Aftermath of NK Missile Tests

UPDATE #7:  Sitting here checking out the news sites before going to work and no new missiles have been fired yet.  However, the White House is saying that the North Koreans may fire more today:

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Wednesday that North Korea has additional missiles that could be launched in the next day.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also said more launches could be coming, the AP reported.

“We think they probably do intend to launch more missiles in the next day or two,” the AP quoted Downer as saying after he phoned North Korea’s ambassador to protest the launches.

Looking at the news sites cooler heads are prevaling in Washington however the news networks are continuing to hype military action over these missile tests.  War is good for TV ratings.

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UPDATE #6:  This is great, I come back from work and there is still missiles being launched and talking heads on TV demanding military action against North Korea.  Reportedly a seventh missile was launched just a few minutes ago and it lasted for six minutes.  I’m watching Larry King and he has Clinton era officials Sandy Berger and Madelline Albright trying to rewrite their failed history with dealing with North Korea.  They are complaining that President Bush isn’t using diplomacy and engagement with North Korea like they did.

Let me see the Clinton era government used diplomacy and gave the North Koreans massive amounts of aid and what did they get for it?  North Korea went ahead and secretly continued their nuclear program and fired a missile over Japan in 1998 not to mention the mini-sub incidents in South Korea that led to the deaths of numerous Korean soldiers and civilians.  This is what the Democrats consider successful diplomacy?  The North Koreans have actually been much better behaved during the Bush administration than during the Clinton era, thus the need by these people to rewrite history.

Now Bill Richardson is on the TV saying the US needs to continue the momentum of the six party talks.  Momentum?  What Momentum?  I think the US government will probably set up some further six party talks but I really think the government shouldn’t do anything that makes it appear they are giving into North Korean demands.  That just encourages them to be more belligerent.  Ignoring them and being cool about the missile test is the best way to go.  If anything this missile test weakened Kim’s hand because his big bad missile failed.

Oh God, Albright is now saying we need to request the UN to do something about North Korea.  Yeah that will scare the Norks, the big bad UN.  I must change the channel I cannot take anymore of these Clinton era people.

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UPDATE #5:  Here is my favorite international response so far:

Asked about the missiles, Han Song Ryol, deputy chief of North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview: “We diplomats do not know what the military is doing.”

Fox News is now reporting that NORAD is saying that a fourth, fifth, and sixth missiles were just fired..

I just saw some guy on Fox News advocating a military strike on North Korea because of this “in your face” provocation.  The news anchor asked what if the North Koreans in response nuked Seoul and the guy just said that we need to bomb all their military capacity in order to prevent them from being able to strike Seoul.  This is a perfect example of how little the American media understands about the military situation in Korea.  To take out every missile, rocket, and artillery piece that could strike Seoul would require a full scale war, which no one wants.  An attack on North Korea would not be like a bombing campaign of Kosovo.  If you attack North Korea you best be ready to fight a bloody second Korean War.

The CNN guy was just talking to the Seoul correspondent and was surprised by the shoulder shrugging reaction of the South Koreans.  When you have lived within artillery range for the last 50 years who would care about a missile.

Here is a BBC graphic of missile ranges if anyone cares:

Alright I have to go to work but this was enough early morning comedy for me watching the American media.  I’m sure other K-bloggers will keep everyone up to date on  this “threat to world peace” as quoted by CNN.  I think the greater threat to world peace was Italy advancing to the World Cup finals but that is a whole other story.

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UPDATE #4:  Here is what the BBC is reporting::

After news of the missile launch Mr Bolton said: “We are urgently consulting with members of the Security Council.”

Japan “strongly protested” North Korea’s move, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said.

The BBC’s Charles Scanlon says North Korea has been feeling under pressure in recent months with the US refusing to negotiate on its demands over its nuclear plans.

This may be a way for North Korea to get attention and break the diplomatic log jam, our correspondent adds.

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UPDATE #3:  Yonhap News is reporting the South Korean reaction:

Th South Korean government confirmed Wednesday that North Korea test-fired at least three missiles.
But the government said it was still trying to confirm details of the missiles..
South Korea immediately called an emergency meeting of security-related ministers.

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UPDATE #2:  I’m watching CNN right now and they had some guy on there blaming Bush for not giving enough carrots to the North Koreans and not preventing the launch.  The CNN is questioning some guy about if North Korea can still nuke the US with a missile.  The “expert” says they cannot nuke the US yet. Isn’t that a stupid question to ask after their ICBM failed miserably just an hour ago?  The expert did say we need to see what the trajectory of the missile was to see if it was aimed at the US and react accordingly.

I think it is safe to say that North Korea is getting exactly what they wanted from this launch.  Attention and scaremongering from the US media in order to pressure the US government into taking them seriously.

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UPDATE #1:  Coming Anarchy has a post on the launch up and here is the Fox News report on the launch:

North Korea may have tried to fire a long-range missile, but it failed in flight, two U.S. officials told FOX News on Tuesday. Two non-guided, medium-range Scud-style missiles were also fired, North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed.

Japanese public broadcasting channel NHK first reported the missile launches. The two Scud missiles landed in the Sea of Japan, the first about 360 miles from mainland Japan, NHK said. Japan’s Kyodo news agency said the missiles were believed to be mid-range Rodong missiles, and landed about 300 miles off the western coast of Japan’s Hokkaido Island.

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North Korea has finally test fired their stupid missiles and guess what, like I have been saying all along the long range Taepodong-2 missile failed:

North Korea launched a long-range Taepodong-2 missile early Wednesday in an apparently unsuccessful test that failed in flight, a senior State Department official said.

North Korea also tested at least two smaller missiles, U.S. sources told CNN.

Both missiles were launched from a site other than the one intelligence officials have watched for weeks ahead of the long-range missile test, a senior State Department official said.

I’m watching Fox News right now and they are saying the Taepodong-2 missile failed after 35 seconds of flight and of course the news programs are repeating over and over again that the US is not under attack.  Boy, what a relief (sarcasm).  What a joke, I still can’t believe people mostly Democrats have been advocating starting a war over this stupid missile.  I’m curious to what these people are going to be saying over the coming days.

I will post more as developments happen.