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Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 5569
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 4, 2006 - 6:14 pm: | 
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Now what? Anyone else concerned?
North Korea Test-Launches Multiple Missiles
By ERIC TALMADGE, AP
The U.S. and Japan had been warning North Korea President Kim Jong Il that a ballistic missile launch will lead Washington and Tokyo to consider punitive measures.
TOKYO (July 4) - North Korea test-launched three missiles early Wednesday, including a long-range missile that may be capable of reaching the United States, moves that drew strong protests from the Japanese government.
All three missiles landed in the Sea of Japan, which lies between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and there was no indication that any reached this country, said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe.
Abe said the government was trying to confirm what kind of missiles were launched, and was unable to confirm reports that a long-range Taepodong-2 missile had been fired.
But in Washington, two U.S. State Department officials said one of the three missiles was the long-range Taepodong-2 missile. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the missile failed after 35 or 40 seconds. Experts believe a Taepodong 2 could reach the United States with a light payload,
Japan's Kyodo news agency said two of the missiles were believed to be mid-range Nodong missiles and landed about 300 miles off the western coast of Japan's Hokkaido Island.
A Pentagon official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, identified two of the missiles as Scuds.
"North Korea has gone ahead with the launch despite international protest," Abe said. "That is regrettable from the standpoint of Japan's security, the stability of international society, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
He said Tokyo "sternly protested" the launches.
Abe added the missiles all landed several hundreds of miles away from Japan and there were no reports they had caused any damage within Japanese territory. The government set up a task force early Wednesday to guide Japan's response and would hold a security meeting at 7 a.m., Abe said.
Han Song Ryol, deputy chief of North Korea's mission to the U.N. in New York, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview: "We diplomats do not know what the military is doing."
So far, no members of the U.N. Security Council, which includes Japan and the United States, has asked for a meeting on North Korea's actions.
"We are urgently consulting with members of the Security Council," U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said in a statement.
In South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported that the Seoul government had called a ministerial meeting Wednesday in reaction to the test launches.
North Korea's missile program is based on Scud technology provided by the former Soviet Union or Egypt, according to American and South Korean officials. North Korea started its Nodong-1 missile project in the late 1980s and test-fired the missile for the first time in 1993.
The first missile was launched at around 3:30 a.m. Japan Time, Abe said, adding that two more were launched at around 4:00 and 5:00 a.m.
If the timing is correct, the North Korean missiles were launched within minutes of Tuesday's liftoff of Discovery, which blasted into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in the first U.S. space shuttle launch in a year.
North Korea had observed a moratorium on long-range missile launches since 1999. It shocked the world in 1998 by firing a Taepodong missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean.
The reported launches came after weeks of speculation that the North was preparing to test its advanced Taepodong 2 missile from a site on its northeast coast.
The preparations had generated stern warnings from the United States and Japan, which had threatened possible economic sanctions in response.
Temperatures further heightened Monday when the North's main news agency quoted an unidentified newspaper analyst as saying Pyongyang was prepared to answer a U.S. military attack with "a relentless annihilating strike and a nuclear war."
The Bush administration responded by saying while it had no intention of attacking, it was determined to protect the United States if North Korea launched a long-range missile.
In Tokyo, a group of ruling party members called Tuesday for immediate economic sanctions against North Korea if the communist nation conducted the test-launch.
AP reporters Larry Margasak in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
07/04/06 16:37 EDT
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sbenois
Supporter
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 15249
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 4, 2006 - 6:29 pm: |
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Nah. The UN will take care of it. |
Aok
Citizen
Username: Aok
Post Number: 261
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 4, 2006 - 7:41 pm: |
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"Economic sanctions"??? could this country be any poorer??? |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 3487
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 4, 2006 - 10:52 pm: |
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Actually, this is one I'm not that concerned about. We could just nuke them and no one would care (well, except the environmental damage). Besides, their "long range" rocket failed after less than 40 seconds. Perhaps it was just a reupholstered short range missile, for our benefit.
I'm confident that GWB will keep his eye on this ball. With Iraq almost done and Iran begging for our cooperation, the North Koreans will come around soon. |
Foj
Citizen
Username: Foger
Post Number: 1620
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 5, 2006 - 11:47 pm: |
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Took his eye of Bin Laden, in fact Bush just flat out gave up. |
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 5226
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 12:08 am: |
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well he's an old family friend. |
thegoodsgt
Citizen
Username: Thegoodsgt
Post Number: 1010
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 8:25 am: |
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JTA, you raise an important question, "Now what?"
While everyone has an opinion on Iraq (hindsight being 20/20), it seems we're clueless about the North Korea situation.
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Billy Jack
Citizen
Username: Kendalbill
Post Number: 187
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 8:47 am: |
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I don't know that we are clueless, I just think that restraint is warranted.
The best thing that could have happened is that the tests didn't take place. The second best thing happened: the tests take place and the missles fail.
North Korea is becoming more and more isolated. These tests only hurt their reputation- and it was never good. If they thought they were playing poker with the world, they just revealed that they have junk. We need to deal with them, and talks within the right framework might be productive. But their posture as a nuclear player with delivery capabilities is empty.
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Hoops
Citizen
Username: Hoops
Post Number: 1602
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 9:25 am: |
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Night satelite picture of North and South Korea -
North Korea is completely in the dark. Living in the dark ages.
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Robert Livingston
Citizen
Username: Rob_livingston
Post Number: 1979
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 10:13 am: |
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"their posture as a nuclear player with delivery capabilities is empty."
So was Iraq's.
No matter what happens, it's a guarantee the Bush administration will f-ck it all up. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 10045
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 10:37 am: |
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Welcome to North Korea. Now leave.
The map above appears to have been edited to delete the light from Pyongyang. |
Billy Jack
Citizen
Username: Kendalbill
Post Number: 189
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 6, 2006 - 5:28 pm: |
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Yeow. Apparently, yet another missle test just went kaput. And we were afraid of these guys? |
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