North Korea's launch of three missiles was a "provocative act," a senior US official said, adding that Washington was still uncertain whether a dangerous long-range missile had been fired. The official spoke as Japan confirmed the hardline communist regime in Pyonyyang had fired missiles despite pressure from the international community to forego the launches.
"It's a provocative act for them to do this in general," the official, who asked not to be named, said of the missile launches that occurred on the US Independence Day and as NASA launched its space shuttle into orbit.
But the official said, "I have not seen anything to date to indicate that they have blasted off the Taepodong 2," referring to the long-range missile capable of reaching US territory.
"It's still pretty uncertain what's happened," he said. "We are fairly confident that two of the shorter range missiles have gone off."
