North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday, defying months of pressure from the United States and its allies over what they said was an illegal ballistic missile test.
US President Barack Obama swiftly condemned Pyongyang’s “provocative” act, South Korea denounced it as a “reckless” threat to world security, and the UN Security Council set an emergency meeting for later Sunday.
Japan said the rocket flew over its territory while the boosters landed safely in the waters off its coasts, and that it had not moved to intercept the rocket — something North Korea had warned would be seen as an act of war.
But the launch, which the North said was a peaceful move to test a communications satellite, angered nations which have held years of nuclear disarmament talks with Kim Jong-Il’s secretive communist regime.
N Korea aims high with rocket launch – 05 Apr 09
Whatever happened to all the big talk of: “If you launch, it will be an act of war…”
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