Tel-Chai Nation

Kim Jong-Il's regime has launched a missile that went over Japan (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin):

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea appeared to launch a rocket on Sunday, the Japanese government said, defying calls from world leaders to scrap a plan that has caused international alarm.

It was not immediately clear if the launch had been successful, or if it was a long-range version of the rocket.

The rocket is supposed to fly over Japan, dropping boosters to its west and east on a path that runs southwest of Hawaii.

The United States, South Korea and Japan say the plan is actually the test of a Taepodong-2 missile, which is designed to carry a warhead as far as Alaska.

This is something that shows they are a threat. Experts advise not to underestimate how dangerous this is (Hat tip: Big Dog's Weblog):

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea's rocket may have fallen into the sea, but military experts cautioned Monday against calling it a complete failure, noting that it traveled twice as far as any missile the country has launched.

Although the distance was still far short of showing North Korea could reach U.S. territory, it rattled the North's neighbors and countries around the globe, with the U.S. and its allies pushing for quick punishment at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting held hours after liftoff.

The launch, which demonstrated progress, is a particularly worrying development for a belligerent country that says it has nuclear weapons and once threatened to turn Seoul into a "sea of fire."

President Barack Obama, faced with his first global security crisis, called for an international response and condemned North Korea for threatening the peace and stability of nations "near and far" with what Pyongyang claimed was a satellite launch and its neighbors suspect was a test of a long-range missile technology.

"North Korea broke the rules, once again, by testing a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles," Obama said in Prague. "This provocation underscores the need for action, not just ... in the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons."

This is a real test for Obama to see if he can actually show he's serious in dealing with them without kid gloves, but so far, only time can tell what reaction his administration will have to this.

Some other experts have said that these missiles could reach the United States, and it would be foolish to underestimate the power of North Korea's technological research.

Others on the subject include Jane Q. Republican, Hot Air, Nice Deb, Fire Andrea Mitchell, Gazzer's Gabfest.

Labels: Asia, Korea, terrorism