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Kyodo via Reuters, file
Engineers check the top of a rocket sitting on the launch pad during a guided media tour by North Korean authorities last April. The launch, which was heavily criticized by Russia, China and the U.S., failed when the rocket broke apart over the sea.
Updated at 8:01 a.m. ET: Russia and China urged North Korea on Monday not to go ahead with a plan for its second rocket launch of 2012, with Moscow saying the launch would violate restrictions imposed by the U.N. Security Council.
North Korea's state news agency on Saturday announced the decision to launch another space satellite sometime between Dec. 10 and Dec. 22, and reportedly told neighbors it would take a similar path to that planned for a failed rocket launch in April.
The country is banned from conducting missile or nuclear-related activities under U.N. resolutions imposed after earlier nuclear and missile tests.
North Korea says the rockets are used to put satellites into orbit for peaceful purposes, but that assertion is not widely accepted.
'Grave provocation': North Korea vows to test long-range rocket
Washington and Seoul believe that the impoverished North is testing long-range missile technology with the aim of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Pyongyang's threats are aimed, in part, at winning concessions and aid from Washington, analysts say.
"We urgently appeal to the government (of North Korea) to reconsider the decision to launch a rocket," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Echoing its criticism of the April launch, Russia said North Korea had been warned not to ignore a U.N. Security Council resolution which "unambiguously prohibits (it) from launching rockets using ballistic technology."
South Korean warships are searching the Yellow Sea for debris from a recently failed rocket launch by North Korea. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Has North Korea learned its lessons about launches?
China was not so direct in its criticism of North Korea, but urged "all sides" not to take any action that "worsens the problem."
"China believes that maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia accords with the interests of all sides and is the joint responsibility of all sides," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters. "In the present circumstances, we hope all sides can be calm and restrained and not take any moves to worsen the problem. China will remain in touch and coordinate with all sides."
Election provocation?
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland condemned the launch plan on Sunday as a provocative threat to the Asia-Pacific region.
The warnings come just weeks before South Korea's Dec. 19 presidential election in which the handling of North Korea is a major campaign issue. The isolated North has for years tried to influence major events in the South by issuing propaganda or launching armed attacks.
Elizabeth Dalziel / AP
From work to play, see pictures from inside the secretive country.
Q&A: Rocket is 'not a military missile ... but it's darn close'
North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, and regional powers have for years been trying to rein in the North's nuclear program.
Countries trying to stop North Korea's arms program believe it is using rocket launches to perfect technology to build a missile arsenal capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States.
The state news agency in North Korea reports they have found an ancient unicorn lair in the capital, Pyongyang, but experts on the country say this is likely leadership using propaganda to make themselves seem superhuman. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
North Korea is under U.N. sanctions that ban trading in missile or nuclear technology that have driven its already dire economy deeper in trouble by cutting off what was once a lucrative source of hard cash.
NBC gets a rare peek inside North Korea
Russia has often balanced criticism of Soviet-era client state North Korea's nuclear activities and missile launches with calls on other powers to refrain from belligerent actions against it, which Russia says can be counterproductive. Past launches by Pyongyang have caused concern among Russians living near the country's border with North Korea.
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Interesting to see these two thug states who are openly abetting and supporting Syria's massacre of its own people, now claiming that a planned act by one of their closest friends, North Korea might violate a Security Council decision....
These inherently evil folks never do anything without an ulterior motive......Are they worried that if their "bud" North Korea pulls this off....it may tend to invalidate other Security Council rulings.....like not stopping the unabated slaughter of the Syrian people by a Russian/Chinese client who allows them free reign in that country?
Hah....hypocrisy is always an interesting topic....
Russia and China have a lot of businesses in North Korea because labour is far cheaper than even their own. They have NONE in Syria. And, who's slaughtering whom in Syria anyway? The rebels use tactics exactly same as terrorists and want to establish strict Shariah Law if they are victorious. They are in fact terrorists. Russia and China do not support terrorists. We do, however.
Israel does every day. What's the big news.
North Korea wants the ability to hit the U.S. with Nukes for Blackmail purposes.
Give us Food, Give us Oil, Give us Money. Or Else.
Talk about Dysfunctional.
Send them a Copy of our National Debt. Ask them for Donations.
