US brands N. Korea 'a direct threat'
Source: Agencies |
January 12, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
NORTH Korea's development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles poses a "direct threat" to America, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday in a blunt assessment of the risk posed by the country.
North Korea will have a limited ability to deliver a weapon to US shores within five years using intercontinental ballistic missiles, Gates predicted.
North Korea has threatened to test such missiles and has conducted underground nuclear tests that prove it has manufactured at least rudimentary nuclear weapons.
"With the North Koreans' continuing development of nuclear weapons and of intercontinental ballistic missiles, North Korea is becoming a direct threat to the United States, and we have to take that into account," Gates said.
The risk of war on the Korean Peninsula is also rising because South Koreans are fed up with "provocation and harassment" from North Korea, Gates said.
"We consider this a situation of real concern and we think there is some urgency to proceeding down the track of negotiations," he said.
North Korea is accused of sinking a South Korean Navy ship last spring, killing 46 sailors, and it fired artillery at a disputed island in November, killing four South Koreans.
South Korea's "tolerance for not responding" is nearly gone, Gates told reporters in Beijing.
Gates said China has played a helpful role in lessening tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and said North Korea will be a significant topic when US President Barack Obama meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington next week.
Gates will visit Seoul on Friday for talks on the North Korean issue.
North Korea has proposed holding a dialogue with South Korea on January 27 to prepare for higher-level government discussions and Red Cross talks on joint economic projects on February 1.
South Korea's Unification Ministry has rejected this offer as an attempt to win economic aid.
North Korea will have a limited ability to deliver a weapon to US shores within five years using intercontinental ballistic missiles, Gates predicted.
North Korea has threatened to test such missiles and has conducted underground nuclear tests that prove it has manufactured at least rudimentary nuclear weapons.
"With the North Koreans' continuing development of nuclear weapons and of intercontinental ballistic missiles, North Korea is becoming a direct threat to the United States, and we have to take that into account," Gates said.
The risk of war on the Korean Peninsula is also rising because South Koreans are fed up with "provocation and harassment" from North Korea, Gates said.
"We consider this a situation of real concern and we think there is some urgency to proceeding down the track of negotiations," he said.
North Korea is accused of sinking a South Korean Navy ship last spring, killing 46 sailors, and it fired artillery at a disputed island in November, killing four South Koreans.
South Korea's "tolerance for not responding" is nearly gone, Gates told reporters in Beijing.
Gates said China has played a helpful role in lessening tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and said North Korea will be a significant topic when US President Barack Obama meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington next week.
Gates will visit Seoul on Friday for talks on the North Korean issue.
North Korea has proposed holding a dialogue with South Korea on January 27 to prepare for higher-level government discussions and Red Cross talks on joint economic projects on February 1.
South Korea's Unification Ministry has rejected this offer as an attempt to win economic aid.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
