United reply wanted for North Korea

With tensions already high, the North ratcheted up its militaristic rhetoric, threatening a "thunderbolt of fire" if Japan were to try to intercept the multistage rocket and warning U.S. ships - dispatched to monitor the launch - to back off or risk getting hit, too. The issue was top of the agenda when President Barack Obama met yesterday with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in London. Obama pledged to push for "peace and stability," while Lee's office issued a statement saying the two leaders agreed to keep working on a verifiable dismantling of North Korea's worrisome nuclear programs.

While Russia appeared to be edging closer to Washington's position in an apparent show of goodwill, a strong united response likely would prove difficult given that China - the North's closest ally - has veto power in the Security Council. CNN television said on its Web site that Pyongyang has started to fuel the rocket. A senior U.S. defense official said he was not sure the report was correct.