U.S. Tracking North Korean Ship
EmailABC News' Luis Martinez reports: US officials confirm to ABC News that the US is tracking a North Korean ship that left port on Wednesday making it the first ship to be tracked since last Friday’s passage of a UN Security Resolution that bars North Korea from exporting weapons ranging from small arms, missile parts and nuclear technologies. One of the officials confirms the freighter, identified as the Kang Nam, left a North Korean port on Wednesday and is currently in international waters off the coast of China. Officials stress it remains unclear what cargo the vessel might be carrying and whether it may contain weapons barred by the recently passed UN Security Council Resolution 1874 that imposed stiff sanctions on North Korea in the wake of its recent missile and nuclear tests. According to one official, “This is prudent and normal tracking that we did even before the UN Security Resolution, we track ships like this all the time. It’s of note now because of the resolution.” The resolution provides authorization for interdicting North Korean ships at sea suspected of carrying possible weapons shipments and allows for permission requests to board a suspected ship for inspection of its cargo. The ship’s tracking raises the prospect that the US Navy could at some point request the North Korean crew’s permission to board the ship as required under the resolution. But the likelihood of the North Koreans agreeing to that is unlikely given recent North Korean statements that such a request would be considered an act of war. A US official said the US Navy does not currently have a vessel shadowing the North Korean ship.
An alternative to requesting to board the ship would be to allow it to make a port of call for refueling purposes and then request the country being visited to inspect the ship’s cargo. At a Pentagon news conference Thursday, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declined to confirm the tracking of the ship or what it might be carrying, but was clear that the US intends to “vigorously enforce” the resolution to include options like a “hail and query.” He added, “It's very clear that the resolution prohibits North Korea from shipping these kinds of materials, the kinds of weapons that were laid out, in the material, from conventional weapons up to fissile material or nuclear weapons. And we expect compliance.”
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Yeah, great job.
Posted by: Huh | June 18, 2009, 6:04 pm 6:04 pm
It’s about time! All along it’s been NK pushing the US to see how far it will go. Now it’s their turn. How far will they go after all that talk? North Korea backing down is the only chance they have, so bring it on. I just hope that if they launch that other missile or any other crap like that, the US forces “sanctions” that allow force to board these ships. It may not be necessary though. Come on Dear Leader (or whatever they call him)you’ve been talking crap, now go for it.
Posted by: Rich | June 18, 2009, 7:31 pm 7:31 pm
North Korea testing rockets !!!
Iran making the fuel !!!
Al queda & Bin Laden making war between the muslims and the United States.
Melt these events together and you will get a nuke hitting America. Open your eyes Mr. Obama dont miss the program like Clinton did.
Posted by: Mess | June 18, 2009, 7:45 pm 7:45 pm
Sorry but the Librals will not allow us to kill 1 innocent civilian. That is why we kill all our soldiers.
Posted by: Bob | June 18, 2009, 7:58 pm 7:58 pm
All of you are stupid you can just nuke north korea because south korea is right next to it and there are military bases on south korea. even if north korea is nuked and south korea is not hit there is still high beams of radiation that will kill people in south korea.
Posted by: Raphael | June 18, 2009, 8:56 pm 8:56 pm
Scott,the fact is this really is serious, but your wording gave me a good laugh, sawed-off fruit cake, very funny. |
Posted by: wethepeople | June 18, 2009, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
I’m starting to think the housing bubble burst was a good thing for this country. I mean, there needs to be a wake up call. Here you have a bunch of lunatics sitting on their fat butts in front of computers talking all tough as if war is game. You people need a taste of misery to make you understand what the world is like. You’re all talking this war game as some video games. My gosh, how many of you can even run thirty meters straight?
Posted by: David | June 18, 2009, 9:04 pm 9:04 pm
Melt these events together and you will get a nuke
hitting America. Open your eyes Mr. Obama dont miss
the program like Clinton did. Posted by: Mess
************************************************
No mention of Bush? Oh that’s right, he was reading
nursery rhymes to a kindergarden class when 9/11
happened. Had good eyes for that one!
Posted by: spacerook1 | June 18, 2009, 10:21 pm 10:21 pm
Tired of watching the world stand by like nuts and doing nothing but letting North Korea act like a child. If the United Nations doesn’t do something about this escalation soon, I hate to say it but alot of innocent people will eventually get hurt by them. Enough is Enough. If they shoot one missle near Hawaii we had better do more than condemn it. This gets crazier everyday!
Posted by: Steve | June 18, 2009, 10:22 pm 10:22 pm
I certainly do hope that it wont become necessary for us to take military action against N. Korea. Our military is currently spread dangerously thin due to the two wars that we are currently fighting. Many of you are advocating taking military action against N. Korea. Have you given any thought to who is going to fight this new war. Also, what would be the role of N. Korea’s staunch allies China and Russia. What do we do if they come to the aid of N. Korea?
Posted by: johnnylee | June 18, 2009, 10:45 pm 10:45 pm
We have to take a stand some time. This thing isn’t going away until we teach the li’l Elvis in North Korea a lesson.
Posted by: nufznuf | June 18, 2009, 11:57 pm 11:57 pm
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Burke.
Posted by: GladTheyCanSaveUs | June 19, 2009, 12:02 am 12:02 am
nice quote, Glad. Well said.
Posted by: nufznuf | June 19, 2009, 12:19 am 12:19 am
HERE WE GO AGAIN…AMERICAN MEDIA BEATING THE DRUM WITH LIES (LIKE THE WMD BANDWAGON THEY IMMEDIATELY JUMPED ON) PROCLAIMING THAT THE The Yomiuri Shinbun is stating this. luckily i have a japanese citizen wife that can get the facts our media so purposely twists and distorts. they are stating that america is beating the fear drum and japan is trying to qualm because they are stuck in the middle of our occupying forces. READ FOR YOURSELF BEFORE WE KILL AND BE KILLED BY THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE… they make money off of false fears!!!!!Here is Yomiuri Newspaper website in English.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/
Mainichi Newspaper
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/
Asahi Newspaper
http://www.asahi.com/english/
These are the three biggest regular newspapers (not economy, etc… but like washington post, abc news here… they cover everything) in Japan.
Posted by: word out | June 19, 2009, 1:30 am 1:30 am
Obama will do nothing, the ship will proceed to it’s destination.. we will be embarrased again. And eventually, we will be hit with their nukes, and just as deadly, chemical and biological weapons.
Posted by: Comodus218 | June 19, 2009, 2:51 am 2:51 am
The Obaminator will do nothing… he is Neville Chamberlain the 2nd…we are all screwed! lol!
Posted by: Comodus218 | June 19, 2009, 2:52 am 2:52 am
come on guys.. you dont even know what this ship is carrying, but you just gotta get the ” Nuclear Weapons ” speculation in dont u… have you run out of countries to bully? jeez come on.. how about a little bit of peace?
Posted by: KFJ | June 19, 2009, 5:54 am 5:54 am
My fellow man,The Fuse is lit. We are stuck in a situation controlled by mad men and distant political statitions, Against their survival WE are of little concern. Dont argue amongst each other, for unless you have alot of cash, Political or military power. YOU are in the same boat as I. Believe in the better of each other and not the false words of those wanting destruction.
Man are we stupid. ahahahahaha
Posted by: HumanWitness | June 20, 2009, 3:18 am 3:18 am