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January 11, 2011

Gates: North Korea is Becoming a "Direct Threat" to U.S. 
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said today North Korea is
becoming a "direct threat" to the United States and could develop an
inter-continental ballistic missile that could hit Alaska or the West
Coast within five years. Gates made the comment during a visit to
Beijing. The New York Times described Gates' remarks as a significant
shift for the Obama administration, which until now has viewed Pyongyang
as a proliferation threat. The Times reports the assessment may fuel a
movement to expand a military base at Fort Greely, Alaska, armed with
interceptor missiles designed to stop a North Korean missile before it
hits the United States.



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