.  This is just unbelievable and so pathetic.  This sets a horrible precedent for the ACLU and any other organization that wants to question an administration after they have left office.  I hope that Obama understands that the very same thing can be done to him.

Obama took the unusual step of accompanying his decision with a personal letter to CIA employees. He also devoted a big share of his public statement to saying — and repeating — that he believed strongly in keeping intelligence operations secret and operations about them classified. And he said he would not apologize for doing so in the future.

Actions speak louder than words Obama, something that you just don’t have.  All you have are words – mostly downloaded onto a teleprompter.

For the PDF memos:

Share on Facebook

Iran’s atomic chief Gholam Reza Aghazadeh on Thursday declared the Islamic republic has installed around 7,000 centrifuges at its Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

But, we should have unilateral talks at the table with Iran, especially after Russia’s statement that they are no threat to us, and after China was caught funneling nuclear material to them through New York banks, and our own intel that says they have the material to build weapons… Can’t wait for this to play out.  Let’s see if proposing to send Iran Unicorns and Kittens will make him change his mind – he may get all Hopey-Changey on us!

Share on Facebook

Obama visited U.S. troops in Iraq on a surprise trip yesterday.  I’m glad that he made the visit. Below is some raw footage from his visit:

But we cannot forget what both he and Joe Biden have said on the war in Iraq and the surge.

The surge is a bad idea?

A Civil War with NO Military Solution…?

Share on Facebook

Last week Netanyahu spoke with Jeff Goldberg about the Obama administration and the future relations with Israel as well as the potential threat of Iran obtaining a nuclear bomb.

“The Obama presidency has two great missions: fixing the economy, and preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told me. He said the Iranian nuclear challenge represents a “hinge of history” and added that “Western civilization” will have failed if Iran is allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

“You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs. When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the entire world should start worrying, and that is what is happening in Iran.”

History teaches Jews that threats against their collective existence should be taken seriously, and, if possible, preempted, he suggested. In recent years, the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has regularly called for Israel to be “wiped off the map,” and the supreme Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, this month called Israel a “cancerous tumor.”

This could be why Israel has been testing several of its defense systems during this current peacetime.

The Arrow 2 ballistic missile defense system was successfully tested in southern Israel Tuesday morning, when it destroyed a missile simulating an Iranian Shihab 3.

The test was conducted jointly by the IAF and the US Missile Defense Agency. The Arrow is a project developed in cooperation by the IAI and Boeing.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu congratulated the defense establishment on the successful test.

“I would like to congratulate the defense establishment on the successful test. While we are for peace, we will know how to defend ourselves,” said Netanyahu.

Netanyahu to Obama: “Stop Iran – Or I Will.”

Share on Facebook

The Governor of Alaska is doing the right thing by requesting greater missile defense and stressing the need for it during these rocky times.  With the latest launch from North Korea, the recent findings that Iran and China have been creating schemes to ship nuclear materials overseas – it’s no wonder why a state like Alaska or the entire nation, for that matter, would want more defense – namely in the form of missiles. 

April 6, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Responding to the missile test by North Korea, Governor Sarah Palin today reaffirmed Alaska’s commitment to protecting America from rogue nation missile attacks.

“I am deeply concerned with North Korea’s development and testing program which has clear potential of impacting Alaska, a sovereign state of the United States, with a potentially nuclear armed warhead,” Governor Palin said. “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect the global missile defense network. Alaska’s strategic location and the system in place here have proven invaluable in defending the nation.”

Governor Palin stressed the importance of Fort Greely and the need for continued funding for the Missile Defense Agency. The governor is firmly against U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ proposed $1.4 billion reduction of the Missile Defense Agency. Greely’s isolated location in Alaska as well as its strategic location in the Pacific allows for maximum security and development of the country’s only ground-based missile defense complex.

“Our early opposition to reduced funding for the Missile Defense Agency is proving to be well-founded during this turbulent time,” Governor Palin said. “I continue to support the development and implementation of a defensive missile shield based in Alaska. We are strategically placed to defend the critical assets of the United States and our allies in the Pacific Theater.”

