Kim Jong IL Continues Provocations.

Dictator Kim kept up his rhetoric this week as well as firing off a half dozen or so missiles with more apparently on the launch pad.

N.Korea May Try Launching Another Long-Range Missile
North Korea has another long-range Taepodong-2 missile of the kind that crashed into the ocean after launch on Wednesday, according to a confidential report by South Korea's National Intelligence Service. That means another test launch is likely once the North figures out how to fix the defect that scuppered the first attempt. Officials also contradicted reports Wednesday that the missile blew up in midair 42 seconds after launch, saying it actually traveled for seven minutes after veering from its original trajectory.

The report was submitted to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Committee members quoted it as saying North Korea at the beginning of May moved two Taepodong-2 missiles from Pyongyang. Based on the hypothesis that the missile failed due to a technical defect, there is a A very strong possibility that the North will launch the second missile once the problem has been scrutinized and fixed.
Meanwhile South Korea's leftist President Roh Moo-Hyun maintains his silence on the matter as he continues to send aid to his comrade in the North.
President Keeps Mum on N.Korea's Missile Launch
President Roh Moo-hyun maintained his public silence Friday about North Korea's test launch of seven missiles two days earlier. Roh appeared in public for the first time since the test launches to preside over a forum for innovation in public organizations, but did not mention the missile issue. Including the time since intelligence about an imminent launch became more concrete in mid-June, Roh has been silent on an issue that drew condemnation from global leaders for 19 days now. At a celebration for Korean War veterans on June 25, he merely said, As the North Korean missile issue shows, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula can change at any time.
Critics feel Roh is not doing enough as head of state of North Korea's immediate neighbor, saying the silence is particularly marked coming from a usually outspoken president. By contrast, Roh has been vocal in favoring the North, telling Koreans in Los Angeles in November 2004 that there was some sense in Pyongyang's attempt to obtain nuclear weapons, and promising many concessions to the North during a Mongolia visit in May this year.
Bush attempts consensus building on the matter. Good luck accomplishing that at the U.N. or with getting any Chinese or Russian support.

Bush Wants Clear Lines Set for N. Korea

By JENNIFER LOVEN
CHICAGO (AP) - President Bush said Friday he wants to rally world support in confronting North Korea over its missile tests to send an unmistakable message to the leader of the communist regime.
``It's your choice, Kim Jong Il. You've got the choice to make,'' Bush said.
Bush sought to explain why he was committed to seeking U.N. Security Council support on dealing with North Korea, whereas he launched the invasion of Iraq in 2003 after failing to obtain the council's support.
``All diplomatic options were exhausted as far as I was concerned'' in confronting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Bush said.
At the same time, Bush conceded that awaiting U.N. consensus, both on dealing with North Korea and Iran, was adding to delay.
``You know, the problem with diplomacy: It takes a while to get something done. If you're acting alone, you can move quickly,'' Bush said
He said he wanted to make clear to the North Korean leader ``with more than one voice'' that the world condemned the test firing this week of seven missiles, including a long-range missile that failed.

Fertilizer aid bound for the North Korean city of Haeju is loaded at Ulsan Port on Thursday.Yonhap

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