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N. Korea keeps tensions high
PYONGYANG, North Korea -- North Korea has again ratcheted up tensions on the Korean Peninsula by indicating it will conduct another missile test, possibly as early as this weekend. U.S. officials tell CNN they believe North Korea will conduct another test of its KN-01 short-range anti-ship missile, which is under development. The news comes as North Korea appeared to reject U.S. demands for multi-lateral talks to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. In a report carried by the North's official news agency, Pyongyang described attempts to internationalize the issue as an attempt to by the U.S. to "evade its responsibility" for spawning the standoff. "If the U.S. truly wants the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue, it should drop its absurd assertions and immediately opt for the direct talks with the (North)," the Korean Central News Agency reported. North Korea believes that the United States is planning a pre-emptive strike on it, citing current joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea as evidence. U.S. President George W. Bush has referred to North Korea as a member of an "axis of evil", along with Iraq and Iran, but has repeatedly denied the U.S. has any plans to take military action against the reclusive Communist state. While the planned missile test by the North does not breach any international agreements, it does add to the increasing tensions in the region. South Korea's Ministry for Defense reportedly backed up the U.S. information concerning the new missile test. "We are aware that they (North Korea) are preparing to fire a missile, probably between this weekend and early next week," a South Korean defense ministry spokesman told South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. The agency quoted a high-ranking ministry official as saying the South had noticed the North's preparations from their moves such as blocking ship traffic in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. The KN-01 is the same missile that was tested several weeks ago and the test is expected to also occur over the Sea of Japan in the same area as the last test. The U.S. also plans to resume reconnaissance flights over the Sea of Japan following the intercept several days ago of an Air Force RC-135 by North Korean MiG fighters, the officials said. Officials said they hope to get Japan and South Korea to participate in the reconnaissance missions. Bush said Thursday he was optimistic that the best way to resolve a nuclear crisis with North Korea is through a joint diplomatic effort. "This is a regional issue ... because there's a lot of countries that have got a direct stake in whether or not North Korea has a nuclear weapon," he said, mentioning Japan, South Korea, Russia and China. "We're working the issue hard and I'm optimistic we'll come up with a diplomatic solution," he said. (Bush upbeat) There have been a number of military related maneuvers in the past fortnight that have added to tensions on the Korean Peninsula. On Wednesday, the U.S. dispatched 24 bomber aircraft to boost its forces in the Pacific. It said the deployment had been planned for some time and was not in response to the intercept of an U.S. spy plane by North Korean fighter jets last weekend. Pentagon officials say the move is designed to send a non-threatening message to North Korea warning it not to take advantage of the Iraqi situation and assume the U.S. military is distracted by events in the Gulf. (Bomber message) Also, Pyongyang has accused the U.S. of increasing spy flights as a prelude to a military strike against North Korea. Last month, on February 24, North Korea test fired a short-range anti-ship missile off its east coast, its first such launch since a self-imposed moratorium began in 1998. Both the U.S. and Japan are wary of North Korea's missile development. The CIA warned Congress last month North Korea had a long-range missile capable of hitting the continental United States. Within East Asia, the potential threat has led Japan to consider its missile defense options. Tokyo has also said it could launch preemptive military action if there was evidence a North Korean missile strike was likely. Reuters contributed to this report.
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