US suspends food aid as North Korea defiant over missile launch
Source: Agencies |
March 30, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE United States has suspended planned food aid to North Korea as Pyongyang vows to push ahead with a plan to launch a long-range missile.
North Korea has said it is merely sending a weather satellite into space, but the US and South Korea say it is a disguised ballistic missile test.
North Korea said on Tuesday there was no reason to fire a missile after February's agreement with the US to suspend nuclear and missile tests in return for food aid.
But US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy told the House of Representative Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the announcement of the launch was in breach of the February agreement.
"This planned launch is highly provocative because it manifests North Korea's desire to test and expand its long-range missile capability," Lavoy said.
"We believe this reflects their lack of desire to follow through on their international commitments, and so we've ... been forced to suspend our activities to provide nutritional assistance to North Korea."
A US official confirmed they had detected activity that looked like launch preparations at a facility near the country's northwestern border with China. The launch will mark the 100th birth anniversary of state founder Kim Il-sung.
The website GlobalSecurity.org published satellite imagery last week of a launch pad and tower without a rocket at the Tongchang-dong launch site. The US official indicated there were signs the North Koreans were getting the site ready.
"The US has seen indications that the North Koreans are preparing to launch a long-range rocket," said the official.
Pentagon spokeswoman Leslie Hull-Ryde said the US and South Korea were monitoring North Korea, but declined to comment on specific intelligence on the launch.
North Korea, which three years ago pulled out of on-again-off-again six-party talks on reining in its nuclear program, has said the rocket will travel south toward the Philippines or Indonesia, Lavoy told US lawmakers.
US military officials told the House panel the North's large conventional military, nuclear weapons programs, ballistic missiles and newer capabilities in cyber warfare all threatened the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. North Korea has added sophisticated cyber attack capabilities to its arsenal of threatening weapons and this year was rife with opportunities for military provocations from Pyongyang, beginning with the rocket launch next month, the officials added.
North Korea has said it is merely sending a weather satellite into space, but the US and South Korea say it is a disguised ballistic missile test.
North Korea said on Tuesday there was no reason to fire a missile after February's agreement with the US to suspend nuclear and missile tests in return for food aid.
But US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy told the House of Representative Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the announcement of the launch was in breach of the February agreement.
"This planned launch is highly provocative because it manifests North Korea's desire to test and expand its long-range missile capability," Lavoy said.
"We believe this reflects their lack of desire to follow through on their international commitments, and so we've ... been forced to suspend our activities to provide nutritional assistance to North Korea."
A US official confirmed they had detected activity that looked like launch preparations at a facility near the country's northwestern border with China. The launch will mark the 100th birth anniversary of state founder Kim Il-sung.
The website GlobalSecurity.org published satellite imagery last week of a launch pad and tower without a rocket at the Tongchang-dong launch site. The US official indicated there were signs the North Koreans were getting the site ready.
"The US has seen indications that the North Koreans are preparing to launch a long-range rocket," said the official.
Pentagon spokeswoman Leslie Hull-Ryde said the US and South Korea were monitoring North Korea, but declined to comment on specific intelligence on the launch.
North Korea, which three years ago pulled out of on-again-off-again six-party talks on reining in its nuclear program, has said the rocket will travel south toward the Philippines or Indonesia, Lavoy told US lawmakers.
US military officials told the House panel the North's large conventional military, nuclear weapons programs, ballistic missiles and newer capabilities in cyber warfare all threatened the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. North Korea has added sophisticated cyber attack capabilities to its arsenal of threatening weapons and this year was rife with opportunities for military provocations from Pyongyang, beginning with the rocket launch next month, the officials added.
- 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.
