North Korea fires their big rocket...

The launch appears to have been more successful than the last attempt. 

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- North Koreans danced in the streets of their capital Wednesday after the Pyongyang regime successfully fired a long-range rocket, defying international warnings and taking a big step forward in its quest to develop a nuclear-tipped missile.

The rocket launch will enhance the credentials of 20-something leader Kim Jong Un at home a year after he took power following the death of his father Kim Jong Il. It is also likely to bring fresh sanctions and other punishments from the U.S. and its allies, which were quick to condemn the launch as a test of technology for a missile that could attack the U.S. mainland. Pyongyang says it was merely a peaceful effort to put a satellite into orbit.

The White House called it a "highly provocative act that threatens regional security."

Even China, North Korea's closest ally, expressed "regret" that North Korea went ahead with the launch "in spite of the extensive concerns of international community," said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei.

Fail: North Korean long-range rocket breaks apart after one minute of flight

This wouldn't be a good day to be a North Korean rocket scientist.

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN) -- Defying warnings from the international community, North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Friday, but it broke apart before escaping the earth's atmosphere and fell into the sea, officials said.

"It flew about a minute, and it flew into the ocean," said Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

He added that Japanese authorities "have not identified any negative impacts, so far," though he said the international ramifications could be significant. "This is something that we think is a regrettable development," he said.

Joseph Cirincione, president of the global security foundation The Ploughshares Fund, told CNN that the launch's apparent failure "shows the weakness of the North Korea missile program" and suggests that the threat from North Korea has been "exaggerated."

"It's a humiliation," he told CNN. "I wouldn't want to be a North Korean rocket scientist today."

Hope North Korea likes the taste of rocket exhaust

The U.S. threatens to cut off food aid to North Korea if they go ahead with the planned ballistic missile test rocket launch. Rumors are the will soon conduct another nuclear test. Lets review; launch a rocket that can hit the U.S. and follow it up with a nuclear test. I will give you one guess what message they are trying to send.

Via ABC News:

The White House bluntly warned North Korea on Tuesday that going ahead with a long-range rocket launch would mean an end to planned American food aid to the secretive and starvation-plagued country.

"It's impossible to imagine that we would be able to follow through (and) provide the nutritional assistance that we had planned on providing, given what would be a flagrant violation of North Korea's basic international obligations," Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One.

North Korea says its rocket launch, expected between Thursday and Monday, aims to put a satellite called Kwangmyongsong-3 (Shining Star) in orbit as it marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the regime's founder, Kim Il Sung. But the United States and other countries have denounced the move as an attempt to test, or show off, the country's ballistic missile capabilities.

Hamas Claims They Don't Commit War Crimes Because They Can't Aim

This has to be the most bizarre defense ever against charges of war crimes. They claim they aren't targeting civilians because they can't accurately aim their rockets. Hamas claims they are just firing them in the general direction of Israel and hoping they hit a military target.

From Wizbang Blog:

Well, Hamas (the terrorist group that runs the Gaza Strip after winning an election) is in a bit of a snit of late. And their public statements show it.

First up, they denied charges that they committed war crimes by targeting civilians during the last dustup with Israel. Their defense to the charge was novel, to say the least: they didn't target civilians because their missiles are unguided, and therefore can't "target" anyone. It's kind of hard to "target" something with a weapon that's addressed to General Delivery, Israel.

Houston Police Find Rocket Launcher and Jihadist writings. No Charges Filed.

This may be the most insane story of 2009. Police get called to a disturbance. They find a rocket launcher and Jihadist writings. The police failed to file charges for the rocket launcher.

When officers went inside, they found something that made them concerned enough to call the bomb squad.

They found an AT-4 shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. It can shoot a missile nearly 1,000 feet through buildings and tanks.

Video: IDF Take Out Palestinian Rocket Team

This video was reportedly shot Friday by the IDF. An Unmanned Air Vehicle catches three members of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket team attempting to fire a qassam at southern Israel. It doesn't go well for the rocket team. (violence warning)



From Youtube:

In the following video an Unmanned Air Vehicle captures two Islamic Jihad terrorists exiting a structure, carrying rockets east of Gaza City. As the two reach their launch zone, a third terrorist joins them to prepare for the attack. Subsequently, IAF forces bomb the site leading Islamic Jihad's missiles to misfire from secondary explosions.

Hat tip Weasel Zippers.