Obama Threatens North Korea Over Launch

Early this morning, North Korea, in spite of repeated warnings from the United States and some of its allies, launched its long-range missile test. And while the launch appears to have had mixed results, that did not stop President Obama from condemning it as a “provocation.”

Obama was reportedly awakened at 4:30 AM with news of the test, and from the hostility in his comments he seemed like he could have used a better night’s sleep. In his speech today, Obama declared that “North Korea broke the rules once more by testing a rocket that could be used for a long-range missile.” He added that it “underscores the need for action – not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.”

It didn’t take long after the launch for Rasmussen Reports to conduct a telephone survey of American opinion on the launch. Stunningly, 57 percent of US voters supported a military attack against North Korea to eliminate its ability to launch missiles in the future. Only 15 percent opposed military measures.