US tracking N.Korea Ship suspected of carrying nuke material; *Update* US sends Missile defense assets to Hawaii after N.Korea Launch threat

by Infidelesto on June 18, 2009 · Comments

The ship just departed N.Korea and is heading on a course to Singapore.  According to the UN, we can’t board the ship “without asking first” and obviously the Norks won’t allow us on board.  And remember, North Korea has been particularly provocative with their threats to engage in a nuclear offensive if provoked.

I guess we’ll wait and see what happens.  Unfortunately, our hands our tied by Neville Obama.  I wouldn’t expect anything ot come of this except the Norks doing whatever pleases them.

Foxnews - The U.S. military is tracking a flagged North Korean ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last Friday, FOX News has learned.

The ship, Kang Nam, left a port in North Korea Wednesday and appears to be heading toward Singapore, according to a senior U.S. military source. The vessel, which the military has been tracking since its departure, could be carrying weaponry, missile parts or nuclear materials.

“It is believed to be ‘of interest,’” a senior U.S. official told FOX News.

This is the first suspected “proliferator” that the U.S. and its allies have tracked from North Korea since the United Nations authorized the world’s navies to enforce compliance with a variety of U.N. sanctions aimed at punishing North Korea for its recent nuclear test.

The ship is currently along the coast of China and being monitored around-the-clock by air.

The apparent violation raises the question of how the United States and its allies will respond, particularly since the U.N. resolution does not have a lot of teeth to it.

The resolution would not allow the United States to board the ship forcibly. Rather, U.S. military would have to request permission to board — a request North Korea is unlikely to grant.

North Korea has said that any attempt to board its ships would be viewed as an act of war and promised “100- or 1,000-fold” retaliation if provoked.

*update*

After word that the Norks may launch missiles in the direction of Hawaii, the US is sending missile defense assets to Hawaii

The U.S. is moving ground-to-air missile defenses to Hawaii as tensions escalate between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s recent moves to restart its nuclear-weapon program and resume test-firing long-range missiles.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday that the U.S. is concerned that Pyongyang might soon fire a missile toward Hawaii. Some senior U.S. officials expect a North Korean test by midsummer, even though most don’t believe the missile would be capable of crossing the Pacific and reaching Hawaii.

Mr. Gates told reporters that the U.S. is positioning a sophisticated floating radar array in the ocean around Hawaii to track an incoming missile. The U.S. is also deploying missile-defense weapons to Hawaii that would theoretically be capable of shooting down a North Korean missile, should such an order be given, he said.

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  • greggg57
    Why don't they just sink the damn thing?
  • first of all, Obama is way too damn cowardly to even think of such a thing.
    Second, Norks have already threatened a nuclear offensive if any of their
    ships are boarded without permission.

    This is a great example of the kind of weight a nuclear weaponized radical
    regime can throw around when they have that kind of power at their
    fingertips. Think about Iran in a year or so from now when they're fully
    armed with nukes and the Islamic nutjobs are still charge.
  • Tonto
    Kudos John. Wish I'd have said that.
  • Ray
    In the original article posting there was apparently going to be another Nork missile launch ,this time aimed towards Hawaii. Has any one seen the movie "Behind Enemy Lines" ? The airforce gen. made a statement I really liked. "we need to send a strong message that that dog ain't gonna hunt" If they launch it towards our sovereign airspace then is should be considered an act of war by them. Shoot it down and let the chips fall where they may including a massive counterstrike if need be. Eventually it will come down to that. Better now than later when they are more technologically advanced and have more of the ICBM's Crush 'em and crush 'em flat. If we don't then we are only asking for more woes down the road.
  • SirWilhelm
    Negotiations, UN resolutions, and sanctions obviously carry no weight with NK. These are all the tools of diplomacy that are available today. War is the last resort of diplomacy. NK has already commited acts of war and gotten away with it, I believe boarding this ship may well trigger a war with NK, but, I believe we must call their bluff. Unfortunately, the man we have as POTUS and CnC is probably the last man to do that. We must watch events take their course and hope for the best, as frustrating as that is.
  • The U.S. military is tracking a flagged North Korean ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N which is not good sign.
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