North Korea Preparing for Another Rocket Launch?.
BLITZER: CNN has obtained new satellite images tonight from North Korea. The images appear to show a top-secret facility being prepared for a rocket launch. Brian Todd has been following this story for us. Brian is here. Brian, what are you learning?</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, tonight U.S. officials telling us they are keeping a very close eye on this facility because of the fact that it had previously been used by Kim Jong-Un's regime to test ballistic missiles. Now this comes as CNN has learned new information about that North Korean nuclear test earlier this month. A U.S. official familiar with the latest assessment telling our Barbara Starr the U.S. now believes that Kim Jong-Un's regime may have been trying to test components of a hydrogen bomb at the time. Not necessarily a completely constructed bomb but components, possibly a detonator. Now between that and the possible rocket launch preparations here, Kim Jong-Un has clearly ramped up his threatening behavior recently.</s>TODD (voice-over): Tonight intelligence agencies from Washington to Seoul are closely watching this facility. North Korea's top-secret satellite launching station at Tongchang-ri. A U.S. official tells CNN in recent days satellite imagery has revealed personnel, equipment for rockets and fuel being moved into the compound. The place is so secret, parts are delivered by underground rail lines.</s>RICK FISHER, INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY CENTER: They understand that they are being watched 24/7 by satellites from many countries. So they have invested in underground facilities to conceal their missiles.</s>TODD: A launch could be imminent. North Korea will likely say it's launching a satellite into space, but U.S. officials and analysts believe the regime has an ulterior motive. (</s>On camera): What could the more dangerous possibility be?</s>FISHER: When North Korea says they're launching a satellite, that's significant and important and a potentially dangerous capability. But even more dangerous North Korea is testing a missile, perfecting a missile that could launch a warhead against the United States or other countries.</s>TODD (voice-over): Analysts say Kim Jong-Un's missile testing is a major threat because his regime's already thought to have made progress toward miniaturizing a nuclear warhead to fit on a missile which could strike targets in Asia, possibly even Hawaii or even Seattle. It's not clear if those missiles have been sufficiently tested to be effective but the fact that Kim and his scientists are working feverishly toward that even has Kim's troubled allies in Beijing worried tonight.</s>HUA CHUNYING, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN (Through Translator): China is closely watching the current situation and is seriously concerned about these developments.</s>TODD: The Chinese are already furious with Kim Jong-Un for conducting North Korea's fourth nuclear bomb test earlier this month. It's part of a steep downswing in this relationship since the young dictator took power. Experts say Chinese President Xi Jinping and his aides have never liked Kim.</s>MARCUS NOLAND, PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: Cult of personality around this family dynasty in North Korea with utter derision. So they don't like the North Koreans, and one of the prime interlocutors between China and North Korea was Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong-Un's uncle who he publicly had executed which also caused ill will among some Chinese.</s>TODD: But analysts say as angry as China is with Kim they'll only want to punish him so much. They say what China fears most is a collapse of Kim's regime that would lead to instability at China's border and possibly millions of North Korean refugees streaming into China. Wolf, they are constantly worried about that.</s>BLITZER: I know they are. And Brian, are the preparations at that rocket launch site in North Korea, what are the other concerns you're hearing about tonight?</s>TODD: Well, that group 38 North which monitors satellite images from North Korea says the pictures here indicate that the North Koreans may -- they may be getting ready to test what's called a Musudan intermediate ballistic missile or they may be testing the engine for one of those missiles. If that's the case it is worrisome because the Musudan could be made into a mobile ballistic missile system and the U.S. and its allies would have difficulty tracking that in the field.</s>BLITZER: That would be very worrisome indeed. All right, Brian. Thank you. Coming up, we're awaiting Donald Trump's arrival in Des Moines where he plans to be center stage at a fundraiser tonight for veterans. And off the stage when his Republican rivals debate. Folks are already lining up. You're seeing live pictures. We'll go there for an update.