According to the White House Briefing on July 4th, 2006 on the record briefing by Mr. Snow and Mr. Hadley, attributable to them: (1)

The Three launches today by North Korea. One occurring at 2:33 p.m. eastern time, the second one at approximately 3:04 p.m. eastern time, a third one at approximately 4:01 p.m. eastern time.

The first two were either short or medium range ballistic missiles; the White House does not want to get too specific because they did not nailed it down yet. Both landed short of Japan. The third was a Taepodong-2 that vanished shortly after launch, less than a minute after launch. That was a failed launch of the Taepodong-2.

It is clear information that there were three launches today out of North Korea. The first two took place at Kittaeryong. The first two from Kittaeryong, the third from the Taepodong test site. The President was notified in all three cases. He has spoken with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor. That was a failed launch; it failed less than a minute into flight.

The President was notified in all three cases. He has spoken with the National Secretary of Advisor, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State. There have also been diplomatic contacts between the United States with the South Korean National Security Advisor, his South Korean counterpart, who is in town.

The South Koreans, the Japanese and the Chinese all have asked them not to do it. The United States now will work with the other parties in the six-party talks to figure out the appropriate way to move forward. The North Koreans have once again isolated themselves!!!

Mr. Hadley thinks that the September 2005 agreement that was reached in the six-party talks committed all the parties to the security and enhancing the security of Northeast Asia and, of course, we think that this kind of activity does not enhance the security of Northeast Asia and therefore is inconsistent with at least the spirit and maybe even the letter of the September 2005 agreement.

It is determined as "provocative behavior". The sixth launch has not been confirmed. (1)

Ironically, People are celebrating the 4th of July United States' Independents Day and a rocket's red glare the Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off in air from Kennedy Space Center in a spectacular display of sound and the light bursting of Independence Day.

According to seattlepi.com dated July 4th, 2006, The 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. It shocked the world in 1998 by firing a Taepodong missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean. (2)

The United States and its allies South Korea and Japan have taken quick steps over the past week to strengthen their missile defenses. Washington and Tokyo are working on a joint missile-defense shield, and South Korea is considering the purchase of American SM-2 defensive missiles for its destroyers.

Before the North Korea acknowledged a rare meeting with U.S, the White House spokesman Scott McClellan declared on April 18, 2005 that the US could take North Korea to the UN Security Council, with unspecified punitive consequences, if it failed to resume six-party talks over its nuclear programs. (2)

Japan plans to introduce a U.N. resolution protesting the tests according to news reports (2).

The last six-party talks were held in June 2004 and the last meeting between the US and North Korea took place on 13 May, 2005, also in New York. The US wanted North Korea to resume talks on its nuclear weapons programme at that time. The six governments participating in those negotiations are China, Japan, South Korea and Russia in addition to North Korea and the United States. (4)

The Bush administration is well aware that North Korea has threatened to respond to any blockade as an act of war. That will not stop it from pursuing an aggressive policy that has the potential to trigger military conflict in what has historically been one of the most hotly contested and volatile areas of the globe. (3)

It is positive to see the world and US recognizes the serious problem about the North Korea nuclear weapons. It is showing the abidance that the U. S. and the world need support on this critical issue.

References:

1) Retrieved on July 4th, 2006

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060704-1.html

2) Retrieved on July 4th, 2006

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104AP_NKorea_Missile.html

3) Retrieved on July 4th, 2006

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104AP_NKorea_Missile.html

4) Retrieved in June 6, 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4615669.stm

5) Retrieved in June 6, 2005
Press Gaggle by Scott McClellan Aboard Air Force One En route Columbia, South Carolina,

Dated April 18, 2005

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050418.html#3

Reported by catch4all.com, Sandra Englund, July 4th, 2006.