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Japanese Public Broadcaster NHK Issues False Alarm Over North Korean Missile Launch

It’s deja vu, all over again.

Just four days after residents of Hawaii lived through 38 minutes of doomsday hell, after a false public broadcast alarm announced that a ballistic missile launch was headed for the island, only to reverse and announce later it was a mistake, moments ago Japan’s National broadcaster NHK’s app issued a false J-Alert to phones over a North Korean missile launch at 6:55 p.m. Tuesday evening local time.

The message, received by phone users with the NHK app installed on their devices, read: “NHK news alert. North Korea likely to have launched missile. The government J alert: evacuate inside the building or underground. “


: Japan’s national broadcaster NHK just sent a text alert reporting that North Korea launched another missile … and then corrected itself

NHK accidentally sends missile alert, similar to that of Hawaii from a couple days ago… uhhhh….


It then promptly corrected the error just 5 minutes later, at around 7 p.m.

After the false alert, NHK issued an on-air apology on Tuesday evening local time, saying “the news alert sent earlier about NK missile was a mistake. No government J alert was issued.”

“Around 6:55pm earlier we reported on the NHK’s news site and NHK’s news disaster prevention application ‘Pattern of North Korean missile launch’ but this was incorrectly issued. J alert has not appeared. I must sincerely apologize,” the news outlet wrote.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Reflections On “Pushing the Wrong Button” and US Drone Policy

A “ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii” notification was caused by an employee who “pushed the wrong button.”

Wrong Button

ABC News reports an [emergency alert notification] (http://wnep.com/2018/01/13/wrong-button-pushed-during-shift-change-blamed-for-false-hawaii-missile-alert/) sent out on Saturday claiming a “ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii” was a false alarm caused by an employee pressing the “wrong button” during a shift change, according to Hawaii Gov. David Ige.

‘Wrong button’ pushed during ‘shift change’ blamed for false Hawaii missile alert

“BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” the initial emergency alert read.

False Alarm Timeline

“I know first-hand how today’s false alarm affected all of us here in Hawaii, and I am sorry for the pain and confusion it caused. I, too, am extremely upset about this and am doing everything I can do to immediately improve our emergency management systems, procedures and staffing,” said Gov. David Ige.

Synopsis

  • 8:05 a.m. – A routine internal test during a shift change was initiated. This was a test that involved the Emergency Alert System, the Wireless Emergency Alert, but no warning sirens.
  • 8:07 a.m. – A warning test was triggered statewide by the State Warning Point, HI-EMA.
  • 8:10 a.m. – State Adjutant Maj. Gen. Joe Logan, validated with the U.S. Pacific Command that there was no missile launch.
  • Honolulu Police Department notified of the false alarm by HI-EMA.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Missile False Alarm in Hawaii: How Wrong Buttons Can Wreak Havoc

Missile False Alarm in Hawaii: How Wrong Buttons Can Wreak Havoc

Should the survival of humanity hinge on bureaucratic protocols?

On Saturday at 8:05 am, residents of Hawaii were terrified by a text message that said a missile was heading their way, and they should “seek shelter immediately.” Helpfully, the message also said, “this is not a drill.” And it wasn’t – it was merely a stomach-clenching error.

A notable thing about Saturday’s mistake is how human it was.

Ten minutes after it was sent, it was canceled, and updates were broadcast over social media saying so. However, it wasn’t until 8:45 that a follow-up text saying it had been a mistake was sent out. In the meantime, according to The New York Times and other reports, more than a few families huddled completely terrified, assuming that they were about to die – or at least that there was nothing to be done about it if they were.

An Infamous Error

Hawaii, which is 2,400 miles from California and 4,600 miles from North Korea, is a lot closer to a potentially hot sequel to the Cold War than the rest of us and is understandably tenser, even without this kind of morning. Last year, they started monthly bomb drills thanks to the ongoing battle between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un.

The error was the fault of a still unnamed employee of Hawaii’s state version of FEMA – The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. According to the BBC:

“State Governor David Ige apologised and said it was caused by an employee pressing the wrong button.”

And though this might end up a valuable push towards fixing a rickety system that managed to incorrectly inform people that they should duck and cover, but not officially say “hang on, not really” for more than half an hour, it is a truly unforgivable error.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Saudis Intercept Houthi Ballistic Missile Targeting Riyadh Royal Palace

Saudis Intercept Houthi Ballistic Missile Targeting Riyadh Royal Palace

For the third time in roughly seven weeks, Houthi rebels have fired a ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia, according to a spokesperson. This time, the target was al-Yamamah palace in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

US President Donald Trump notably held meetings with the Saudi king at the al-Yamamah palace during his May trip to the kingdom.

Witnesses in Riyadh reported hearing a blast and seeing a plume of smoke. Saudi security officials did not immediately comment on the incident, according to Haaretz.

Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia in November, but neither hit their targets. One was reportedly fired at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh while the other was fired at a Saudi oil refinery.

According to Russia Today, the Saudi-led coalition that has been battling the rebels in Yemen has reportedly shot down the missile, according to Russia Today.

