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NKorea fires four short-range missiles amid nuclear standoff

North Korean Rodong missile.

NKorea missile launches another 'provocative' act : US
The White House said Thursday that North Korea's latest missile launches were the latest in a string of "provocative" acts. But the White House also said that broadly-backed international sanctions imposed on North Korea were starting to take effect and raised hopes that Pyongyang will yield to the pressure. "The North Koreans said they were going to launch these missiles. I don't think that's surprising that they've launched these missiles," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "I take the North Koreans at their word that they're going to continue their provocative actions," he added. But Gibbs said North Korea was beginning to feel the effect of UN Security Council sanctions imposed after North Korea staged a nuclear weapons test -- its second -- on May 25. The sanctions call for beefed-up inspections of air, sea and land shipments going to and from North Korea, and an expanded arms embargo. "It is clear sanctions are having an impact," Gibbs said, citing cooperation from Russia and China, countries that had previously resisted sanctions against North Korea. "First and foremost, the administration is working to ensure the vigorous implementation of those sanctions," Gibbs added. He also suggested that North Korea was beginning to respond to the pressure, but did not elaborate. "I think the impact alone of a united international community is tremendously important. Obviously, there have been positive developments over the past few days as it relates to the actions of the North Koreans," he said. When asked if he was suggesting that North Korea showed no signs it was preparing to launch another long-range missile, Gibbs replied: "I don't want to get into intelligence matters." Washington has said it is not ruling out the possibility of a long-range missile launch toward Hawaii on or around July 4, the US Independence Day, although the Pentagon has expressed doubts about such a scenario. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly echoed many of the points by Gibbs. "We've seen reports that they've launched, I think, four missiles. And these kinds of reports are not new. These kinds of actions, of course, are not helpful, (they) are dangerous," Kelly said. "The international community has spoken loudly. And North Korea, as I say, knows exactly what it has to do. It has to cut out these kinds of provocative actions and return to denuclearization talks," he said. After it was condemned at the United Nations for launching a long-range missile on April 5, North Korea bolted six-nation talks aimed at scrapping its weapons-grade nuclear programs. The talks involve the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia.
by Staff Writers
Seoul (AFP) July 2, 2009
North Korea on Thursday test-fired four short-range missiles, South Korean military officials said, further fuelling tension sparked by its nuclear standoff with the international community.

The missiles -- apparently surface-to-ship ones -- were fired into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) between 5:20 pm (0820 GMT) and 9:20 pm, defence ministry officials were quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

All were launched from a base at Sinsang-ri, near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, a spokesman was quoted as saying.

Other officials told the agency on condition of anonymity they landed about 100 kilometres (60 miles) off the coast, where the North has imposed a maritime ban until July 11 for what it calls a military drill.

Spokesmen from the defence ministry confirmed the first three firings to AFP but could not be reached for comment on the fourth.

It was the first military action the hardline communist state had taken since the United Nations on June 12 imposed tougher sanctions for its May 25 nuclear test.

South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, quoting an intelligence source, said the North was likely to fire a series of short-range missiles in the coming days.

Apart from ground-to-ship weapons, it said these would likely include Scud-B missiles with a range of 340 kilometres (210 miles).

The North may also fire Rodongs, whose 1,300-kilometre range would likely be shortened to some 400 kilometre for the current round of testing, the paper predicted.

In the days after its atomic test -- the second since 2006 -- Pyongyang fired a total of six short-range missiles and renounced the truce brokered on the Korean peninsula after a civil war in 1950 to 1953.

In response to the UN resolution tightening curbs on its missile and atomic activities, it vowed to build more nuclear bombs.

US and South Korean officials believe ailing leader Kim Jong-Il, 67, is staging a show of strength to bolster his authority as he tries to put in place a succession plan involving his youngest son.

Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso condemned Thursday's launches, telling reporters: "We have repeatedly warned that such a provocative act is not beneficial for North Korea's national interest."

In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the launches had not come as a surprise.

"The North Koreans said they were going to launch these missiles," he told reporters.

"I take the North Koreans at their word that they're going to continue their provocative actions," Gibbs said.

However, the commander of US Northern Command, General Victor Renuart, told The Washington Times he did not think Pyongyang's missiles posed any real threat to the US.

"Our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California... give me a capability that if we really are threatened by a long-range ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) that I've got high confidence that I could interdict that flight before it caused huge damage to any US territory," the paper quoted him as saying.

In Beijing, a US delegation Thursday met officials for talks on giving the UN sanctions more teeth.

The support of China, the North's sole major ally and largest trade partner, is seen as crucial in making the sanctions stick.

The delegation, led by Philip Goldberg -- the State Department's point man on coordinating implementation of the sanctions -- met officials from the foreign ministry.

His team includes members of the National Security Council and the departments of Treasury and Defence.

Goldberg declined comment on China's position.

"The US position is that we want all the various aspects of the resolutions to work," he told reporters. "It is our intention to fully implement the resolutions."

US warships have since mid-June been tracking a North Korean ship suspected of carrying weapons. The Kang Nam 1 was reportedly headed for Myanmar but US officials said Tuesday it has now turned back.

China said its top envoy on the North Korean nuclear issue, Wu Dawei, had begun a visit to Russia, the United States, Japan and South Korea.

They are members of a forum which has tried since 2003 to persuade the North to scrap its nuclear programmes in return for energy aid and diplomatic and security benefits.

The North announced it was quitting the talks after the UN censured its long-range rocket launch on April 5.

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Two Koreas fail to agree in talks on joint project
Seoul (AFP) July 2, 2009
North and South Korea failed to reach agreement in talks Thursday about the fate of their last major joint business project, amid high cross-border tensions and the North's continuing nuclear standoff with the world. The two sides could not narrow differences and did not set a date for the next round, Seoul's unification ministry said. The meeting at the Kaesong joint industrial estate ... read more







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