U.S. presses for punishment after N. Korea rocket launch

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS — Confronted by North Korea’s defiant rocket launch, the U.N. Security Council met in emergency session today at Japan’s request, but diplomats said any action would come later in the week.

The U.S. and its allies say they intend to push for unanimous condemnation of the nuclear-armed nation, and may seek to expand existing economic sanctions.

President Barack Obama said the launch of a rocket threatened the peace and stability of nations “near and far.”

The rocket appears to have fizzled in Pacific Ocean but is believed to be designed to reach U.S. soil.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice called the launch a “clear violation” of the council’s 2006 sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program and long-range missile testing.

“North Korea broke the rules, once again, by testing a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles,” President Barack Obama said in Prague. “It creates instability in their region, around the world. This provocation underscores the need for action, not just this afternoon in the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.”