Australia, U.S. to Conduct Naval Exercise

Associated Press ^ | 08-18-03

[Brian S]

PETER O'CONNOR Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia - Joint Australian-U.S. naval exercises scheduled for next month may be used to practice boarding vessels suspected of exporting weapons of mass destruction from rogue states, the Australian government said Monday.

Officials from the United States, Australia, Japan and eight European countries - agreed in principle last month to begin training for high seas "interdictions" of ships believed to be carrying weapons of mass destruction.

While officials here have not named any nations that would be targeted by such raids, North Korea is thought to be high on the list.

No date has been given for the first exercises next month in the Coral Sea off Australia's northeast coast.

"The government is considering using the maritime component of the routine bilateral Exercise Crocodile 03 scheduled for September in the Coral Sea as a potential opportunity to conduct this type of training," the Australian Defense Department said in a statement, referring to the possible maritime interdictions.

The exercises will come shortly after officials from North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia meet for Aug. 27-29 talks in Beijing to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear program.

North Korea has refused to allow international inspectors to return to the country to monitor its nuclear program and has demanded that the United States commit to a nonaggression treaty and a normalization of relations.

Meeting China's leaders Monday in Beijing, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said, "The North Korean nuclear threat is about as real and serious a threat as we can have anywhere in either the region or the world."

Earlier this year, a North Korean freighter suspected of carrying heroin was boarded off the East Coast of Australia by elite troops who rappelled from helicopters after it refused repeated demands by pursuing Australian Navy ships to stop.

The ship's crew was arrested and charged with smuggling heroin. While no firm link has been established between the ship and North Korean authorities, it is believed that Pyongyang exports illicit drugs to prop up its failing economy.

On Dec. 9, Spain's navy, working with U.S. authorities, intercepted a North Korean ship carrying missiles to Yemen, but the cargo was released after Yemen protested.