As the U.S. continues to express concern about the possibility of a North Korean missile test directed toward American territory and the rest of the world holds its breath over a close encounter with an asteroid, several U.S. air bases are on heightened alert, and no one is really saying why.

The Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, which houses NORAD – charged with monitoring the North Korea situation – is now at "Bravo-Plus." There are five levels of alert: normal, Alpha (low), Bravo (medium), Charlie (high) and Delta (critical). "Bravo-Plus" is slightly higher than a medium threat level.  NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado would play a big role in both detecting and responding to a missile launch if it ever occurred.  Meanwhile, in a development that may or may not be related to the heightened security alert, an asteroid up to half a mile wide has brushed past the Earth early yesterday.

I'm pretty sure that the asteroid has nothing to do with the hightened alert.  Our top scientists know exactly where this asteroid is located above our atmosphere, and they know it is no danger to Earth.  The reason for this hightened alert, due to the fact that the Cheyenne Mountian Air Station increased it's alert level, obviousally is the North Korean missle scare.  We simply don't want this communist country to fire a potientally nuclear missile at American soil.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is a joint U.S. and Canadian organization which provides aerospace warning for North America.  NORAD is rumored to have the space-age technology of our secret anti-missile technology known as Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) commonly called "Stars Wars."  If NORAD actually does house this technology then it makes perfect sense for them to increase their alert level.  Hopefully President Bush isn't withholding any information, like he is known to do in the past, that would actually indicate a specific reason for this alert level to be increased.