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North Korea Intercontinental Missile Test Launch "Imminent" |
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Written by Staff
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Friday, 16 June 2006 |
United States government officials are "very concerned" that North Korea is poised to test fire an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland of the U.S. Anonymous government reports suggest that a launch is "imminent" and could occur as early as this weekend.
The U.S. and Japan have been closely watching areas around the North Korean capital city of Pyongyang for the last several weeks and because of the serious implications of a launch, the U.S. military have been strategically positioned.
A launch would also violate a 2002 agreement with Japan, the Pyongyang Declaration which in part declared a "strong resolution to sincerely address all issues existing between [Japan and North Korea] in the course of normalising the ties on the basis of relationship based on mutual trust."
The Taepodong-2 is an untested multi-stage missile with a potential travelling range of 5,600 km (3,500 miles). The missile's potential payload could be comprised of conventional weapons including chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. North Korea test fired a Taepodong-1 missile over Japan in 1998.
On Wednesday Alexander Vershbow, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea warned that the United States would consider such a test a "very serious matter" and would be prepared to take "appropriate measures in response". |
