Tuesday, August 01, 2006

What? Where? Who? Pinpoint?

I am reading the Reuters wire report on the release of the Japan Defense Agency's new White Paper, and I find myself saying:

"From whence come these quotes? Am I going senile? Is the writer?"


Japan warns over N.Korea missiles
Reuters

By Teruaki Ueno - TOKYO - Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:47 PM ET - Japan, stunned by North Korea's multiple missile launch last month, said on Tuesday it believed the reclusive communist state had developed ballistic missiles capable of "pinpoint" attacks on targets in Japan.

(...)

Saying North Korea apparently deployed medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles that could put all of Japan within their range of about 1,300 km (810 miles), the white paper added: "It is thought that their precision is so high that they can carry out pinpoint attacks on specific facilities."

North Korea shocked the world in 1998 when it fired a missile that passed over Japan and experts believes it has up to 200 Rodong missiles that could reach most of the country, including Tokyo.

"North Korea's development, deployment and proliferation of ballistic missiles, coupled with nuclear issues, have become destabilizing factors not only in the Asia-Pacific region but in the entire world, and we are gravely concerned about it," the annual report said.

Try as I might, I cannot find any claims about missile accuracy or destabilization fears in the JDA's pdf version of the white paper.

What am I missing here? All I see are the usual cautious and level-headed positions.

Am I looking at last year's text?

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