That will Rattle their Brain.
You nailed it.
What's another rouge country to support....
Lets see. We borrow the money from China to give to North Korea so they will not harm us?
Move along, nothing to see here taxpayers.
The North Koreans think that a successful rocket launch will put them in a position to extort more aid out of the US and South Korea. In their minds, having the power to threaten the US by building missiles that can reach us will get us to give them more aid so that they won't. This is the twisted logic that is driving them. They think that the only way they lose with this test is if it is another failure. They think that the more of a threat they become, the more aid they can demand to stop their buildup. Unfortunately for them, this is not the way the US or South Korean government, or the rest of the world for that matter, is going to see this provocation. If anything it is going to serve to further isolate them and cut off all aid in order to try and cause a collapse of their current government when they can no longer feed their military, let alone the general public. If the Chinese and the Russians were to cut off or even just reduce their aid to North Korea it could have dire consequences for their economy and just might lead to the downfall of the current government. Hopefully the Russians and Chinese are serious this time and will actually follow through and penalize North Korea if they go through with this launch. The Kim family are power hungry egomaniacs and their rule over North Korea needs to come to an end if there is ever to be peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.
JS in SD
While I do agree on some points, we have created an atmosphere whereby the only way any country can gain international respect is to have nuclear weapons. Take Pakistan for instance. They hide and breed terrorism, get aid from Washington, and continually undermine efforts in the region. Why have we done nothing? Nuclear weapons.
I am not stating that this is the right course for NK, just that it seems to be the current way of things. The ability to kill a million people in an instant demands respect. Sad, but true.
What the leader wanted was Hostess Twinkies & other products: Now they're out of business. See the correlation between this missile launch and Hostess going under? This means war and Little Debbie won't suffice!
I'm really getting tired of this. Russia, China step up to the plate.Wrap them in and keep them warm and happy if necessary. Feed them, clothe them and tell them to knock this stuff off. Let's not have to glaze over an entire country. We can. They know it. Peace on earth please!
Well, the old man had a hankering for caviar and Jack Daniels, so why shouldn't junior have hs twinkies? Especially now that company a named (of all things) Bimbo in Mexico wants to buy the rights to make Twinkies. Kim Jr would be able to get them from Mexico a lot cheaper!
It is a prochecy of the bible that China will invade southwest asia and the middle-east and will not stop until they've reached the banks of the Euphratis River in Iraq. The world will do nothing about it just as they did nothing when China invaded Tibet.
No it's not. The bible makes no prochecy[sic] and doesn't mention the Chinese at all. Stop making stuff up Seriously.
"Russia, China press N. Korea to scuttle planned rocket launch"
Whoa! Easy does it Boys and Girls. Don't you think you're speaking out too soon?
Kinda like trying to close the barn door while half the horses are on their way out...
there are actually people out there who believe it. Where have China and Russia been since the last launch while North Korea laughed in their faces and said there would be more ? I suppose we all sit in protest ? Why don't we just have some tents in the White House lawn and invite China and Russia to bring their diplomats for a nice sit-in protest. Say for three days. Then, on the fourth day nothing will have changed and everyone can go home and claimed they at least tried to stop it. Same difference.
White is symbolic of spiritual purity. China, or fancy dinner plates and dishes, are white usually.
In China (and much of Southeast Asia), white is the color of mourning. It is associated with death and is the predominant color of clothing at funerals.
Why would someone devote all these resources to a missile program and then scrap it just because some diplomats asked? When the rocket is on the launchpad, diplomacy is no longer a viable tool. That ship had sailed when North Korea decided to pursue a missile program years ago.
Maybe it will go astray and land in downtown Peking.
Um....Isn't China urging North Korea to abort the launch?
No, actually, they're not urging them to abort the launch. They're just making the usual meaningless feel-good, be happy, love they neighbor political statements that are a complete and utter sham.
You do know that China has a lower murder rate than the US. Lower teen pregnancy rate. Etc.
Along the lines of my China ware dishes comment above. If you orient something, you arrange other things according to that item that everything is oriented on. It's the root word of Oriental.
...back to China's lower crime rate and the fact that they have not put their troops on the ground in a half dozen other nations at whim.
