The Latest on the U. S. response to North Korea’s latest missile launch (all times local) :
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on the U. S. response to North Korea’s latest missile launch (all times local) : 1: 35 p.m. A Pentagon spokesman says the long-range missile that North Korea test-launched Tuesday was a type not previously seen by U. S. analysts. The spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said Wednesday the missile was fired from a mobile launcher at an aircraft plant about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. That is a location not previously used for missile launches. The missile, which Davis declined to describe more precisely, was the first intercontinental-range weapon that North Korea has tested. A private analyst estimated that it had the potential to reach Alaska. Davis criticized North Korea for not following the international convention of providing advance notice of a missile launch so that commercial ships, airliners and satellites are not endangered. ___ 8: 05 a.m. Following North Korea’s missile launch, President Donald Trump is expressing frustration with China over its expanding trade with North Korea. Trump had expressed optimism after his first meeting with China’s president that the two would work together to curb North Korea’s nuclear pursuits. But North Korea on Tuesday launched what U. S. and South Korean officials confirm was an intercontinental ballistic missile. The president tweeted Wednesday, „Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us – but we had to give it a try!“ North Korea’s latest missile launch Tuesday, confirmed by U. S. and South Korean officials as an intercontinental ballistic missile, have prompted calls for stronger measures against Pyongyang. As he departed for Poland Wednesday, Trump added that he thinks „we’re going to do very well“ in responding to North Korea’s latest threat. ___ 3: 37 a.m. Tensions with North Korea are on the rise. This, after the United States concluded that North Korea’s latest missile launch was indeed an intercontinental ballistic missile, the kind capable of reaching the U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the development a „new escalation of the threat“ to the U. S. The United Nations Security Council is to hold an emergency session on Wednesday afternoon. Previously, North Korea had demonstrated missiles of short and medium range but never one able to get to the United States. In a show of force directly responding to North Korea’s provocation, U. S. and South Korean soldiers fired „deep strike“ missiles into South Korean territorial waters on Tuesday. U. S. military officials say that exercise was a show of U. S.-South Korean solidarity. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
