North Korea Tests Long Range Missile

A day after threatening an “annihilating” nuclear attack on the U.S., North Korea took ominous steps towards fulfilling that frightening objective, test-firing a long-range missile Wednesday that may be capable of reaching America.

The missile failed seconds after launch.

Ignoring stern U.S. and Japanese warnings, North Korea also tested five shorter range missiles.

All of the missiles crashed into the Sea of Japan separating the island from the Korean Peninsula, officials said.

“We do consider it provocative behaviour,” U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said.

“We will take stern measures,” adds chief Japanese government spokesman Shinzo Abe, adding that economic sanctions were a possibility.

U.S. President George W. Bush consulted with Hadley, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

“It wasn’t that he (the president) was surprised because we’ve seen this coming for a while,” Hadley said. “I think his instinct is that this just shows the defiance of the international community by North Korea.”

Hadley suggested the tests might have been an attempt to grab the international spotlight.

“It’s very difficult to know what the North Koreans think they are doing this for,” Hadley said.

“Obviously, it is a bit of an effort to get attention, perhaps because so much attention has been focused on the Iranians.”