Posted on 09/23/2004 3:34:27 PM PDT by HAL9000
SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea threatened Thursday to turn Japan into a "nuclear sea of fire" if the United States attacks it with nuclear weapons.The threat -- one of the most searing against Japan -- followed a report in Tokyo North Korea's military appears to be preparing to test-fire a missile that can cover most of Japan.
North Korea is currently in deep conflict with Japan over a number of issues, including Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. The communist country has long complained that Japan blindly supports Washington's campaign to isolate and stifle it.
North Korea's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun said the large U.S. military bases in Japan would come under its attack in case a nuclear war breaks out in this part of the world. About 70,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan.
"If the United States ignites a nuclear wear, the U.S. military bases in Japan would serve as a detonating fuse to turn Japan into a nuclear sea of fire," the paper said in an article.
The article, carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency, claimed that the danger of a nuclear war in Northeast Asia keeps increasing as a result of Washington's push to realign its military presence in this part of the world.
"The U.S. selection of Japan as the most important vantage point in implementing its Korean and Asian military strategy is designed to put into practice its long-range attack strategy," it said.
The article gave no direct mention of the North's nuclear capability. When the North refers to its nuclear capability, it says only that it has "nuclear deterrent."
U.S. officials believe that the North may already have one or two atomic bombs and possess enough weapons-grade plutonium to make several more.
Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported in its Thursday edition that Japanese and U.S. intelligence officials have determined from satellite images and other methods that military vehicles, soldiers and missile scientists were converging around multiple Rodong missile launch sites in the North.
The paper cited multiple government officials as confirming the North's activities.
The brisk North Korean military movements, the paper said, could be part of the communist country's preparations to test-fire a missile.
In 1998, North Korea sent shock waves through the region by test-firing a missile which flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean. It has since been suspected of developing longer-range missiles.
North Korea's missile development has been regarded as a major threat to regional security, on top of its recent suspected nuclear weapons drive.
Pyongyang declared a moratorium on missile tests in September 1999 and in May 2001 extended the decision until 2003.
In a historic summit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in September 2002, and again in May this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il promised to continue to keep the moratorium.
However, South Korean officials downplayed the Japanese report, saying that the North's military activities could be part of its annual training exercises.
"Recently, activities related with missiles have been detected and it's highly likely that it could be a routine and annual exercise," Vice Unification Minister Rhee Bong-jo told reporters.
South Korean defense officials also gave a similar assessment. Brig. Gen. Nam Dae-yeon, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said earlier that the militaries of South Korea and the United States were closely cooperating to monitor the North Korean move.
The North's Rodong missiles have a range of up to 1,300 kilometers, a distance that covers most of Japan, except the southernmost island of Okinawa.
If North Korea is really preparing to test-fire a missile, it would take from several days up to two weeks to put it into action, Yomiuri Shimbun said.
In response, Japan has deployed an Aegis-guided destroyer and intelligence collectors, such as EP-3 aircraft, to the East Sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, the paper said.
Intelligence officials are also paying keen attention to the possibility of the North test-firing a longer-range Taepodong-2 missile, since a Taepodong launch site is near the Rodong missile sites, the report said.
Taepodong-2 missiles are believed to be capable of striking a target within a range of 6,000 kilometers, which means that it can also hit far-western parts of the United States, such as Alaska and Hawaii.
Wasn't that a Johnny Cash song?
MY tagline has been this for Months...
Japan a sea of fire? That means South Korea will be an Island between Japan and China.
This guy is out of control.
"This guy is out of control."
So is his hair.
More saber-rattling from the Chia Pet dictator.
Sounds like a North Korea test firing would be a great opportunity for us to test one of our anti-ballistic missile missiles or lasers. Set up, wait for their test, shoot it down.
Have you gotten any reaction about this?
That is a GREAT idea!
You should be Secretary of Defense.
"increasing as a result of Washington's push to realign its military presence in this part of the world."
Pulling troops out of S. Korea inflames Kim. Go figure.
Make that ASST. Secty. of Defense....I still like Rummy.
Nuclear sea of fire, huh? I wish I was Koizumi. I'd go on TV and give Kim the Finger.
Shimata, baka ne.
""If the United States ignites a nuclear war...."
Uhh...psst. North Korea. It will only take one nuclear bomb. Think about it.
Message to the Japanese - build nukes and missle delivery systems NOW!
Any doubts about the AXIS of EVIL? or is that just another VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY???
Think about it ... NK decides that it's finally time for reunification of the Korean peninsula - their way. They lob a missile at the west coast (Los Angeles hoping to trigger the faults for a twofer?) to keep us busy. By the time we can retaliate, their millions of soldiers will have all of Korea if nothing more than a search for food. So ... we nuke the bejesus out of NK? They don't care, it is already stone age. They are all in the South by then. Nuke SK? Oh, that'll help. And oh BTW, Japan might have a few concerns about being downrange fallout wise. China might be a little concerned about that too.
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