Hawaii officials mistakenly warn of inbound missile
January 14, 2018
Emergency management officials have said an alert warning a missile was on its way to Hawaii was a "false alarm." The error caused a stir on social media and panic among the US state's residents.
Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Advertisement
Hawaii residents woke up on Saturday morning to an emergency alert on their mobile phones advising them a ballistic missile was headed for the Pacific archipelago.
More than 30 minutes later, authorities sent out a correction confirming there was no threat.
"Hawaii — this is a false alarm," US lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard, who represents the state, announced on Twitter. "I have confirmed with officials there is no incoming missile to Hawaii."
The alert sent to cellphones said in all capital letters: "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill."
The "Emergency Alert" sent the state's residents into a panicImage: Reuters
Gabbard said every mobile phone on Hawaii got the text message. People were thinking, "we've got 15 minutes before me and my family could be dead," she told broadcaster CNN. They were told to take shelter, but there are no nuclear shelters to run to, she added.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency's administrator, Vern Miyagi, said he took responsibility for the mistake. He said officials would study the error to make sure it did not happen again.
'Pain and confusion'
Hawaii Governor David Ige apologized to the state's residents for the "pain and confusion" caused by the false alarm.
"This should not have happened. We are investigating the sequence of events that occurred," Ige said. "An error was made in Emergency Management which allowed this false alarm to be sent."
In a news conference on Saturday, Ige vowed to launch an evaluation of the alert system and ensure that such a mistake never happened again. He also dismissed claims the alert may have been the result of a hack attack.
About 10 minutes after the initial alert, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency posted on Twitter and Facebook saying there was no threat, but these messages didn't reach people who weren't on the social media platform.
A mobile alert informing of the false alarm didn't reach cellphones until about 40 minutes later, due to authorization being needed from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Integral Public Alert and Warning System.
Image: Reuters/H. Gentry
'Wrong button'
State officials told reporters that the message was mistakenly sent out during a shift change when an employee "pushed the wrong button" at Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency.
US Pacific Command, located on Hawaii, confirmed that it had detected no ballistic missile threat. It said the alert "was sent in error and was a false alarm."
The US Federal Communications Commission later announced it was launching a full investigation.
'Totally inexcusable'
US President Donald Trump was playing golf in Florida when the incident unfolded. The White House said he had been briefed, and called the warning "purely a state exercise."
Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz tweeted that people across Hawaii were terrified and urged "tough and quick accountability."
"What happened today is totally inexcusable," he wrote.
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
For years, the international community downplayed the threat of North Korea's military power. With the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, it is clear that Pyongyang's military capabilities are growing.
Image: Gettty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Major achievement
In early June 2017, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Testing an ICBM marked a major military achievement for Pyongyang and a serious escalation of tensions with the United States and its allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Trouble with warheads
At the time, defense experts said the ICBM could reach as far as the US states of Alaska and Hawaii. However, it was unclear if North Korea can field an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on its cone that could survive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. North Korean state media claimed the ICBM was capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to any part of the United States.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Pyongyang's nuclear tests - six times and counting
The ICBM is believed to be a step forward in the North's nuclear program. Despite pressure from the international community, Pyongyang has made no secret of its nuclear ambitions. Alongside its ritual ballistic missile tests, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests on at least six occasions, including one in September 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
US running out of patience?
Responding to the first ICBM test with a show of force, the US and South Korean troops on conducted "deep strike" precision missile drills using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II. In April, the US sent its Carl Vinson aircraft carrier towards the Korean Peninsula, saying it was taking prudent measures against the North.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/M. Brown
Testing the boundaries
Ignoring international condemnation, Pyongyang test-launched another rocket on July 28, 2017, just weeks after its first ICBM test. In both of the tests, North Korea used Hwasong-14 missile, but the second one reached a higher altitude and traveled a larger distance than the first one, according to the state media.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/KCNA
Whole of US within range?
Pyongyang conducted its third test November 29, using a newly developed Hwasong-15 missile. US, Japanese and South Korean officials said it rose to about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 kilometers (600 miles) over about 50 minutes before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the country's coast.
Image: picture-alliance/MAXPPP
One of the world's largest militaries
Apart from a developing missile and nuclear program, North Korea has a powerful army with 700,000 active troops and another 4.5 million in the reserves. It can call upon almost a quarter of its population to serve in the army at any given time. The North's bloated army is believed to outnumber its southern neighbor's by two-to-one.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Vast capabilities
According to the 2017 Global Firepower Index, the North has, as part of a far-reaching arsenal, 458 fighter aircraft, 5,025 combat tanks, 76 submarines, and 5,200,000 total military personnel. The picture above from 2013 shows leader Kim Jong Un ordering strategic rocket forces to be on standby to strike US and South Korean targets at any time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Enemies all around
Alongside the United States, Pyongyang views its neighbors South Korea and Japan as its two other main enemies. North Korea has used US military exercises in the region as means of galvanizing its people, claiming that the exercises are dress rehearsals for an impending invasion.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Huge, colorful demonstrations of military might
Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens roll through the streets of the capital Pyongyang to take part in the North's military parades. Preparations for the rallies often begin months in advance, and the parades usually mark important anniversaries linked with the Communist Party or Kim Jong Un's family.
