N. Korea Missile Something 'We've Not Seen Before'

Pentagon says missile launch 'has our attention'
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 5, 2017 2:18 PM CDT
N. Korea Missile Something 'We've Not Seen Before'
A man watches a TV screen showing a local news program reporting about North Korea's missile firing with an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a pair of binoculars, at Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 5, 2017.   (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile Tuesday—already causing a stir—is now said to have featured a new type of missile the Pentagon has "not seen before," Reuters reports. Pentagon spokesperson Navy Capt. Jeff Davis says the ICBM, which was fired from a mobile launcher, had a re-entry vehicle on top. While the Pentagon is keeping quiet on the details of what made the missile so unprecedented, it did say the ICBM was fired from a location not previously used for missile launches, according to the AP. "This was a very provocative action. It has our attention," Davis says.

Also on Wednesday, President Trump criticized China for not doing more to pressure North Korea into abandoning its development of nuclear weapons. "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter," Trump tweeted. "So much for China working with us—but we had to give it a try!" CNN reports China and Russia want diplomatic talks and concessions between North Korea and the US. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea appear to be leaning further toward military action. North Korean state media says the missile tested Tuesday is capable of hitting the US mainland, and experts agree it has the range to strike Alaska. However, US intelligence doesn't think North Korea yet has the ability to attach a nuclear device to the missile. (More North Korea stories.)

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