The China Daily today reported the following. "North Korea fired a short-range missile toward waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, a South Korean intelligence official said Tuesday, amid signs of progress in ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The North "fired the short-range missile around 3:30 (2:30 a.m. EDT)," the South Korean official said on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the issue." There were no comments in addition to this extremely brief article.
This was the second missile firing in as many weeks, and comes after the test-firing of a number of short-range missiles, into the Sea of Japan, on 26th May 2007.
These events come as the UN nuclear inspectors prepare to visit North Korea next week. This is ostensibly to discuss the monitoring and verification of shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear reactor. Am I alone in feeling that we have been here before, with both Iraq and Iran?
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2 comments:
Mark
Wonder why Japan or S. Korea dosen't consider this an act of war?
Ben,
Because it's not. However, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are all showing constraint in what is no more than sabre rattling by Pyongyang.
China would have dealt with this "embarrassing " situation a long time ago, if Putin hadn't stuck his nose into the region.
However, I wake up each morning half expecting the 'Dear Leader' to have had an unfortunate accident and conveniently replaced by a pro-Beijing technocrat.
Best wishes,
Mark
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