Saudi state TV claimed the missile – a Burkan 2H ballistic missile – was intercepted by Saudi defenses…


Reports of a ballistic missile just intercepted over Riyadh


There were no immediate reports of injuries and there has been no official statement from the Saudi government. However, a Houthi rebel spokesman on Twitter confirmed the missile launch.

Saudis Call Missile Attack “Blatant Act Of Aggression” By Iran, “Could Be Considered Act Of War”

Saudis Call Missile Attack “Blatant Act Of Aggression” By Iran, “Could Be Considered Act Of War”

War is coming…

This weekend’s chaos in the middle east just got considerably more serious.

Yesterday we detailed reports that the Saudis intercepted a ballistic missile over the nation’s capital Riyadh…

At the time, Al Jazeera reported that Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they launched the Yemeni-made, long-range ballistic missile Burqan 2-H (with a range of 500 kilometers) from the Saudi-Yemeni border before being intercepted.

But tonight, according to a statement from the Saudi coailition carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the missile that targeted Riyadh has been called “a direct military aggresion” by Iran against Sauid Arabia,  that “could rise to be considered an act of war.” Furthermore, the Saudi-led coalition has closed all Yemen’s land, sea and air ports after missile targeted Riyadh.

Following on what the Coalition had previously announced regarding the ballistic missiles launched by the Iranian-controlled Houthi militias from within Yemeni territory that targeted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the most recent of which was the flagrant military aggression by the Iranian-controlled Houthi militias which targeted the city of Riyadh on November 11, 2017 (Corresponding to 15/2/1439 Hijri) using a ballistic missile with a range of more than 900 Km.

And, after the thorough examination of the debris of these missiles, including the missile launched on July 22, 2017 (Corresponding to 28/10/1438 Hijri) by experts in military technology, has confirmed the role of Iran’s regime in manufacturing these missiles and smuggling them to the Houthi militias in Yemen for the purpose of attacking the Kingdom, its people, and vital interests.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

Saudis Intercept Ballistic Missile Over Capital Riyadh

Saudis Intercept Ballistic Missile Over Capital Riyadh

Just hours after the previously reported unexpected, and shocking resignation of Lebanon’s pro-Saudi prime minister Saad al-Hariri, Saudi defense forces said they had intercepted a ballistic missile over the capital Riyadh, which was fired from Yemen. According to Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Defense Ministry, the Yemeni Air Force targeted King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday with a ballistic missile.

Al-Arabiya reported that the missile was intercepted over north-east Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement, even as Yemen’s Defense Ministry said the missile attack “shook the Saudi capital” and the operation was successful.

The Riyadh-based newspaper Al Riyadh released a video on its Twitter account showing the interception of a missile.


Remnants of the intercepted landed near King Khalid International Airport in ,


Photos, allegedly pieces of the intercepted missile, have also emerged on the web.


View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

Photos (via @NajranToday) reportedly showing pieces of a ballistic missile fired from and intercepted over northern


Houthis are Shi’ite militants that have been involved in the Yemeni civil war that started when the Saudi-led coalition launched its air campaign in the country in 2015. They have been fighting against the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

..click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Which Passes Over Japan

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Which Passes Over Japan

Update 1:  According to Fox News, the U.S. has now confirmed the latest North Korean missile launch.

U.S. OFFICIAL CONFIRMS #NORTHKOREA FIRED BALLISTIC MISSILE: FOX NEWS

* * *

All the diplomatic posturing, the jawboning, the UN sanctions, and threats over the past three weeks has achieved absolutely nothing because as Yonhap and NHK report, North Korea has just launched an “unidentified” missile eastward from the capital Pyongyang.

A live feed from NHK in English is available after clicking on the image below:

Following the launch Japan has issued a missile alert to mobile phones and on national television, with the government advising people outside to take shelter immediately.

Worse, it appears that the missile has once again flown over Japan:

  • NORTH KOREA MISSILE PASSES OVER JAPAN, GOVT SAYS
  • N.KOREA MISSILE PASSES OVER JAPAN’S HOKKAIDO, GOVT SAYS

As NHK further adds, the missile which was launched at 6:57am local time, passed over Hokkaido at 7:06am local time, and came down in the Pacific Ocean, some 2,000 KM east of Japan’s Erimo Misaki.

The missile flew a total of 3,700 kilometers and reached an altitude of 770km, according to Yonhap.

Japan’s cabinet minister Suga said that the missile situation is similar to that on August 29, NHK adds, and that Japan will take appropriate response in contact with the US and South Korea.

NHK adds that Japan did not attempt to shoot down the missile though the South Korean military has confirmed it fired a test missile into the sea as part of training drill.

The South Korean presidential office has noted that the country’s national security council will meet at 8am local time.

Separately, according to South Korea military, North Korea fired unidentified missile in eastern direction. South Korea’s president Moon will chair a national security meeting shortly.

And now we await whether the US will finally escalate militarily or once again use even harsher, and more powerless, language.

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