North Korea Launches Rocket

(CBS/AP)  The State Department says that North Korea has launched a rocket, following through on its promise of a launch despite international criticism.

South Korea's presidential office said liftoff took place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning (10:30 p.m. Saturday, EDT) from the coastal Musudan-ri launch pad in northeastern North Korea.

State Department spokesman Fred Lash confirmed the event, and said, "We look on this as a provocative act."

The launch "will prompt the United States to take appropriate steps to let North Korea know that it cannot threaten the safety and security of other countries with impunity," Lash said.

"North's Korea's development, deployment and proliferation of missiles, ballistic missile-related materials, equipment and technologies pose a serious threat to the northeast Asia region and to the international community," Lash said.

Japanese broadcaster NHK cites the Japanese government as saying the rocket flew over Japan. It said there were no reports of any debris falling on Japan.

North Korea pushed ahead with the launch despite mounting international pressure to cancel a liftoff.

Japan has requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in response to the launch. South Korea, the U.S. and Japan had all said earlier in the week they would request such a meeting.

Spokesman Yutaka Arima says Japan's United Nations mission asked for a meeting of the 15-nation council Sunday.

The request must be approved by Mexico's mission to the U.N., which holds the council presidency this month.

The launch Sunday came amid heightened tensions in the region.

North Korea had informed international authorities that it planned to launch a rocket sometime between Saturday and Wednesday in order to put a communications satellite into orbit.

But the U.S., South Korea, Japan and others suspect it is a cover for testing a long-range missile for the North, which has nuclear weapons. Leaders from those countries had warned Pyongyang not to proceed with the planned rocket launch.

Such a test would be a first step toward putting a nuclear warhead on a missile capable of reaching Alaska and beyond.

U.S., Japan and South Korea had deployed warships with radar and other surveillance equipment in the waters near the communist nation to monitor the launch.

Two U.S. destroyers are believed to have departed from South Korea to monitor the launch. South Korea is using its destroyer equipped with Aegis ballistic missile defense technology, said a Seoul military official who asked not to be identified, citing department policy.

Japan deployed warships and Patriot missile interceptors off its northern coast to shoot down any wayward rocket parts that the North has said might fall over the area. Tokyo has said it is only protecting its territory and has no intention of trying to shoot down the rocket itself, but North Korea accused Japan of inciting militarism at home to justify developing a nuclear weapons program of its own.

In remarks Friday, President Barack Obama called the planned launch provocative. He that the threat of it put "enormous strains" on international talks over North Korea's disputed nuclear ambitions.

CBS News correspondent David Martin reports that the rocket is carrying what the North Koreans call a communications satellite, which probably looks a lot like the one former weapons inspector David Albright once saw in the country.

"It's called Lodestar and it's really just something that goes beep beep beep," Albright told Martin. "It's not a sophisticated satellite by any means."

So why are some of the world's most powerful nations, including the U.S., warning there will be a stern response?

"The trouble is that that same missile can be reconfigured into an intercontinental ballistic missile," Albright said.

North Korea threatened a "thunderbolt of fire" if Japan were to try to intercept the rocket and warning U.S. ships - dispatched to monitor the launch - to back off or risk getting hit, too.

[speakinup]

Well, I guess Obama showed HIM, didn't he.


Gotta love an effective leader !

No wonder we have no love for this ninny.

[souljam76]

The United States is in great danger with Obama. People should've voted for John McCain & Sarah Palin to be in office. Palin is from Alaska. She probably would do anything to protect her state. I supported COUNTRY FIRST. The United States needs to teach North Korea a lesson. The United States needs to launch U.S. air strikes on North Korea & going to WAR with North Korea. The United States needs to win too. then finish the war in Iraq & Afghanistan & Pakistan. BUT FIRST...NORTH KOREA!!!!!

[cs4466]

I would sure like to meet in person some of you tough talking punk a$$ pu$$ys. I would like to see you on your knees crying and begging.
Posted by woodjd42 at 5:30 AM : Apr 5, 2009

Some of these people are just loudmouth kids, some are just moron adults, and some like Bagdadshere are actually terrorists. Best to ignore them and let them do their hate thing. It doesn't change anything.

[Aldymac]

The launch by the north koreans was not a test of Barach Obama, it was a confirmation of how the leaders in N.Korea judged BOs strength, BO lost the test.
Combat senerio; you set up in ambush and watch your enemy who comes at first, strong, confident, able to destroy you even if you fire first. So you wait, they come and go as they please, then you notice they are less watchfull, less alert, pretty soon they aren't even carrying their weapons so they could instantly stirke back, lackadaisical, they are counting on the fear left on you the enemy, that was left on you by the former leader. NOW, you strike with a vengence, even though you are small you are able to inflict a great deal of damage simply because you had the patience to wait.
Electro magnetic pulse, EMP, has been around a few years, it is something that using three small neuclear devices in our atmosphere directly above the United States could destroy our entire way of life, easily put us back 100 years. All they need to do is get us used to them testing missles untill they get the range right, under the premise of sending communication satilites into space, then BAM, we would have absolutly no way to strike back.
Complacency, that is where the present administration is directing the American people, don't believe me? Look up the history of what Adolph Hitler did to the German people, Complacency is a very effective weapon, it was used on us in Viet Nam, it is being used on us by Osama Bin Ladin, it is being used on us by all our enemys now, because the "leaders" of our nation created massive amounts of hatred in order to win the 2008 elections. Divide the nation and conquer, that was the real stratigey of the crats, now that they have what they want as far as power over the American people, complacency has already set in, in terms of protecting the American people they have dropped their guard and are concentrating on gaining 'absolute' power.
In Viet Nam I learned to never underestimate the power of patience, 58,000 Americans died because patience is not one of our attributes, the confirmation of BO by the N.Koreans,,,,,,,is nothing to laugh at, we either become serious about our defence, or we become dead. The Asians still have lots of patience, do you?

[UR_Majesty]

woodjd, just what are you going to do to make people get on their knees and beg & cry ?

[woodjd42]

I would sure like to meet in person some of you tough talking punk a$$ pu$$ys. I would like to see you on your knees crying and begging.

[Underdogus-7]

It comforts me to know that the security of the United States against the existential threat posed by a nuclear-armed North Korea is in such stalwart, courageous, and decisive hands..

[UR_Majesty]

We will have to wait and see what The Great One does to punish North Korea.

[Underdogus-7]

BaghdadsHere..good morning baggie pants = )

[Underdogus-7]

But I don't want to leave you with the impression that we did nothing; heavens no! The Coalition of the Whining did plenty:
Chief Japanese Cabinet spokesman Takeo Kawamura announced that he was "highly concerned by this matter."

Japan demanded an emergency meeting of the U.N. to discuss the provocation.

President Barack Hussein Obama urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to "abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council""and not to be so "provocative."