Εκτόξευση πυραύλου ως αύριο από την Πιονγιάνγκ «βλέπει» η Ν. Κορέα

Above is a natural color, 60 centimeter (2 foot) high-resolution QuickBird satellite image featuring the Musudan Ri missile launch facility, formerly known as Taepo-dong

The vehicle is being prepared for launch sometime between April 4 and April 8 according to North Korea government sources. Fifteen space launch experts from Iran are providing technical assistance at the launch site. The pad site is expected to have either snow or rain in the afternoon on April 4, cloudy skies on April 5 and clear skies from April 6 to 10, the unnamed government source said

Η Βόρεια Κορέα είναι σχεδόν βέβαιο ότι το Σάββατο –καιρού επιτρέποντος- θα προχωρήσει στην εκτόξευση πυραύλου μεγάλου βεληνεκούς, δήλωσε ο πρόεδρος της Νότιας Κορέας Λι Μιουνγκ Μπακ στο περιθώριο της Συνόδου της G20 και υποσχέθηκε «μία σκληρή και αυστηρή απάντηση». Επανέλαβε δε, ότι ενδεχόμενη εκτόξευση πυραύλου σημαίνει παραβίαση των αποφάσεων του συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας του ΟΗΕ και κάλεσε τη διεθνή κοινότητα να στείλει ένα αυστηρό μήνυμα στην Πιονγιάνγκ (αλήθεια ποιά παραβίαση γίνεται ?) .

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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea is making final preparations for a rocket launch the United States said could come as early as Saturday, pushing ahead with a plan widely seen as a disguised long-range missile test.Analysts said the launch helps North Korean leader Kim Jong-il shore up support after a suspected stroke in August raised questions of his grip on power, and bolsters his hand in using military threats to wrangle concessions from global powers."They're doing everything consistent with the launch of a space vehicle on April 4," the U.S. defense official told Reuters on Thursday on condition of anonymity."We consider the situation as being imminent," a South Korean government official said.North Korea has said it will send a satellite into space between April 4-8 and insists it has the right to do so as a part of a peaceful space program.South Korea and Japan say the launch is a disguised test of the long-range Taepodong-2 missile, which is designed to carry a warhead capable of reaching U.S. territory but which blew apart about 40 seconds after launch during its only test flight in July 2006.