YONHAP NEWS

Obama to do everything against ballistic missile from N. Korea: White House

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, June 23 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. government will do everything to counter any further missile launches from North Korea to ensure the safety of Americans, the White House said Tuesday.

   "The president and the Pentagon have done and are doing everything humanely possible to ensure the safety of all Americans should the North Koreans decide to test fire another missile," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in an interview with a Fox News Channel program, "Fox and Friends."

   The remarks come amid allegations that North Korea will launch another ballistic missile in defiance of the U.N. Security Council's sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test on May 25, the second after one in 2006.

   "They did the same thing in 2006," Gibbs said. "I think the North Koreans over the course of many, many years -- and bedeviling many administrations -- have continued to make irrational statements and take bellicose actions that further isolate itself from the world."

   The spokesman was referring to North Korea's first nuclear test in October 2006 and the launch of a long-range missile and several medium-range missiles that year. That led to a nuclear deal in early 2007 on the North's denuclearization in return for energy and other economic aid and diplomatic concessions.

   The U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 1874 after the May 25 nuclear test, imposing an overall arms embargo and tougher financial sanctions than those under previous resolutions in 2006.

   "I think their actions have unified the world in seeking strong sanctions against actions that the North Koreans might take to move weapons or material from North Korea to either a different regime or to a different group and proliferate a weapons of mass destruction," Gibbs said.

   Resolution 1874, however, does not allow the use of force to implement the sanctions, leaving a major loophole -- as did previous resolutions, due mainly to a strong opposition from China, North Korea's closest communist ally.

   Obama said Monday that his administration is prepared for any contingencies from North Korea, but fell short of threatening a military response.

   "This administration and our military is fully prepared for any contingencies," Obama said.

   Asked if that remark was a warning of a military response, Obama said, "No, it's just we are prepared for any contingencies. I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals."

   Obama urged North Korea to return to the six-party talks, "a path towards rejoining the international community," and added, "What we're not going to do is to reward belligerence and provocation in the way that's been done in the past."

   U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said last week that he had directed the deployment of interceptors to Hawaii and Alaska to block any North Korean ballistic missile coming toward U.S. territory.

   The Obama administration last month cut back a plan that would have increased the number of interceptors to 44 from 30 due to budget constraints, but administration officials have insisted that 30 interceptors are enough to counter North Korea's missile capability "for some years to come."

   In a related move, the U.S. military has been closely chasing a North Korean vessel, the Kang Nam, believed to be carrying weapons of mass destruction, since its departure from a North Korean port early last week.

   Reports said that the U.S. may ask Singapore, Myanmar or any other Southeast Asian country to refuse refueling the North Korean ship and inspect it if the ship docks at one of their ports.

   It is illegal under international law to inspect cargo on the high seas unless the flag state consents.

   hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)