North Korea’s April 5 rocket launch has been the cause of much speculation: Was it an attempt to put a satellite into orbit or a test of a ballistic missile? Did it work or didn’t it?

The answers to these questions matter, and not just to the analysts over at Arms Control Wonk. Diplomats trying to determine what to do about the Hermit Kingdom must figure out the North’s intentions. If the launch was a military test, it would violate a 2006 resolution that was put in place after North Korea tested (kinda) its first nuclear weapon.

Yesterday, the UN Security Council decided that the North’s actions were provocative enough to merit condemnation. Today, in an awesomely worded statement, the North announced that it would walk away from six party talks on nuclear disarmament and “bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defence in every way.”

They also referred to the UN’s statement as “brigandish”. I’d like to get a gig writing for these guys…

Image: satellite image featuring the rocket launch courtesy of DigitalGlobe