NEW THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA - AT 8:41 P.M. ET:

WASHINGTON – The U.S. military is tracking a ship from North Korea that may be carrying illicit weapons, the first vessel monitored under tougher new United Nations rules meant to rein in and punish the communist government following a nuclear test, officials said Thursday.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he has ordered additional protections for Hawaii just in case North Korea launches a long-range missile over the Pacific Ocean.

The suspect ship could become a test case for interception of the North's ships at sea, something the North has said it would consider an act of war.

Officials said the U.S. is monitoring the voyage of the North Korean-flagged Kang Nam, which left port in North Korea on Wednesday. On Thursday, it was traveling in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of China, two officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence. 

And then we have this:

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea may fire a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in early July, a Japanese news report said Thursday, as Russia and China urged the regime to return to international disarmament talks on its rogue nuclear program.

The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers), would be launched from North Korea's Dongchang-ni site on the northwestern coast, said the Yomiuri daily, Japan's top-selling newspaper. It cited an analysis by the Japanese Defense Ministry and intelligence gathered by U.S. reconnaissance satellites.

The missile launch could come between July 4 and 8, the paper said.

COMMENT:  We stress that this is speculation, but there are stories floating around that the launch will come on our Independence Day.  What a greeting.

The crunch with North Korea is clearly coming.  The crunch with Iran is underway.  Secretary Gates is properly preparing our defenses.  We await a reaction from our messianic leader.  He should certainly be concerned about Hawaii.  Didn't he live there once?  And in Indonesia?  And in...well, everywhere else?  It's a small world, after all.

The president is taking heat for his wobbly attitude toward the Iranian protests.  This heat will be nothing compared to what he'll get if the North Koreans roll all over him.

June 18, 2009