Governor Palin also requested stimulus funding for the Kodiak Launch Complex. The Kodiak Launch Complex is a commercial rocket launch facility for sub-orbital and orbital space launch vehicles owned and operated by the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation, a public corporation of the State of Alaska.

 

Share on Facebook

Obama’s Theme Song…”I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony…I’d like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company…”

PRAGUE – Just hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket, President Barack Obama called for “a world without nuclear weapons” and said the United States has a “moral responsibility ” to lead the way, as the only nation ever to use them.

Obama, pointing out again, how the United States is evil and sucks… I love how the new leader of our country will not defend it.

And I can’t believe his naivete and ignorance of making such a comment after Korea’s launch and the escalating unrest around the world. 

Obama’s speech was long planned as the centerpiece of his first presidential trip overseas, but it gained new urgency after North Korea sent a multi-part rocket soaring over the Sea of Japan early Sunday morning.

North Korea insisted the launch was meant to put a satellite into space but the U.S. and other nations believe Pyongyang is trying to develop the capability to launch a nuclear warhead.

The president, who was woken up just after 4:30 a.m. local time by news of the launch, spoke to the authoritarian state in remarks hastily added to his text.

Well I hope the text was added to the teleprompter’s mainframe when he made his speech on disarming the world.  I think that’s pie in the sky thinking – especially since several countries are hostile and could care less what America does or does not do.  Many are hell-bent on running the world, becoming a superpower, and making people believe the way they do. 

Machiavelli on military and defense wrote “The two most essential foundations for any state, whether old or new, are sound laws and strong military forces. A self-sufficient prince is one who can meet any enemy on the battlefield. However, a prince that relies solely on fortifications or on the help of others and stands on the defensive is not self-sufficient. If he cannot raise a formidable army, but must rely on defense, he must fortify his city. A well-fortified city is unlikely to be attacked, and if it is most armies cannot endure an extended siege.”

I’m not sure if it is Obama’s arrogance or what, that makes him believe that everyone believes and wants to act just like him, by disarming themselves.  I think it is important for any country to have the means necessary to defend its land and people.  This is like living in a crime-ridden city, leaving your doors and windows wide open and putting all your valuables out in the open for all to see.

“Now is the time for a strong international response, and North Korea must know that the path to security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons,” Obama said to thousands thronged into the cobblestone square outside the elegant Prague Castle, in what was the largest crowd of his five-country, eight-day swing.

“All nations must come together to build a stronger, global regime. And that’s why we must stand shoulder to shoulder to pressure the North Koreans to change course.”

Yet again, Obama mentions a global order, or a global regime.  This should scare anyone because it really indicates how he feels about the United States’ place in the world and its undeserving place as a global superpower. 

Machiavelli also warns against using auxiliary forces, troops borrowed from an ally, because if they win, the employer is under their favor and if they lose, he is ruined. Auxiliary forces are more dangerous than mercenary forces because they are united and controlled by capable leaders who may turn against the employer.

I guess the one thing that reality shows are good for, especially those based on competitions and strategy, are the real-life version of what Machiavelli describes above.  This is part of human nature.  People may all be born innocent but we are all capable of doing harm and being evil.  We are all capable of manipulation and deceit.  We are all cable of lying and conniving – and because of this, trust and loyalty must be earned – but you still may never know and that’s why a strong defense is so important.  Anyone else feel like playing Stratego or Risk?

The president directly addressed the Cold War history of this former Soviet bloc city, calling the remaining nuclear weapons “the most dangerous legacy” of that era.

He again pointed to history to say that America must lead. “As a nuclear power – as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon – the United States has a moral responsibility to act,” he said.

Obama proposed doing so by reducing America’s arsenal, if not altogether eliminating it; hosting a summit on nuclear security; seeking ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and pursuing a new agreement aimed at stopping the production of fissile materials.

