PENTAGON WATCHES FOR NORTH KOREAN LONG-RANGE ROCKET LAUNCH

FROM AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 

Pentagon: U.S. Takes Prospect of North Korea Launch Seriously

By Cheryl Pellerin

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2012 - The Defense Department is closely monitoring the prospect of a long-range rocket launch this month by North Korea, a senior Pentagon official told reporters today.

"The North Koreans will be violating [United Nations] Security Council resolutions if they move ahead with such a launch," said George Little, acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, "and we call on them, as other countries have, not to launch the missile."

A spokesman for the Korean Committee for Space Technology announced March 16 that North Korea would launch a long-range Unha-3 rocket between April 12 and 16.

The rocket would carry a North Korean-made Kwangmyongsong-3 polar-orbiting observation satellite to mark the 100th birthday of the late President Kim Il Sung on April 15.

"This is very serious business when North Korea does something like this," Little said. "We're monitoring it closely. We understand the impact it could have on regional stability."

North Korea tried to launch satellites into space in 1998 and in 2009, but the launches' success has never been confirmed.

"We're working very closely with our Republic of Korea allies as well as our Japanese allies to monitor what's happening with respect to this missile launch," Little said. "We hope it doesn't happen. But if it does, we'll be ready to track it."

If launched, the satellite would travel southward from the Sohae satellite launch station in North Phyongan province's Cholsan County, North Korean officials said in the statement.

"A safe flight orbit has been chosen so that carrier rocket debris to be generated during the flight would not have any impact on neighboring countries," they added.

North Korean officials said they will "strictly abide by relevant international regulations and usage concerning the launch of scientific and technological satellites for peaceful purposes."

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said March 16 that U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874 "clearly and unequivocally prohibit North Korea from conducting launches that use ballistic-missile technology."

"Such a missile launch would pose a threat to regional security," she added, "and would also be inconsistent with North Korea's recent undertaking to refrain from long-range missile launches."

State Department officials are consulting closely with international partners on next steps, Nuland said.

At the Pentagon today, Little said the Defense Department is operating on the assumption that the launch could happen. The North Koreans have indicated that they intend to launch the satellite, he noted.

"They have done so in the past," Little said, "so if history is any guide to the future, we would be remiss if we didn't take those North Korean announcements for what they are."

In terms of U.S. allies in the region who could potentially be affected by the launch, Little said, "we have an unwavering commitment to the security of both Japan and the Republic of South Korea."

Such a launch is unacceptable to the United States and other nations, Little said.

"I believe we have what we need to track [the launch] and to also work closely with our allies in the region to respond," he added.

MISSILE TESTS BY NORTH KOREA COULD COST COUNTRY U.S. FOOD AID

American Forces Press Service North Korean Missile Tests Jeopardize U.S. Food Aid By Donna Miles WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 - A recent North Korean announcement that it will conduct a missile test next month, in conjunction with a reported short-range missile test last night, jeopardizes millions of dollars in U.S. food aid for the secretive country, senior defense officials told Congress. "My view is that if North Korea goes forward with this test, we will stop this aid and stop the other steps that we had intended to take," James N. Miller told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday during his confirmation hearing as undersecretary of defense for policy. Miller is President Barack Obama's nominee to replace Michèle Flournoy, for whom he served as principal deputy secretary for three years, as the Pentagon's policy chief. North Korea announced March 16th that it plans to conduct a missile launch between April 12th and 16th. The announcement followed talks last month in Beijing, where the United States agreed to provide North Korea about 240 tons of nutritional aid, worth about $200 million, after it agreed to a moratorium on long-range missile launches. Asked yesterday by a panel member, Miller said he shares the administration's view that U.S. food aid promised last should stop if North Korea goes through with the planned launch. "The view is that if North Korea goes forward with this test," he said, "we will stop this aid and stop the other steps that we had intended to take and have to have a complete reconsideration of where we go in the future." Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia and Pacific Security Affairs Peter R. Lavoy told the House Armed Services Committee on March 28 that North Korea's announcement makes the February agreement null and void. During discussions with North Korea, he said, "the United States made it very clear that a satellite launch would be a deal-breaker. "So we've ... been forced to suspend our activities to provide nutritional assistance to North Korea," Lavoy added. The planned launch is "highly provocative because it manifests North Korea's desire to test and expand its long-range missile capability," he said. "In addition, the launch, if it occurs, would be in direct violation of Pyongyang's international obligations, including U.N. Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874, which prohibit North Korea from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology," Lavoy said. North Korea claims the launch scheduled for April will be used to place a weather satellite into orbit to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung. The United States and other members of the international community believe the launch is actually aimed at testing North Korea's long-range ballistic missiles, in violation of U.N. sanctions. Miller addressed the Senate panel yesterday, just before North Korea reportedly fired two short-range, surface-to-ship missiles off its western coast. "North Korea's provocative behavior, large conventional military, proliferation activities and pursuit of asymmetric advantages through its ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, including uranium enrichment, present a serious threat to the United States, its allies and partners in the region and the international community," Miller wrote in response to questions from the committee before yesterday's hearing. Miller pointed to North Korea's provocative attacks against South Korea. "The opaque nature of the two North Korean attacks on South Korean forces in 2010 provide a sober reminder that Pyongyang is willing to utilize its capabilities to undertake provocative actions," he said. Miller noted North Korea's flight tests of theater ballistic missiles in 2006 and 2009, demonstrating the capability to target South Korea and Japan. In addition, North Korea continues its work to develop Taepo Dong-2 ballistic missiles. Although Pyongyang claims to have tested this technology in a space launch configuration, Miller said it could reach the United States if developed as an intercontinental ballistic missile. "The United States must continue to monitor carefully North Korea's WMD and missile development programs and related proliferation activities," he told the committee. Miller promised, if confirmed, to ensure the Defense Department continues to work closely with other parts of the U.S. government as well as allies and partners to address these threats, reduce vulnerabilities and conduct contingency planning. "What concerns me most is that this range of threats comes from a single state standing on the outside of the international community," he told the senators. "If confirmed, I will ensure that we sustain and advance our military readiness and coordination with allies and partners and explore all avenues for shaping North Korean behavior."