North Korea Sinks Seventh Missle

7th N. Korean missile intensifies furor
By JOSEPH COLEMAN, Associated Press Writer

North Korea test-fired a seventh missile Wednesday, intensifying the furor that began when the reclusive regime defied international protests by launching a long-range missile and at least five shorter-range rockets earlier in the day. The missiles, all of which apparently fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan, provoked international condemnation, the convening of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and calls in Tokyo for economic sanctions against the impoverished communist regime.

Ambassadors from the 15 nations on the U.N. Security Council met in an emergency meeting to discuss a response. Japan said it was considering calling for sanctions against North Korea in a U.N. resolution, while China's ambassador indicated that Beijing would favor a much weaker council statement.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the council must send a "strong and unanimous signal" to the North that its actions were unacceptable.

China, North Korea's neighbor and most important ally, urged all parties to stay calm.

"We are seriously concerned with the situation which has already happened," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a statement on the ministry's Web site.

"We hope that all the relevant sides ... do more things which are conducive to peace and stability ... and not take any actions to escalate and complicate the situation," the statement said.

Two State Department officials, 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. Some experts believe it could reach the United States with a light payload.

North Korea's missile program is based on Scud technology provided by the former Soviet Union or Egypt, according to American and South Korean officials. North Korea started its Rodong-1 missile project in the late 1980s and test-fired the missile for the first time in 1993.

North Korea had observed a moratorium on long-range missile launches since 1999.

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I'm starting to feel like N Korea is having a temper tantrum. If you can imagive Mr Jong-Il jumping up and down screaming, "Iran got incentives! Where's my incentives?!"

I'm sure as soon as they find another rubber band and a few more gerbils they'll launch an eighth missle.