Japan: Be prepared

The rocket the DPRK said it will fire is expected to drop a booster stage in the Sea of Japan and then pass over the north of the country.

Kyodo News agency reported that the Japanese government is expected to issue an order as early as Friday calling for the destruction of debris or parts of the missile that fall toward Japan, allowing the defense minister to deploy interceptors in areas where the fragments are likely to fall.

However, Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said on Tuesday that his country would find it difficult to intercept debris, saying Japan's missile defense system has yet to be tested in action.

But Japanese defense expert Tetsuo Maeda said the missile defense system on Aegis-equipped destroyers and the ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system could be effective to some extent.

Japanese media has reported that the country may also deploy two Aegis-equipped destroyers carrying sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptors to the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean.

On Monday, USS Stethem, the US Navy's guided missile destroyer originally based in Yokosuka near Tokyo, entered port in Aomori in northern Japan.

US in dilemma

As a matter of fact, to intercept or not has become a difficult choice for the United States.

Firstly, opinions are divided on whether the DPRK rocket is being used for launching a satellite or a ballistic missile. Gen. Walter Sharp said last week that North Korea has been deploying new intermediate-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting Alaska.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified intelligence official as saying authorities "strongly believe" the launch will take place on April 4-5 and believe it will involve a long-range missile, not a satellite.

However, US National Intelligence director Dennis Blair told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 10 that "the North Koreans announced that they were going to do a space launch and I believe that's what they intend."