[FPSPACE] Western reports that NK long-range rocket has been transported to eastern test range

[Peter Pesavento]

>From Reuters

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/17/AR2009061700
378_pf.html

 

Obama, Lee warn North Korea; missile on the move

By Jack Kim
Reuters
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 9:21 AM 

SEOUL (Reuters) - The leaders of South
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Korea and the United States told North
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Korea to drop its atomic ambitions and stop threatening the region while
media reports on Wednesday said Pyongyang was moving ahead with plans to
launch a long-range missile. 

After a summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Washington on
Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said a nuclear-armed North Korea would
pose a "grave threat" to the world. He vowed new U.N. sanctions imposed for
North Korea's May 25 nuclear test would be strictly enforced. 

Separately, the leaders of Russia
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and China
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called for speedy return to six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear
program. Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Dmitry
Medvedev expressed serious concern over the situation on the Korean
peninsula, according to a joint statement issued at the end of talks in
Moscow. 

"Given the belligerent manner in which they are constantly threatening their
neighbors, I don't think there's any question that that would be a
destabilizing situation that would be a profound threat to not only the
United States' security, but to world security," Obama said at a news
conference, referring to North Korea's recent moves. 

Obama vowed to end a cycle of allowing North Korea to create a nuclear
crisis, then get concessions in the form of food, fuel and other incentives
in return for backing down, only to later see Pyongyang renege on its
promises. 

"This is a pattern they've come to expect," Obama said. "We are going to
break that pattern." 

Obama also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the defense of South Korea,
including keeping it under the U.S. "nuclear umbrella," a move likely to
anger Pyongyang, which accuses Washington of scheming to mount a nuclear
attack against it. 

Analysts say the North's provocative moves are partly aimed at building
internal support for leader Kim Jong-il, who appears to be laying the
foundation for his youngest son to eventually take over the impoverished
nation. The 67-year-old leader is believed to have suffered a stroke last
year. 

MISSILE TRAIN ON THE MOVE 

North Korea has also threatened to launch an intercontinental ballistic
missile after being earlier punished for a long-range rocket launch in
April, which was widely seen as a disguised missile test that violated U.N.
resolutions. 

A South Korean newspaper said the North's special train for moving
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) had made a trip to an east-coast
missile base, weeks after it was seen moving a missile to a new site on the
west coast. 

U.S. and South Korean authorities believe the train may have moved a
long-range rocket to the Musudan-ri base on the east coast, used to launch
two long-range rockets in the past, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said. 

"A U.S. spy satellite spotted a special ICBM transport train moving from the
manufacturing plant (near Pyongyang) to the Musudan-ri test site and staying
there for a few days before returning," it quoted a government source as
saying. 

The rocket launched in April flew about 3,000 km (1,860 miles), well short
of the 4,800 km needed to reach the Alaskan coast. The rocket, called the
Taepodong-2, is designed to fly as far as U.S. territory. 

Japan's
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Sankei newspaper, which did not cite any sources, said there was activity at
missile bases on both coasts that appeared to be preparations for launches. 

The moves at one site could be a ruse aimed at confusing U.S. and Japanese
intelligence, it said. 

South Korean officials have said intelligence reports indicated the North
could launch an ICBM this month. 

North Korea rattled the region at the weekend when it responded to the U.N.
sanctions over its nuclear test by saying it would start a uranium
enrichment program and weaponize all its plutonium. 

North Korea had begun withdrawing funds from bank accounts in Macau and
other cities in anticipation of the sanctions freezing its overseas
deposits, South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper said, quoting a source in
Beijing familiar with the North. 

Pyongyang had also lifted a ban on tourists from the United
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/countries/greatbritain.html?nav=
el>  Kingdom, according to a Beijing-based travel agency specializing in
tours to the country, reversing a move taken last week in reaction to a
similar move against North Koreans by London. 

(Additional reporting by Yoko Kubota in Tokyo, Doug Palmer and Matt
Spetalnick in Washington and Lucy Hornby in Beijing; Editing by Jon
Herskovitz and Sanjeev Miglani) 

 

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