WASHINGTON: The United States has suspended planned food aid to North Korea as Pyongyang vows to push ahead with a plan to launch a long-range missile in defiance of international warnings, US military officials said on Wednesday.| Don't worry, Uncle Sugar will ship the food as soon as the Norks hint at backing down... |
But Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy told the House of Representative Armed Services Committee that the announcement of the launch was in breach of the February agreement.
"This planned launch is highly provocative because it manifests North Korea's desire to test and expand its long-range missile capability," Lavoy told the House panel.
"We believe this reflects their lack of desire to follow through on their commitments, their international commitments, and so we've ... been forced to suspend our activities to provide nutritional assistance to North Korea." A US official confirmed the United States had detected activity that looked like launch preparations at a facility near the country's northwestern border with China.
The website GlobalSecurity.org published satellite imagery last week of a launch pad and tower without a rocket at the Tongchang-dong launch site. A US official indicated there were signs the North Koreans were getting the site ready.
"The US has seen indications that the North Koreans are preparing to launch a long-range rocket," said the official.