Missiles red glare, from Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea

Over the weekend Pakistan and Iran both launched new missiles, and North Korea received Soviet technology for it's ballistic missile program. Early Monday morning, February 4, 2008, Iran launched the Safir (Emissary) into space on top of the improved Shahab-3, which has a 4,000 km range. The White House on Monday branded Iran's firing a rocket into space "unfortunate" and warned that it would further isolate the Islamic republic from the international community.

On Friday, February 1, 2008, Pakistan test-fired a new version of a medium-range ballistic missile, the Ghauri missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with a range of 810 miles. Iran also unveiled its first major space center, which will be used to launch research satellites, state-run television reported. The image below released by Interservices Public Relations shows test launching of Pakistan-made Ghauri missile in Pakistan.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and senior officials viewed the launch by the army's Strategic Missile Group.

Musharraf thanked the troops for the successful launch, telling the audience that the nation had developed a nuclear deterrence capability.

"We have taken note of various imaginary scenarios being propounded by those who do not wish Pakistan well," Musharraf said. "Such elements have never reconciled to a nuclear Pakistan."

Pakistan launched another missile last week. (Fox News)

Iran launches first space research rocket Safir 1:

The Safir (Emissary) was launched into space Monday, Feb. 4, on top of the improved Shahab-3 which has a 4,000 km range. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Iranian launch was Tehran’s rejoinder to Israel’s test of a new long-range missile propulsion engine on Jan. 17. Western experts reported at the time that Israel’s newly-powered missiles could reach “any point on earth.”

The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was present for the test Monday. He also inaugurated Iran’s first space research center and announced that the Ormid (“Hope”) satellite would be placed in orbit “in the near future.”

Our military sources disclose that while Tehran’s space program is in its infancy, the Iranians are capable of a crash program for cutting down the gestation period for producing a military space satellite, as they proved in their nuclear effort.

Which brings us to conditions in Pakistan and Iran. Anti-Mullah has a great article on the executions in Iran, with video and still images.

North Korea received a huge boost from Soviet technology to develop its ballistic missiles and still relies on foreign suppliers for key components, a report obtained on the weekend said.

North Korea has built hundreds of ballistic missiles that can strike all of South Korea and most of Japan. Its production and sales of the weapons are considered major security concerns.”The country is nearly self-sufficient in ballistic missile production, but still relies upon some advanced foreign technologies and components, particularly from overseas,” said the report from Daniel Pinkston, an expert on the North’s missile programs. (Reuters via Peace and Freedom II)

Also see Muhammad Reports from Tribal Areas, Pakistan, 3 February 2008
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Comments

[Steve Harkonnen]

I find it amusingly laughable how we condemn Iran, but at the same time applaud Pakistan while they continue to research & develop ballistic missile technology.

[David]

Meanwhile, last week, the USAF and NASA worked to halt the scheduled January 31 launch of 50 12-inch-long balsa wood missles from Cape Canaveral in honor of the 50th anniversay of the Explorer I launch.

Sounds like the USA has its priorities straight.

/sarcasm off