North Korea Launched Six Missiles

July 4, 2006 — -- North Korea launched six missiles today, including one believed to be the long-range Taepodong-2, which is believed to be capable of reaching U.S. soil, U.S. government officials said.

The Bush administration called the missile launches "a clear provocation," but said there was no immediate threat to the United States.

The launches today put North Korea in violation of a moratorium on missile testing it signed in 1999.

The first two missiles launched appeared to be short-range missiles -- a Scud and a Nodong -- and both fell into the Sea of Japan. The third -- which broke up less than a minute after it launched -- was the longer range missile, sources said. After that, the North Koreans launched more short-range missiles. With its Scuds, North Korea could only hit targets in South Korea, but the Nodong, which has a range of more than 600 miles, could hit Japan.

The last time North Korea launched a Taepodong missile was in 1998, and that test failed as well.

The Bush administration had warned North Korea against testing the Taepodong-2, and has said Pyongyang should return to the six-party negotiations regarding its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has said it wants one-on-one talks with the United States, a demand the Bush administration has repeatedly spurned.

President Bush was in constant communication with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice andNational Security Adviser Stephen Hadley throughout the afternoon, White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

"There is no immediate threat to the United States," Snow said, but he added: "It is a provocation.... The North Koreans have clearly once again isolated themselves. They had been asked by partners in the region and the other parties in the six-party talks not to launch. They did it. ... We're continuing to analyze the situation."

"The U.S. has been in close and constant communication with its allies.... We have been in active talks with our allies over the past few days," Snow said.