North Korea Test-Fires Seventh Missile

[michele]

so far that I can see this is the latest count. and this article has been updated since I last posted it. I am not sure Pyongyang is finished with his show yet, though.

North Korea Test-Fires Seventh Missile
Launch Comes After Controversial Long-Range Rocket Fails; U.N. Session Set After U.S., Japan Condemn Action

TOKYO July 5 -- Japan slapped limited economic sanctions on North Korea Wednesday and moved with the United States to condemn Pyongyang in advance of a hastily called session of the U. N. Security Council after the Stalinist state unnerved the region by test launching a barrage of least seven missiles.

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But the missile considered most dangerous to the United States -- the long-range Taepodong-2 potentially capable of hitting targets on the U.S. West Coast -- appeared to fail on its first test flight after only 35 seconds and before it entered the second of two-stages

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Enraged by the tests, the government in Tokyo took the lead in a global response, announcing it would bar entry to a North Korean ferry that has long operated between North Korea and Japanese ports.


washingtonpost


related article:

N Korea's missiles met by Japanese sanctions

Meanwhile, Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Aso was consulting by telephone with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The two agreed that the UN Security Council should take up the issue.

Washington denounced the launches as a "provocation" soon after they were confirmed. "You're going to see a lot of diplomatic activity here in the next 24-48 hours, said National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. US anti-missile systems based in Alaska, California and at sea were on alert but not activated.

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In December last year, the Koizumi government formally committed to the joint development of a new sea-based interceptor missile, called the Standard Missile-3 (SM3), as a main pillar of the US-led system. The joint development cost is estimated at a maximum of $2.7 billion, with Japan shouldering up to $1.2 billion and the US paying the rest.

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On June 23, Japan and the US signed an agreement to formally begin the joint development of an advanced SM3. And recently, the Bush administration reportedly notified Tokyo that it would deploy PAC3 missiles at a base in Okinawa by year's end. The deployment will be the first time the surface-to-air missiles have been installed to defend US forces in Japan from possible North Korean missile attacks.

more at Asia Times

[Geronimo]

Korea is a paper Tiger. They only have enough food to supply their army with for maybe a week. The only country in real danger is SK(we have ABM Battery in Japan). Any attack on SK will be met with overwhelming force. If NK was as crazy as they are trying to make out they would have attacked by now considering we have our hands full.

[Joe98]

They only have enough food to supply their army with for maybe a week.

Its only 400k from the border to Pusan.

If US intelligence estimates 1 week supply this means it must be 4 weeks.

Any attack on SK will be met with overwhelming force

But it will take 2 weeks to get the overwhelming force there.


Ultimately this is not the issue. North Korea is paranoid. They believe the US would be the agressor. The purpose of building the missile is to deter the US.