U.S. Navy tracks North Korean ship

By David Morgan and Jon Herskovitz
WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States is monitoring a North Korean ship for weapons and has deployed anti-missile assets to the Pacific in case Pyongyang launches more missiles, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The U.S. Navy is monitoring a vessel called Kang Nam at sea under new U.N. sanctions that bar North Korea from exporting weapons, including missile parts and nuclear materials, they said.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ship based in North Korea became "a subject of interest" after leaving a North Korean port on Wednesday.
They declined to say what the ship, now in international waters, might be carrying.
The Kang Nam is the first ship to be monitored under the U.N. sanctions adopted last week after Pyongyang raised tensions by test-firing missiles, restarting a plant to produce arms-grade plutonium and conducting a nuclear test.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, declined to discuss specifics at a briefing, but he stressed the U.N. resolution would allow the U.S. Navy to search a ship only with its flag country's consent.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington was also concerned about the possibility of North Korea firing off more missiles, possibly in the direction of Hawaii.
"We're obviously watching the situation in the North with respect to missile launches very closely, and we do have some concerns if they were to launch a missile to the West in the direction of Hawaii," he said.
"Without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say we are in a good position -- should it become necessary -- to protect American territory."
Gates said he had directed the redeployment of anti-missile assets in the Pacific region, including advanced radar and other defensive systems capable of bringing down medium-range ballistic missiles as a precaution.
North Korea in recent weeks has raised tensions in North Asia, responsible for one-sixth of the global economy, with missile launches, threats to attack the South and the May 25 nuclear test that led to U.N. sanctions.
Pyongyang has warned ships to stay away from waters off its eastern city of Wonsan until the end of the month, according to a Japan Coast Guard spokesman, which could indicate a possible missile test.
The North fired a barrage of short-range missiles off its east coast just after its nuclear test in May.
JULY 4 LAUNCH - REPORT
Separately, North Korea may be looking to test-fire a long-range missile over Japan toward Hawaii between July 4 and July 8, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper cited a Defense Ministry analysis as saying. Continued...
Source: Reuters