Ex-British Foreign Minister: NKorean Failed Missile Launch Could Have Been US Cyber Attack

A former British foreign minister said his theory on why North Korea's latest missile launch failed could be due to a cyber attack by the United States.

"It could have failed because the system is not competent enough to make it work. But, there is a very strong belief that the U.S. – through cyber methods – has been successful on several occasions in interrupting these sorts of tests and making them fail," Malcolm Rifkind told the BBC.

North Korea conducted a missile test on Sunday as part of the celebration of the 105th anniversary of its founder, Kim Il Sung. The device exploded within seconds of its launch.

Rifkind warned that the North Koreans have also "had quite a lot of successful tests."

"They are an advanced country when it comes to their nuclear weapons program. That still remains a fact – a hard fact," he said.

Former President Barack Obama directed Pentagon officials in 2014 to develop plans for possible cyber and electronic attacks against North Korea over its missile program, the New York Post reported.

And, an intelligence adviser accompanying Vice President Mike Pence on his visit to South Korea indicated that officials weren't surprised by the missile launch.

"We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the unnamed adviser told reporters.

• Pence Adviser: US Anticipated North Korea Missile Test That Failed
• K.T. McFarland: No Surprise NKorean Missile Launch Was a Fizzle