I’m getting really tired of him throwing his own country under the bus and trying to make us an example to appease everyone else because he feels that we “owe” it to other nations.  This is just scary and insane.  I say why don’t we just dump all the bases we have around Europe and Asia and just let all the other countries fend for themselves from now on if they dislike us that much.  It’s really that simple since we have freed and aided how many countries now? 

Obama continued his speech by getting into discussions and current issues with Iran – he still expressed his desire and hope to have civil dialogue with Iran and hoped to persuade them to get rid of their nukes.  I will believe that when I see it!  I think we learned with Clinton that Yassar Arafat and the terrorist organizations spoke well out of both sides of their mouth – it’s not that difficult to do.  You say one thing to appease one group and then when they are gone you do the other.

Going off script to borrow his signature campaign line, Obama acknowledged a nuclear-free world will not happen easily.

“I’m not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly –- perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence,” he told an adoring crowd that waved miniature American and Czech flags. “But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, “Yes, we can.”

Are people catching on YET?? Actions speak louder than words and all this guy can do is read off a teleprompter and campaign – GIVE ME A BREAK – I’m getting sick and tired of it!

Also, Obama did not lay out as specific plan or timetable for convincing countries such as China, India and Pakistan, each of which possesses a small nuclear arsenal, to give up the weapons that they see not only as vital for security but a measure of their international stature.

No surprise here, since he never has a specific plan.  His speechwriter is a 27 year old who has no clue how the real world works and can only write about his utopia and idealistic world.  He has no idea how the means will justify the ends or what the means really even entail which is why there is never a specific plan laid out.

I think Laura Ingraham was correct when she recently described Obama and his democratic cronies as only being able to read off their 1980′s poli-sci text books.

“What he’s saying is that the U.S. has to lead by example and not just by rhetoric,” Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said ahead of the speech. “As a result of the Bush administration’s failure to act, there’s a lot of built-up frustration in the international community.”

On the rhetoric front… “Pot meet kettle.”

To raise the pressure on Iran, Obama urged a revival of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which was ratified in 1970 and calls on nuclear states to take steps to disarm and forbids non-nuclear states from trying to acquire nuclear weapons. Obama may have been signaling his openness to allowing Iran to have civilian nuclear capacity if it agrees to full international inspections aimed at ensuring it has no secret program to develop nuclear weapons.

But the NPT also has the potential to put the administration in a bind. As a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Iran has the right to produce fuel for civilian nuclear power, as long it submits to international inspections. But critics contend that allowing Iran to develop a full nuclear fuel cycle would be too risky, since fissile material could be diverted secretly to development of a weapon. Obama did not clarify in detail how the NPT could be improved but called for greater resources and authority for inspections and tougher penalties for those who cheat.

Welcome Back Carter!

For his speech:

Share on Facebook

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired a rocket over Japan on Sunday, defying Washington, Tokyo and others who suspect the launch was cover for a test of its long-range missile technology. President Barack Obama warned the move would further isolate the communist nation.

Liftoff took place at 11:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) from the coastal Musudan-ri launch pad in northeastern North Korea, the South Korean and U.S. governments said. The multistage rocket hurtled toward the Pacific, reaching Japanese airspace within seven minutes, but no debris appeared to hit its territory, officials in Tokyo said.

The U.S., South Korea, Japan and others suspect the launch was a guise for testing the regime’s long-range missile technology — a worrying step toward eventually mounting a nuclear weapon on a missile capable of reaching Alaska and beyond.

Now here is the amusingly propagandized statement from North Korea:

Four hours after the launch, North Korea declared it a success. The satellite reached outer space in just over nine minutes and was orbiting without any problems, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said in a dispatch from Pyongyang.

The U.N. Security Council approved an emergency session for Sunday afternoon in New York, following a request from Japan that came just minutes after the launch.

