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NKorea Said to Deploy Artillery, Missiles
North Korea has moved heavy artillery closer to the tense border with South Korea, and last year deployed more missiles that are capable of reaching Japan, South Korea said. Wouldyas look at dat -- the lil Nimrods are gettinâ feisty! The report came amid a flurry of diplomatic efforts led by China to seek a peaceful resolution to a standoff over North Koreaâs suspected development of nuclear weapons. For decades, North Korea has deployed much of its conventional military force close to the border, and would be capable of inflicting devastation on Seoul in the early stages of any conflict. U.S. and U.N. officials are now watching for signs that Pyongyang has begun reprocessing plutonium, a process that emits a kind of krypton gas that U.S. sensors can detect. The New York Times said on its Web site Saturday that American officials confirmed that sensors on the North Korean border have detected elevated levels of krypton 85. Hence the move of the artillery tubes, just so everyone knows theyâre holding Seoul hostage. The Times also reported that American and Asian officials say there is strong evidence North Korea has secretly built a second plant for producing weapons-grade plutonium. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told The Associated Press he would not discuss intelligence matters and, therefore, would not confirm the story. But he pointed out that North Korea ``stated publicly last year that it did have a covert nuclear weapons programââ and added that ``they have taken a number of escalating steps in recent months, including expelling IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors and restarting their nuclear facilities.ââ The South Korean military did not alter its alert posture in response to the report on the North Korean artillery and missiles, indicating that a major escalation of tension was not imminent. North Korea ``has increased the threat on South Koreaâs capital by moving forward 170mm and 240mm long-range artillery,ââ the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a policy report Friday. It did not say when the redeployment occurred, nor how many guns were shifted. The South Korean Defense Ministry also said the North in June last year deployed a ``battalionââ of Nodong missiles, which can hit targets as far as 810 So howâd they know it was a battalion? It was unclear why South Korea released what seemed to be old intelligence about the North Korean missiles at such a sensitive time on the Korean Peninsula. The Defense Ministry sometimes appears hawkish on North Korea in comparison with other government ministries, which espouse Posted by: Steve White 2003-07-20 |
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