U.S. monitoring several N.K. ships for possible WMD

The United States said Wednesday it is closely monitoring several North Korean ships for allegedly carrying weapons of mass destruction for possible proliferation, although it was tailing only one at the moment, according to Yonhap News.



"We have been interested in this one ship, but we`ve been interested in, frankly, multiple ships," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said, but added, "It`s the only ship that we have tracked like this."



Morrell was talking about the Kang Nam, the North Korean ship that the U.S. military has been shadowing since its departure from a North Korean port early last week, possibly on its way to Myanmar.



He would not discuss where the ship was headed.



"I`m not going to get into where it is and where it`s going," he said. "You know, obviously we have some notions of that, but I don`t think it`s productive for us to discuss it."



It is illegal under international law to inspect cargo on the high seas unless the flag state consents.



The U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 1874 after North Korea`s nuclear test on May 25, but it does not allow the use of force to implement the sanctions, due mainly to strong opposition from China, North Korea`s closest ally.



The spokesman said that the U.S. has not yet interdicted or tried to "hail and query" the Kang Nam.



"I think that`s a decision that will have to be made at some point, and not necessarily just by us or this government," Morrell said. "But that is a decision I think we will likely take collectively with our allies and partners out there and make a determination about whether we choose to hail and query this particular ship and, if we make that decision, when and where to do so."



He said he did not expect any decision soon.



"I would urge everybody just to take a deep breath and to not hyperventilate about this particular ship," he said. "We are in this for the long run."



The spokesman said that the U.S. was monitoring the North Korean ships even before the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 1874 following North Korea`s nuclear test on May 25. The resolution imposes an overall arms embargo and tougher financial sanctions than those under previous resolutions in 2006.



"I mean, we`ve been interested in North Korean ships for some time," he said.



The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) was launched in 2003 under the leadership of the U.S. to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. South Korea is the latest of 95 members, joining late last month after North Korea`s second nuclear test.



"Under PSI, we had obligations to and an interest in tracking ships to make sure there was no proliferation of any banned goods," he said.



"We obviously, under 1874, have additional responsibilities and authorities, and we appreciate that."



On the allegation that North Korea is preparing for another ballistic missile launch in defiance of the fresh U.N. sanctions, Morrell said, "Obviously there does seem to be some suggestions that it may be gearing up for something. We continue to monitor any and all missile activity in North Korea."



The spokesman said that the North Korean missile threat is "not a new one" and that the U.S. had "no new deployments other than what is the normal sort of rotation of naval assets in that region."



"I think we`re perfectly comfortable with the assets that are in place," he said.



Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said last week that he had directed the deployment of interceptors to Hawaii and Alaska in preparation for a possible ballistic missile launch from the North.



Due to budget constrains, the Obama administration last month cut back a plan that would have increased the number of interceptors to 44 from 30, but administration officials insist 30 interceptors are enough to counter North Korea`s missile capability "for some years to come."



Obama said Monday that his administration is prepared for any contingencies regarding North Korea, but fell short of threatening a military response.



"This administration and our military is fully prepared for any contingencies," Obama said.



Asked if that remark was a warning of a military response, Obama said, "No, it`s just we are prepared for any contingencies. I don`t want to speculate on hypotheticals."