Tue, Feb 17, 2009
US Believes It's Really Another Missile Test
United States intelligence based on spy satellite photos
suggests North Korea is preparing another test on a long-range
Taepodong-2 missile. North Korea has responded to the accusation by
claiming it is getting set to launch a satellite.
CNN cites reports from South Korea's Yonhap news agency that the
claim may be posturing ahead of this week's planned visit to South
Korea by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency called the
missile test accusation a "vicious trick."
"One will come to know later what will be launched in the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea... Space development is the
independent right of the DPRK and the requirement of the developing
reality," reads an official government statement.
Yonhap reports this would not be North Korea's first try at
space. After a similar launch in 1998, the country claimed success
in putting a satellite in orbit. US intelligence officials later
said a three-stage missile was used as a launch vehicle for a small
satellite, but the attempt failed when the third stage broke up
before reaching orbit.
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan told his parliament,
"Whether it is a missile or a satellite, [a launch] would
constitute a violation of the UN Security Council's Resolution
1718."
North Korea last fired a Taepodong missile in July 2006,
as ANN reported. The flight reportedly ended
42 seconds after liftoff due to problems with the rocket's first
stage.
The timing of this latest show of force from the belligerent
Communist state is likely not by accident, as the news came during
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's first state visit to Japan
Monday.
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