Satellite or Missile? World, N. Korea at Odds Over Rocket

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2009— -- The United States military is disputing North Korea's claim that it placed a satellite in orbit, saying whatever was atop last night's North Korean missile launch landed in the Pacific Ocean without making it into space.

In the first detailed analysis of the North Korean launch, a statement from United States Northern Command (Northcom) acknowledged that North Korea had launched a Taepo Dong 2 missile at 10:30 p.m. EDT Saturday.

North Korea's Central News Agency has been reporting that it successfully launched a satellite into orbit containing "necessary measuring and communications facilities" that have been broadcasting songs praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. "

Northcom's tracking of the launch indicated the missile passed over the Sea of Japan and Japan. Additional tracking of the three-stage missile showed the first stage of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan and "the remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean."

Further analysis indicated "no object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan."

According to the statement, the "space launch vehicle" was not seen as "a threat to North America or Hawaii" and the United States "took no action in response to this launch."

The military's assessment was the first analysis of North Korea's launch since the State Department's initial confirmation of the launch shortly after it took place.

Traveling in Prague, President Obama condemned the launch as a "provocation" and said North Korea had "ignored ts international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint and further isolated itself from the community of nations."

He continued, "Now is the time for a strong international response, and North Korea must know that the path to the security and respect will never come through threats and illegal weapons."

The U.N. Security Council will meet in an emergency session Sunday afternoon to discuss what potential ramifications North Korea should face for the launch which the United States and Japan say is a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 that bans North Korean ballistic missile activity.