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North Korea fires at least 3 missiles By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer
3 minutes ago



North Korea launched a long-range missile Wednesday that may be capable of reaching the United States but it failed after 35 or 40 seconds, two State Department officials said.

The missile was one of at least three that were fired. The two others were short-range missiles. All landed in the Sea of Japan, said the Japanese government, which was unable to confirm that they included a long-range missile.

The officials in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the long-range missile was the Taepodong-2, North Korea's most advanced missile with a range of up to 9,320 miles.

The launch came after weeks of speculation that the North was preparing to test its advanced Taepodong-2 missile from a site on its northeast coast. The preparations had generated stern warnings from the United States and Japan, which had threatened possible economic sanctions in response.

The Sea of Japan lies between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

"North Korea has gone ahead with the launch despite international protest," Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said. "That is regrettable from the standpoint of Japan's security, the stability of international society, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

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AP reporters Larry Margasak in Washington and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

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Four of the five missiles — all fired over a four-hour period — were short range, but the other was a long-range missile — which failed after 35 seconds — that U.S. officials believe is capable of reaching the United States. The short-range missiles landed in the Sea of Japan.

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Report: N. Korea launches 7th missile
2 minutes ago



North Korea has launched a seventh missile, a news report said Wednesday, citing Japanese government sources.

North Korea fired the latest missile at 5:22 p.m. (4 a.m. EDT), Kyodo News agency reported. The missile landed 6 minutes later, the report said.

Defense officials could not immediately confirm the report. It was unclear what type of missile was launched or where it landed.

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China, Russia resist North Korea sanctions By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
2 minutes ago



China and Russia resisted an attempt by the U.S., Japan, and Britain to impose sanctions against North Korea for its missile launches Wednesday, saying only diplomacy could halt the isolated regime's nuclear and rocket development programs.

Japan, within range of North Korean missiles, circulated a U.N. Security Council resolution that would ban any country from transferring funds, material and technology that could be used in North Korea's missile and weapons of mass destruction programs.
China, the North's closest ally, and Russia, which has been trying to re-establish Soviet-era ties with Pyongyang, countered that they favor a weaker council statement without any threat of sanctions. Because both countries hold veto power on the council, their positions will make it very difficult to win approval for tough measures against Pyongyang.

North Korea, which has proclaimed itself a nuclear weapons state, has said sanctions would amount to a declaration of war.

China and Russia are clearly concerned that a U.N. demand for such measures would only make the current situation worse and delay a return to six-party talks. China and Russia are part of the talks along with North and South Korea, the United States and Japan.

In a possible sign that Moscow's and Beijing's position may carry the day, President Bush addressed the issue in a subdued manner without the harsh warnings that he had issued as recently as last week when he said that a missile launch would be unacceptable.

Bush said Wednesday that the failure of North Korea's long-range missile test does not lessen the need to push the communist regime to give up its nuclear weapons program.

"One thing we have learned is that the rocket didn't stay up for very long," Bush said about the Taepodong-2 missile that failed 42 seconds after liftoff Tuesday. "It tumbled into the sea."

"It doesn't diminish my desire to solve this problem," he said in Washington.

The failure of the Taepodong-2 missile — the object of intense international attention for more than a month — suggested a catastrophic failure of the rocket's first, or booster, stage. A working version of the intercontinental missile could potentially reach the United States with a light payload.

The North also fired six shorter-range missiles on Wednesday, arguing it had the right to such launches. All of them apparently fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan.

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