The North Korean fighter jets that intercepted an unarmed American spy plane over the Sea of Japan last weekend were trying to force the aircraft to land in North Korea and seize its crew, a senior defense official said today. One of the four North Korean MIG's came within 50 feet of the American plane, an Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft, and the pilot made internationally recognized hand signals to the American flight crew to follow him, presumably back to his home base, the official said. The American crew members ignored the gesture commands, aborted the surveillance mission in international airspace about 150 miles off the North Korean coast, and returned safely to their home base at Kadena Air Base in Japan.
| They wanted a repeat of the incident with China and the P3 shortly after Bush took office — combined with elements of the Pueblo incident, of course... |
The official offered no explanation as to why the North Korean fighters did not take further action once the American plane aborted its mission and turned back toward its base.
| Because shooting it down in international waters could likely have initiated hostilities then and there... |
Details about the intercept, which came to light after military officials interviewed the flight crew, suggest that the more than 15 Americans aboard faced greater peril than was previously known.
| Some of us guessed, though... |
Ignoring a fighter pilot's order to land, even in international airspace, could have led to the plane's downing, military officials said today. "Clearly, it appears their intention was to divert the aircraft to North Korea, and take it hostage," the official said. |
