No attempt to shoot down N.Korea rocket: Japan  Posted at
12/12/2012 10:05 AM | Updated as of 12/12/2012 10:05 AM  TOKYO -
Japan did not try to shoot down a North Korean rocket as it
passed over its southern island chain of Okinawa, the government
said Wednesday, strongly condemning the launch.  Tokyo confirmed
the launch had taken place and that said it believed parts of
the rocket had fallen into the sea off the Korean peninsula,
with another part dropping into the ocean near the Philippines.
"Launch time was around 9:49 am (0049 GMT). The missile that
North Korea calls a satellite passed over Okinawa around 10:01.
We launched no interception," a government statement said.
Japan had been on high alert since the 13-day lift-off window
opened, despite a suggestion from Pyongyang that it could delay
the much-criticised blast-off.  Tokyo deployed missile defence
systems to intercept and destroy the rocket if it looked set to
fall on its territory, with missile batteries in and around
Tokyo and in the Okinawan