Missile test firing 'not a US-North Korea issue'

The White House said today that North Korea’s missile tests were a rebuff of international demands to stop its nuclear weapons programme and do not reflect a stand-off between Washington and Pyongyang.

“This is not a US-North Korea matter and we’re not going to let the leader of North Korea transform it into that,” White House press secretary Tony Snow said.

He said North Korea may test fire a few more short- to medium-range missiles on top of the seven already fired, “but honestly we don’t know what to expect.”

The United States and Japan asked the UN Security Council to hold an emergency session today.

“I’m not going to share proposals,” he said. “There will be something forthcoming, and it will not be simply a US proposal, but it will be reflective of the five other parties in the six party talks. Absolutely.”

Snow declined to disclose details of possible responses the United States may be considering.

There is a high degree uncertainty within the administration about the situation.

“It’s very difficult to ascertain precisely what’s going on.”

He said the president attended a National Security Council meeting today, but that it was focused on Cuba, not North Korea.

The missile issue was covered in the president’s intelligence briefing.

Snow said US Northern Command, responsible for defending US territory, has concluded with a high degree of confidence that North Korea’s test of the long-range Taepodong-2, believed capable of reaching US soil, failed within a minute after lift-off, and was not aborted.