N. Korean missile can hit U.S. bases, and US West coast. Tensions have increased lately, Feb 2009.

Nove balisticke rakety str a dalekeho doletu. Dosah mozny Guam a Aljaska ci Havaj.

North Korea deployed new medium-range ballistic missiles and expanded special forces training during 2008, South Korea's defense ministry reported.

The missiles can travel about 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles), possibly putting U.S. military bases in the Pacific Ocean territory of Guam within striking distance

The S Korea defense paper calls the North's 1.2 million-strong military an "immediate and grave threat,"

The report adds that the North has recently bolstered its naval forces, reinforcing submarines and developing new torpedoes, in addition to increasing its special forces training after reviewing U.S. military tactics in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. and South Korean officials have said that North Korea appears to be preparing to test-fire its long-range missile, the Taepodong-2. Pyongyang tested one of the missiles in 2006, but it failed 40 seconds after launch.

The missile is thought to have an intended range of about 6,700 kilometers (4,200 miles), which if true, could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/23/northkorea.missiles/index.html?iref=newssearch