for more on this i'm joined now by john isaacs, the executive director of the center for arms control and non-proliferation, where he focuses on missile defense and nuclear weapons. and it's good to have you with us. >> thank you, judy. >> woodruff: just from what you've seen of that missile and anything else you know about it, what can you tell us about it? >> this is something the north koreans have done twice already. they've conducted two missile tests, once in 2006, once in 2009, neither one were very successful. and so they're trying again. ultimately, this missile, if it's successful, could go as far as the western united states, alaska, hawaii. but it's a long way from developing this missile as the north koreans want to do, to also develop a nuclear bomb that they can mate to the top of the missile. >> woodruff: well they say right now this is just a missile to get a satellite into orbit. >> correct. >> woodruff: it seems to be that kind of missile at the very least. >> but the same technology could be used for launching a satellite or launching a nuclear warhead. >> woodruff

. >> woodruff: john isaacs, thanks very much. >> brown: and now to our second asia story, the political scandal rocking china, it even involves allegations of murder. margaret warner has our story. >> warner: at the center of the drama, bo xilai, the most senior chinese leader to fall in more than two decades. he was once viewed as a political golden boy. the son of a revolutionary hero, bo moved up the ladder quickly becoming mayor of the coastal economic hub dalian. he then became communist party chief of a southwestern megacity of 30 million, chongqing. there he seized national attention for launching a maoist-style red songs campaign and for a tough anti-corruption campaign that racked up 2,000 arrests. but things started unraveling in early february. when his ally, police chief, wang lijun, was demoted, fled to the u.s. consulate in nearby chengdu, and began talking. up till then, the charismatic bo had been angling for promotion to the party's most elite ruling circle, the politburo's standi committee. instead, on march 15, he was ousted from his chongqing post. meanwhile, rumors