N.Korea 'Poised to Launch Another Mid-Range Missile'

North Korea has been preparing to launch another mid-range ballistic missile "in the next 24 to 72 hours," U.S. officials told Fox News on Wednesday Korean time.

A government source here appeared to confirm the assessment. "We've spotted movement of a transporter erector launcher carrying a Musudan missile," the source said. "We can't disclose where they're preparing to launch it from but presume that it's ready for liftoff."

"Musudan" is the label boffins have been using for a Hwasong-10 missile believed to have a range of 3,500 km, which would be capable of striking the U.S. military base on Guam in the western Pacific.

The North has launched eight of these missiles since April, most of them unsuccessfully. One fired on Oct. 20 exploded even before it got off the ground and seems to have burned up the launch vehicle.

"It's possible that the North will launch a provocation ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8, to attract attention," a diplomatic source speculated.

The North tends to keep a beady eye on political developments in the U.S. and South Korea and often times its histrionics for maximum impact.