Posted on 06/19/2009 1:53:24 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The U.S. military is tracking a ship from North Korea that may be carrying illicit weapons, the first vessel monitored under tougher new United Nations rules meant to rein in and punish the communist government following a nuclear test, officials said Thursday.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he has ordered additional protections for Hawaii just in case North Korea launches a long-range missile over the Pacific Ocean.
The suspect ship could become a test case for interception of the North's ships at sea, something the North has said it would consider an act of war.
Officials said the U.S. is monitoring the voyage of the North Korean-flagged Kang Nam, which left port in North Korea on Wednesday. On Thursday, it was traveling in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of China, two officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.
What the Kang Nam was carrying was not known, but the ship has been involved in weapons proliferation, one of the officials said.
The ship is among a group that is watched regularly but is the only one believed to have cargo that could potentially violate the U.N. resolution, the official said.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen did not specifically confirm that the U.S. was monitoring the ship when he was asked about it at a Pentagon news conference Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Why track it? Maybe some invisible plane with no markings can drop a JDAM on it.
Well, if we know that, this vessel should have had an "accident" when it was delivering those weapons.
I’m sure Obama thinks it’s full of teddy bears and unicorns.
Sink it and send Jim Ballard to check the cargo.
^ Robert Ballard. :o)
Think tactical. Let’s follow this ship and see where it ports for unloading. Then, we not only have the ship, but the recipients of their cargo. Intel.
Seems to me that they deliberately sent this particular ship, ‘The Kang Nam’, knowing we’d be suspicious of it. Interdiction will be their causus belli. Then, when they fire off their crappy Taepodong 2 missile, it’ll predictably blow up ‘prematurely’ somewhere over the Sea of Japan. But actually, they’ll have detonated it purposely. It’ll be a nuke capable of radiating an EMP that’ll knock South Korea, Japan, and some of our military hardware off-line permanently. Then they’ll emerge from their tunnels to sack Seoul.
We need to know who the UN should send letters to.
Think rendition.
Seize the ship and cargo, and put the crew in a dungeon to get them to talk and then feed them to the sharks.
In the best of all possible worlds, substitute a South Korean crew and have them hand over defective articles to the intended recipients, in return for a few tons of gold.
I’m sure that’s just what 0bama’s gonna do,
Ragnar Danneskjold is never around when you need him.
Seals + mini sub = Kang Nam sinks
Oooooh! That's gotta scare the pants off NK! (sarc)
I think this activity dovetails with stories about Kim Jong-il being in very, very bad health. North Korea will need a diversion while moving in his replacement.
And your point is???
Awesome! Let’s announce it on a political forum!
What a time in history to have an allegeed leader with Zero experience of anything other than Racism.
That is why they are tracking it.
Yes, noithing but a North Korean ship filled with gumdrops, candy canes, and lollipops.
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