Not getting into the biblical end of this conversation; Revelations being in some ways too cryptic to deal with. A more modern and current look at the developing world situation in relation to North Korea's ability to build a launch vehicle capable of putting a satellite into orbit or delivering a warhead anywhere in the world. Several nations including Iran are looking for just such a vehicle. The market is there and the North Korean government surely will not pass up the opportunity to improve their economy, not to mention the power leverage it will give to the North in dealing with other countries. The danger here not symbolic in any way, it is a clear and present danger to world peace. We're not talking decades, we are talking a year or so at most.
The book of the Bible to which you are referring is "Revelation" (no s at the end). However, you are wise not to try to use Revelation as a predictor of future world events. Most biblical scholars believe that the author of this book is referring to Rome and it's hoped for imminent demise.
North Korea must be kept from acquiring long-range missile capability. Our national security is at stake.
China and Russia are not terribly serious about this. Also, China is in a position to put a real squeeze on Pyongyang, but chooses not to do so.
Don't you just love the foolish stupidity of greedy aggressive people. It amazes me that the world has not yet been engulfed in a nuclear or biological WW3.
It will. And sooner than we think.
MyMom-
Speaking for myself, given that it's the year 2012, the date of any possible WW3 is later than I expected back in the 1960s.
Pathetic Hypocrits China and Russia are "upset" about one rocket launch, only because it is in close proximity to them. But when 1000 are Fired at Israel in a Week, it's Alright. Or when Syria fires Russian made Rockets at their citizens MURDERING over 50,000, it's Alright. May North Korea's Rocket go Off Course and Land in China or Russia. Either would be Fine.
The larger majority of North Koreans are starving.....and N.K. wants to "invest" in a missle. It is insanity of a dark dimension.....They still are brainwashing their children to think that the U.S. soldiers eat Korean children. They use garbage wagons every morning to pick up the dead bodies (who have died from starvation) the night before....and they want to invest in a missle. Their new president/dictator/cult leader has spent some time outside N. Korea, being educated. And, he is instituting some changes, trying to copy the economics of China. And, he has purged the ranks of leaders. Hopefully, he will end some of the foolishness....but that won't happen overnight. He'll have to get rid of the old guard first.
That won't happen. He is their puppet.
Even though nothing is known about their failures,i'm positive our rocket detection and destruction systems have a lot more to do with their"failures" that they know and we are willing to talk about!
Send Jim Oberg back over, he took their rocket apart with just a glance.
With both Russia and China finally getting involved in this, it just adds to NK's credibility that they actually might have a missile capable of reaching Russia and China. Otherwise, Russia and China have been conveniently quiet during the development phase. Maybe the NK people have finally managed to steal enough info from Russia and China to make this thing work.
North Korea is basically a festering scab of a nation, driven insane by cult leadership, whose primary goal seems to be to instigate a nuclear clash between the US and China, distracting the world while they launch their assault on South Korea. Then North Korean populace is a brainwashed cult of kowtowing idiots, worshiping their self-anointed demigod FatAssBoy. If the entire country were to sink into the earth's mantle, nobody would care one iota about them anymore, and the South Koreans would probably officially party for a solid year.
This screams me more then the Russian Missle crisis in 61, the Russian government was not as crazy as the NK military and knew the US would attack them back. Well NK is just stupid enough to launch something and not think of the consequences of it, like the missle falls on Russia or China, or maybe Hits the US, which would cause the war in Korea to take off again. Not what the world needs. I just think the US should let them launnch it and the burn it down with the ABL (Airbourne Laser) you know they have and let it fall in the middle of the ocean.
I'm still waiting for the International Community to settle the score from the last launch. Of coarse N.Korea is going to continue with plans for a long range rocket. The "ignore them and they'll go away" approach just doesn't cut it, it's right up there with sanctions and drones (which murder innocent lives).
I understand they killed the last Chief Fuse Engineer and he was replaced by a younger, rocket enthusiest.That should make it more likely to work this time.So far,all they have managed to hit has been the Pacific Ocean.They have a ways to go before the start flying their rockets into smaller land masses.
For an impoverished country they sure have alot of cool $hit!
That's how they get their money to build rockets. Transfer the wealth.
Maybe the US should test there defence missiles on the NK rocket/missile. Would that make a statement or what.