|
Post by Watchman on May 20, 2006 9:56:58 GMT -5
U.S. Govt. Says N.Korea's Missiles Cannot Reach Mainland: NYT N. Korea Developing Missiles to Hit U.S.: Jane's Defense Weekly U.S. to Strengthen Missile Defense Against N.Korea North Korea Develops New Scud Missiles U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies have reportedly spotted preparations for the test launch of a Taepodong-type missile in North Korea. Sources say the South Korean government is making use of all channels to dissuade the North from going ahead with the launch.
A senior official in Seoul said U.S. spy satellites have captured images of large trailers at missile platforms in the Hwadae-gun area of North Hamgyeong Province transporting large objects that are thought to be parts of a Taepodong-II missile. Experts estimate that the missiles have a firing range of 10,000-15,000 km, which would put Alaska in its radius, given the 30 m length of the objects.
In preparation for the possible launch, U.S. authorities are increasing sorties of U-2 and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft in the region.
The government says it is likely that North Korea is moving the missiles around to send a message to Washington that the country is not going to cave in over U.S. financial sanctions. But any test launch would be a major setback in Pyongyang’s relations with the U.S. and Japan, which is why the South is doing everything it can to urge the North to desist.
Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso confirmed Japanese press reports of the activities in the North saying his government had known about them for a long time. But he said North Korea has yet to start injecting liquid fuel.
He said if the activities are indeed preparations for a missile launch, it would constitute a violation of a 2002 Pyongyang Declaration by the two countries, where Kim Jong-il pledged to defer test-firing of missiles.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
|
|
Post by Watchman on Jun 12, 2006 20:23:04 GMT -5
By Demetri Sevastopulo and Stephen Fidler in Washington and Anna Fifield in Seoul Published: June 11 2006 21:54 | Last updated: June 11 2006 21:54
North Korea is preparing for a possible test of an intercontinental ballistic missile with the potential to hit the US, according to Washington officials.
A senior official said there were “enough indications” to suggest that Pyongyang was getting ready to fire a Taepodong-2 missile from a launch pad in eastern North Korea. It would be the Stalinist state’s first test of a longer-range missile since 1998 when Pyongyang generated an international crisis by unexpectedly firing an intermediate-range Taepodong-1 over Japan.
Test preparations are far more advanced than on previous occasions when North Korea appeared to be gearing up for a launch. The Taepodong-2 is a two, or three, stage “integrated” missile. The three-stage version consists of a solid-fuel booster rocket strapped atop a Scud missile attached in turn to a short-range Nodong missile.
The US is monitoring the launch site to see if North Korea starts final assembly of the missile. If North Korea fuelled an assembled Taepodong-2, it would increase the probability of a test, since the move is difficult and dangerous to reverse.
Pyongyang – which is keenly aware that the US can monitor its preparations by satellite – could be bluffing. Kim Jong-Il, the North Korean leader, has a history of performing eye-catching stunts when he feels he is being ignored, which has happened recently as Washington focuses on resolving nuclear tensions with Iran. Another US official said he might be “playing games” to get attention.
While the preparations could be for a satellite launch, the US is positioning military assets to track any launch. In 1998, North Korea claimed that its Taepodong-1 flight was a satellite launch. The senior official said there was no “definitive evidence” that Pyongyang would go ahead with the test.
“We are still not sure that it is ready to launch,” the official said. “This could be a lot of training. It could be political manoeuvring . . . we are not on the edge of our seat yet.”
He added that South Korea was “vigorously” urging China to lobby North Korea to abandon the test. Ban Ki-moon, South Korea’s foreign minister, last week said the preparations were of “great concern” – comments that underscored South Korean anxiety given that Seoul has traditionally played down the chances of any inflammatory actions by the North. The official said the US wanted to avoid creating a crisis because “ that is what North Korea wants”.
|
|
|
Post by Watchman on Jun 17, 2006 10:46:00 GMT -5
AFP | June 14 2006
The top US envoy to South Korea said Wednesday that Washington would hit back if North Korea test-fired a missile capable of reaching the United States. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said Washington was monitoring preparations for a long-range missile test that have reportedly been under way for more than a month at a remote launch pad in northeastern North Korea.
"We can see the preparations but we cannot read their mind as to what they are intending to do," Vershbow said in an interview with state-run KBS radio.
But "since it would be clearly a provocative step vis-a-vis the region and international community, we could not simply let it pass without some response."
He said consultations would take place with partners to the six-party talks with North Korea before a decision would be made on an appropriate response.
On-off talks on ending the North Korea nuclear standoff have brought together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States since August 2003.
The six partners in the talks would "consider different possible responses, whether they will be political or other kinds of responses," he said.
South Korea's foreign minister urged Pyongyang to abandon plans for the missile test that would have a "negative impact on the international geopolitical situation and the settlement of North Korea's nuclear issue."
"It is appropriate for North Korea to stop preparations for the missile launch and return to six-party talks," Ban Ki-Moon told a weekly media briefing.
A senior South Korean official who declined to be named earlier confirmed reports that North Korea was preparing to test-fire a Taepodong-2 multi-stage missile with a range of more than 6,000 kilometres (3,600 miles) that was capable of hitting the United States.
"Preparations which were reported last month have not stopped," the official said.
Separately a US official was quoted as saying there were "enough indications" to suggest that the Stalinist state was preparing to test-fire the missile.
Ban declined to say how far North Korea's launch preparations had progressed and gave no estimate of when a launch could be ready, but he said South Korea was closely watching developments.
Current test preparations are reportedly far more advanced than on previous occasions when North Korea appeared to be gearing up for a missile launch.
In 1998 the nation shocked the world by launching a Taepodong-1 missile that flew over Japan before crashing into the Pacific.
The 1998 launch triggered jitters in Japan and prompted Tokyo and Washington to accelerate plans to build a missile defense system.
Vershbow said North Korea should abide by a long-range missile moratorium declared by its leader Kim Jong-Il in 1999.
"We really call upon North Korea to abide by the moratorium on flight tests of long range missiles," he said.
"If they were to test a long-range missile now it would be a very serious matter and we will consider it to be very much against the spirit of the September agreement of the six party talks."
North Korea agreed at six-party talks in September to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme in return for economic aid and other benefits.
But in November Pyongyang said it would boycott further talks after Washington imposed financial sanctions for alleged counterfeiting and money laundering.
Some experts say North Korea, aware that launch preparations are easily monitored by US satellite, wants to use the threat of a test-flight to force Washington to roll back the sanctions.
Reports of a possible launch surfaced last month in Japanese and South Korean newspapers. They said US satellite images showed increased movement by trailers and other vehicles near the Musudan-ri missile test site in northeastern North Korea, facing the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
"We really don't know what are the intentions of chairman Kim Jong-Il or any other military leaders in North Korea," said Vershbow.
"But as I said we want them to understand that tests in light of other problems that we have in our relations with North Korea will be viewed as a very serious matter and we will take appropriate measures in response."
|
|