KEEPING EYE OUT
KIM’S MISSILE THREAT
NORTH Korea may have intercontinental missiles capable of reaching Cairns but experts and leaders say the city is well down Kim Jong-un’s potential hit list.
The dictator has boasted his first successful long-range missile test after a series of embarrassing failures, describing it as a “gift” to “American bastards”.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence and strategy director Dr Andrew Davies said Cairns and Darwin may now be within the regime’s range, but the likelihood of attack was slim. He said last week’s mooring of USS Green Bay in Cairns would only “marginally” increase the risk.
“North Korea has never done anything that endangers the regime’s survival,” he said.
“Firing a missile at a US ally would be such a big step up from anything they’ve done before.”
Dr Davies said the likeliest cause for a missile attack on Cairns would be an American military strike, sparking a second Korean War.
“Because we’re a signatory of the ceasefire from 1953, so we’re automatically involved in some way,” he said.
But for a military force with limited firepower, Cairns would be low on the rogue state’s priorities – and certainly well behind joint Australian-US military facility Pine Gap near Alice Springs.
“I’m planning to come up to Cairns for a holiday at the end of August and I expect it to still be there,” Dr Davies said.
Speaking from the Esplanade yesterday, federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese said Australia and its allies should continue to seek a peaceful resolution to North Korea’s intransigence.
“The test that has been made is of concern in terms of the sort of distances that North Korea seems to want to be able to have access to (with) its missiles,” he said.
“What we need to do is act soberly in a mature way, make strong representations and continue to do that.”
In the worst case scenario, Cairns Regional Council would look to Defence for instructions on how to react.
Disaster management group chairman Cr Terry James said a North Korean missile attack had never been discussed.
“I think we’d be the least of his worries,” Cr James said.
“We’re generally more worried about weather and natural disasters.”