For North Korea, perhaps nothing succeeds like failure. Technically, its intercontinental ballistic missile test last week ? which saw a long-range Taepodong-2, capable of reaching Alaska, nosedive into the sea west of Japan ? should be deemed a complete flop. But so far as the North Korean political establishment is concerned, the jury is yet to pronounce on its lack of success. For, notwithstanding its failure to impress, the test cannot be said to have missed its intended target ? raising the hackles of the international community (the security council had an emergency meeting), particularly that of the United States of America. The US ? which sees North Korea as part of ?an axis of evil? together with Iran and the now-vanquished Iraq ? is said to have increased its pressure on North Korea through various, not very obvious, efforts over the past few months. It had, reportedly, restricted the flow of North Korean currency through its sanctions on banks in Macao and repeatedly highlighted human rights violations in the land of Mr Kim Jong-il. In short, from the North Korean perspective, it was asking for trouble. So, as several other times earlier when a cash-strapped, drought-ridden North Korea successfully managed to use its nuclear muscle to claim attention and aid, the air show was immediately resorted to.

However, and this was probably less anticipated, the North Korean testing of waters has ended up displeasing China, its closest ally since the Fifties. In a show of solidarity with the US (which is justifiably worried about Iran following the bad example), China has condemned North Korean adventurism. Lip-synching with the US is also Japan, which wants the security council to impose sanctions on North Korea. Threat has followed counter-threat, and now the Koreans promise to take ?physical actions? against any country forcing them to abandon the missile programme. In this mad chaos, the lone voice pleading for ?common sense? to prevail is that of Mr Vladimir Putin, who is, obviously, wary of letting his guard down where the US is concerned. As in the case of Iran, Russia prefers the negotiating table to muscle-flexing. And Russia has with it China, which, never mind its posturings, has its own interests to protect in the region. Does North Korea once again get off lightly then? Perhaps, till the international community finds more realistic means of addressing its deep-rooted problems.