CNN International reports that North Korea fired seven missiles toward the Sea of Japan on July 4. With a range of 310 miles. Daniel Pinkston, an analyst for a South Korean group called International Crisis Group, said the tests could be just a routine military exercise. "It is worrisome to some degree, but it is different from a ballistic missile launch. It's part of military training, but there seem to be no movements of troops or anything that would suggest preparations for military operations."

 Last month, Japan's Coast Guard reported that North Korea banned ships from its coast by a wide range, fueling speculation that the rogue state was preparing to launch more missiles. North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles last week and at least five short-range missiles last month. The rogue state also conducted a nuclear test. South Korea says North Korea has about 700 short-range missiles similar to the ones fired during the weekend.

 Last week, the Washington Times reported that the U.S. was prepared to intercept a long-range Taepodong-2 missile if our territory was in its sights. North Korea has been threatening to launch the missile for a while. Has the time arrived?

 Air Force General Victor E. "Gene" Renuart said, "The nation has a very, very credible ballistic-missile defense capability. Our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, I'm very comfortable, give me a capability that if we really are threatened by a long-range ICBM that I've got high confidence that I could interdict that flight before it caused huge damage to any U.S. territory."

 The general also said  North Korea unpredictable. The rogue state backed off on its hinted threat to attack Hawaii with the Taepodong-2, but the U.S. is prepared either way. Our country has been testing the Theater High-Altitude Area Defenses in Hawaii in preparation for a Taepodong-2 attack.