Another North Korean Provocation - Firing a Second Missile over Japan

In a display of utter disregard to international law and to additional United Nations(UN) Security Council(SC) sanctions unanimously voted to restrict oil imports and to ban textile exports, North Korea fired a second missile in less than a three-week span, over Japan yesterday.

While text messages and alarms sent much of northern Japan scampering for cover, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, according to the BBC-News, vowed that his country would "never tolerate" such "dangerous provocative action"

Yet, this has been the second missile fired by North Korea over Japan in less than three-weeks. Another missile was fired on August 29. However, the second missile fired, according to military observers in both Japan and in South Korea, flew higher and longer than the August launch.

The latest missile firing has come after North Korea made fresh threats to attack its neighbors and to reduce the United States(US) to ashes. Of special note about this latest missile launch, is the location of the staging area - north of the capital, Pyongyang, and close to its the international airport, indicating that the regime has multiple launching sites, including some close to and within major civilian districts.

At the request of the US and Japan, the UNSC will meet later today in New York City, New York, to take up this latest North Korean provocation. It is unlikely that the SC would approve any military action against North Korea because its two largest trading partners, China and Russia, have veto power at the SC.

Yet, the North Korean question begs to be answered in kind of the actions of the Pyongyang regime. But any true and meaningful efforts to neutralize North Korea's nuclear ambitions and its provocation of neighbors, might have to come from outside of the meeting rooms at the UN.