Sunday’s move was a bold act of defiance against Obama, Japanese leader Taro Aso, Hu Jintao of China and others who pressed Pyongyang in the days leading up to liftoff to call off a launch they said would threaten peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

“North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint and further isolated itself from the community of nations,” Obama said in Prague, urging Pyongyang to honor the U.N. resolutions and to refrain from further “provocative” actions.

After reusing the words from Hillary Clinton, as a “provocative” act, Obama and the United Nations will probably feel compelled to issue a strongly worded letter to North Korea and Kim Jong-Il – I’m serious here folks – please rent Team America!

I have been following a live feed from Japan, where the Japanese Defense Agency failed to counterstrike or counter-fire the rocket with some of their new Aegis warships.  Although the rocket went into Japanese airspace, it did not present a direct threat to the country and no debris fell towards them, this may have been their reason to let the rocket fully launch. 

There were a couple of stages to the rocket.

The first stage of the rocket dropped about 175 miles (280 kilometers) off the western coast of Akita into the waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula. The second stage was aimed for the Pacific at a spot about 790 miles (1,270 kilometers) off Japan’s northeastern coast, a Defense Ministry spokeswoman said in Tokyo.

Japan had threatened to shoot down any debris from the rocket if the launch went wrong, and positioned batteries of interceptor missiles on its coast and radar-equipped ships off its northern seas to monitor the liftoff.

No attempt at interception was made since no debris fell onto its territory, a Defense Ministry spokeswoman said in Tokyo, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing department rules.

Let the games begin…

Both Russia and China have made clear they would block new sanctions by the Security Council, where they have veto power.

“If the United States and Japan insist on a new resolution and new sanctions at the United Nations, China will most likely use its veto,” said Shi Yinhong, professor of international security at Renmin University in Beijing.

“China’s principle is only to support United Nations sanctions in the most extreme cases. Although the launch was serious, it was much less serious than the nuclear test.”

here’s the timeline of North Korea’s missile program:

Aug. 31, 1998: North Korea fires suspected missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean, calling it a satellite.

Sept. 13, 1999: North Korea pledges to freeze long-range missile tests.

June 2001: North Korea warns it will reconsider missile test moratorium if Washington doesn’t resume contacts aimed at normalizing relations.

July 2001: U.S. State Department reports North Korea developing long-range missile.

September 2002: North Korea pledges in summit talks with Japan to extend its moratorium on missile tests beyond 2003.

Jan. 10, 2003: North Korea announces withdrawal from Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

March 10, 2003: North Korea fires a land-to-ship missile off east coast into waters between South Korea and Japan.

October 2003: North Korea fires two land-to-ship missiles.

May 2004: North Korea reaffirms its missile moratorium in summit talks with Japan.

May 2005: North Korea fires a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan.

March 8, 2006: North Korea fires two short-range missiles.

June 18, 2006: North Korea vows to increase its “military deterrent” to cope with what it calls U.S. attempts to provoke war.

July 5, 2006: North Korea launches seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including a long-range Taepodong-2.

July 15, 2006: U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 1695 demanding North Korea halt missile program.

Oct. 9, 2006: North Korea conducts underground nuclear test blast after citing “extreme threat of a nuclear war” from U.S.

Oct. 15, 2006: U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 1718 condemning test, imposing sanctions and banning North Korea from activities related to its nuclear weapons program, including “their means of delivery and related materials.”

July 14, 2007: North Korea shuts down its main Yongbyon reactor, later starts disabling it.

June 27, 2008: North Korea destroys cooling tower at Yongbyon.

Sept. 19, 2008: North Korea says it is restoring a key atomic reactor.

Oct. 11, 2008: U.S. removes North Korea from a list of states that sponsor terrorism.

Feb. 15: North Korea claims it has the right to “space development.”

Feb. 23: South Korea says North Korea has a new type of medium-range ballistic missile capable of reaching northern Australia and Guam.

March 11: North Korea declares satellite launch will take place between April 4-8.

April 5: North Korea launches long-range rocket from its base at Musundan-ri on the country’s northeast coast.

Share on Facebook