President Manages To Fault America on Day North Korea Launches Rocket: Update Palin Hits Obama on Missile Defense

From Obama's Speech in Prague today:

"As the only nuclear power who have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act," Obama said. "We cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can start it."

Are you kidding me, We have a moral responsibility because of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? We dropped those bombs to win the war and topple the the genocidal regime running that country. How about this, we should stop weapons proliferation because 10's of millions can die and to keep our enemies from gaining the upper hand. On the semi-bright side he is showing some support for missile defense.

''North Korea broke the rules once more by testing a rocket that could be used for a long range missile,'' Obama said. ''This provocation 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.''

Addressing another potential nuclear foe, Obama said the U.S. will present Iran with ''a clear choice'' to join the community of nations by ceasing its nuclear and ballistic missile activity or face increased isolation and a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

He said the U.S. will proceed with development of a missile defense system in Europe as long as there is an Iranian threat of developing nuclear weapons. If that threat is removed, he said, ''The driving force for missile defense in Europe will be removed.''

The choice of Prague for such a speech carried large symbolism, and Obama didn't ignore it. Decades of communism were toppled in Czechoslovakia through the 1989 Velvet Revolution, so named because it was one of the few peaceful overthrows of communism in the Iron Curtain. The Czech Republic split from Slovakia in 1993.Obama praised the Czechs for helping ''bring down a nuclear-armed empire without firing a shot.''

Smart Power from the same speech:
"With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations," Obama said. "We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and (South Korea), and members of the U.N. Security Council to bring this matter before the Council," Obama added. "I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions."


World Condemnation:


SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea followed through Sunday on its publicly-stated intention to launch to a long-range rocket, defying a series of warnings from the international community and setting off a firestorm of criticism in the process.The North Korean government characterized the act as a successful, peaceful launch of a satellite into orbit. U.S. and South Korean officials condemned the launch as a provocative act. American military sources said the launch was a failure, claiming that the rocket's payload failed to enter into orbit.




Palin Slams President:

(CNN) – Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s office reacted Monday to North Korea’s missile test with a statement that “reaffirmed Alaska’s commitment to protecting America from rogue nation missile attacks.”

Palin herself criticized proposed Obama administration cuts proposed to missile defense programs. “I am deeply concerned with North Korea’s development and testing program which has clear potential of impacting Alaska, a sovereign state of the United States, with a potentially nuclear armed warhead,” she said in the statement. “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that we continue to develop and perfect the global missile defense network. Alaska’s strategic location and the system in place here have proven invaluable in defending the nation….

By the way some of the facilities are based in Alaska and her state could end up being in the range of the weapon.

Is this the weapons?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A nonprofit institution that focuses on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons on Monday night released what appears to be satellite images of North Korea's rocket in flight.

The communist nation launched the rocket last weekend in defiance of international opposition.The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security said it obtained the images from a DigitalGlobe satellite and that they were taken Sunday in North Korea.In one image, the missile's exhaust plume can be seen. The flame from the burning propellant appears as a solid white mark.

The terrain below the rocket in a second image is only a few kilometers away from the launch pad, the institute said.CNN could not independently confirm the information provided by the institute, led by former U.N. nuclear inspector David Albright.