N. Korea could soon pose threat to US: Gates: "US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Tuesday that North Korea could have long-range ballistic missiles within five years that would pose a direct threat to the United States, reflecting growing concerns over Pyongyang's arsenal.
His comments represented a shift in the US view of North Korea's military power, describing the hardline regime in Pyongyang as making headway in its efforts to develop missiles that could potentially carry nuclear warheads.
'I think North Korea will have developed an intercontinental ballistic missile within that timeframe (five years),' Gates told reporters during a visit to Beijing, where he discussed tensions on the Korean peninsula."
