N. Korea defends right to 'explore space' amid missile claim

[Coventina]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- North Korea defended Thursday its right to explore outer space after reports that a rocket, believed by the United States to be a long-range missile, had been positioned on its launch pad.

North Korea recently informed a pair of U.N. agencies that it plans to launch a satellite. The launch is believed to be slated for sometime between April 4 to 8, according to Yonhap, South Korea's state-sponsored news agency.

North Korea's announcement has triggered international consternation. U.S. and South Korean officials have long said the North is actually preparing to test-fire a long-range missile under the guise of a satellite launch.

Pyongyang lashed out against critics on Thursday in a commentary reported in the state-run KCNA news service.



Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/26/north.korea.missile/?iref=mpstoryview

[tomm2thumbs]

1. hope the Chinese knock it down

would be an hilarious slap in their face - whatcha gonna do, attack China??

[TygrBright]

2. uh-huh. "Explore space." uh-huh.

Why does the word "lame" come to mind?

dryly,
Bright

[ElboRuum]

3. Anyone buying this?

If so, here's your sign. <-- Bill Engvall reference and forgive me for making it.

[Algorem]

4. leave the missile shooting to us insatiable druggies,Shorty McDictater.

[daleo]

5. They do have this right

Though I doubt that this is really their goal.

Most space exploration has military applications, if only to perfect rocket technology and maintain operational capability.

[ohio2007]

6. Iranian missile experts in North Korea ahead of rocket launch

A GROUP of Iranian missile experts is in North Korea to help Pyongyang prepare for a rocket launch, Japan's Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported on Sunday.The news comes as spy satellites have photographed the nose cone of a long-range North Korean rocket on its launch pad, but its remains unclear whether it is carrying a satellite or a warhead.

North Korea has said it will launch a communications satellite over northern Japan between April 4 and 8, and the report said the 15-strong Iranian delegation had been in the country since the beginning of this month.

It includes senior officials with Iranian rocket and satellite producer Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, the daily said, quoting unnamed sources.

The Iranians brought a letter from their President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il stressing the importance of cooperating on space technology, it added.

The United States and its Asian allies suspect North Korea is using the launch as a cover for a long-range missile test.

snip
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25259115-601,00.html

Japan will be monitoring very closely also;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAcBC7X-vG0&feature=player_embedded

( it's mentioned at the end of the short vid )

[Blandocyte]

7. ala Maxwell Smart, "Ah, the old 'exploring space' trick..."

Welcome another country into the decimation of their economy for military spending.

[ohio2007]

8. Japan Set to Fire at N. Korean Missile if Launch Goes Awry

TOKYO, March 27 -- Japan ordered its military on Friday to destroy a North Korean missile or its debris if the launch fails and falling pieces of the rocket imperil Japanese territory.

Japan ordered two destroyers equipped with American-built Aegis antimissile systems into the Sea of Japan and said it will soon move Patriot land-to-air missiles to the country's northern coast, over which the North Korean rocket is likely to fly.



snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032700501.html?hpid=topnews

[unkachuck]

9. what's the big deal....

....satelites are launched all the time....it's a launch party!

....Iran brings the war-head, I mean satellite, North Korea brings the missile, they light the fuse, tell a few jokes and laugh as they eat pizza and drink beer....harmless....

"The launching of the long-range rocket is a clear violation of the U.N. Security Council Resolution No. 1718..."

....well, what are you going to do about it?....everybody knows Security Council Resolutions are meant to be broken....just ask Israel....

....all NK is going to get out of their launch is more respect and kinder, gentler treatment from us and our allies....they do have a god-given right to pollute space like everyone else....maybe the rocket will blow up on the pad; that would be really cool....

[Phoonzang]

10. If the missile goes one inch "off course" I hope they do take it down.

North Korea's "oh look we're being good...now we're not....no wait...we're good" shit is really getting old.

[Bill McBlueState]

11. What, are they sending a missile to Europa?

I guess the North Koreans are going along with the common trend of thinking "low Earth orbit" and "outer space" are synonymous.

[ohio2007]

12. The course is to fly over Japan then Hawaii if it makes it out of the atmosphere in one piece.

Everybody will focus attention on Kim and his glorious workers party nation sometime after April fools day.