Posted on 12/11/2012 5:24:42 PM PST by Sub-Driver
North Korea launches rocket in defiance of critics
8:07pm EST
SEOUL (Reuters) - Isolated and impoverished North Korea launched its second long- range rocket of 2012 on Wednesday in what it said was a bid to put a satellite into space.
The North launched the rocket close to the first anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong-il and as elections loom in South Korea and Japan.
The launch, reported by South Korean media, was confirmed by South Korea's Defense Ministry.
Pyongyang says it is entitled to launch a satellite into space but critics say the rocket development is aimed at nurturing the kind of technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.
North Korea is banned from conducting missile and nuclear-related tests under U.N. sanctions imposed after its 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests.
The latest launch comes after a failed attempt in April that fizzled less than two minutes after blast-off.
Japan and South Korea put their armed forces on alert prior to the launch. The rocket is scheduled to pass between the Korean peninsula and China, with a second stage splashing down off the Philippines before launching the satellite into orbit.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Someone on Twitter reporting that it flew over Okinawa!
In response 100,000 S. Koreans burned the American flag and danced dumb dumb style.
So did Japan try to shoot it down as promised?
was it a Long Doung 2 or a King Dong 1?
Surprisingly, an election is not looming in North Korea, and hasn’t been for decades.
Kim Jong Un is stroking his ego. Unfortuntely, we’re all sanctioned out with the Norks. Nothing more we can do.
In fact there are South Koreans who state that all the SK/NK friction is owing to US troops being stationed in SK.
While that is silly I am coming around to agreeing with them that we might be better off simply bringing our boys home.
Enforce SK borders while ignoring our own? I am hard-pressed to find a historical precident for that.
It’s unsustainable.
We just sent up the X-37B. Wonder why? http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/286637/250/Air-Force-sends-mystery-mini-shuttle-back-to-space
A stern letter is being drafted at the White House.
“was it a Long Doung 2 or a King Dong 1?”
No, it was a Long Duck Dong!
X-37B.. Wouldn’t surprise me if it has the capability of jamming the SH!T out of guidance systems and making rockets or airborne weapons systems fail. Or maybe it’s a killer satellite space plane.. Oh wait, I forgot who our President is.. Never mind.
Probably a mid range launch. They used to do this all the time. OH NO THEY’RE LAUNCHING IT AT HAWAII! Oh wait it only flew 500 miles.
Wow...and to think that "harsh language" had no effect on communists!
Every year we give them cheap wheat and other grains for the promise not to do this again. Every year.
Just today I read on 38 North Blog that they had removed the missile from the launch pad in order to repair it, something about bad weather damaging the missile on the pad.
http://38north.org/2012/12/sohae121112/
The Japanese government, which put its armed forces on alert ahead of the launch, said the missile appears to have passed over Okinawa.
It said it had not attempted to intercept the rocket.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-12-11/north-korea-launches-missile-towards-japan-passes-over-okinawa
Ahem! That’s one of our Tritan tests, and yes Gorbachev had a great zinger to daddy Bush about it!
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