The United States has asked the U.N. Security Council to take action against North Korea for firing two rounds of ballistic missiles in the past week in "clear and calculated violations" of U.N. sanctions. A report sent Wednesday by the United States to the council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea asks its members and experts to examine the Scud missile launches and take "appropriate action" in response to the violations of multiple Security Council resolutions. Under U.N. sanctions dating back to 2006, North Korea is prohibited from carrying out any launches that use ballistic missile technology. Subsequent U.N. resolutions require the North to abandon all ballistic missile programs. Ballistic missiles can be used to launch nuclear weapons, and the resolutions also demand that North Korea halt nuclear tests and abandon all nuclear weapons and programs.
