JAPAN: U.S. Forces Commander says North Korea a "dangerous situation"

Record ID: 466767

  • Title: JAPAN: U.S. Forces Commander says North Korea a "dangerous situation"
  • Date: 6th December 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 6, 2012) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE TO DEFENSE MINISTRY SIGN IN JAPANESE READING "DEFENSE MINISTRY" PATRIOT ADVANCED CAPABILITY 3 (PAC3) MISSILE LAUNCHER AND JAPAN SELF-DEFENSE FORCE MEMBER ON FIELD BEHIND DEFENSE MINISTRY JAPAN SELF-DEFENSE FORCE MEMBER VARIOUS OF PAC 3 MISSILE LAUNCHER NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMANDER OF THE U.S. FORCES IN JAPAN, LIEUTENANT SALVATORE ANGELELLA SAYING: "This is a very dangerous situation. And we do not support those actions right now by North Korea." VARIOUS OF U.S. MILITARY MEMBER TAKING NOTES AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMANDER OF THE US FORCES IN JAPAN, LIEUTENANT SALVATORE ANGELELLA SAYING: "This is against the U.N. security council resolutions and we are monitoring the situation closely and working very closely with the Self-Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence." PAC3 MISSILE LAUNCHERS ON FIELD BEHIND DEFENCE MINISTRY MORE OF PAC3 MISSILE LAUNCHER VARIOUS OF PAC3 MISSILE LAUNCHERS BEHIND BARBED WIRE
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVACZ3CGBKCFVXM3O1FT7XEEHUAG
  • Story Text: Lieutenant Salvatore Angelella, Commander of the U.S. Forces in Japan spoke to media in Tokyo on Thursday (December 6) warning that North Korea was a "dangerous situation".
    As Japan ramps up its land-based defences ahead of a North Korean rocket launch expected in the coming weeks, patriot missiles were rolled out for deployment onto the field behind the Defence Ministry in Tokyo.
    Elsewhere, the government deployed Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors to islands in the country's southern Okinawa prefecture.
    "This is a very dangerous situation. And we do not support those actions right now by North Korea," Angelella told members of the Japanese and foreign media.
    North Korea is expected to launch the rocket some time between December 10-22 and has warned Japan there was a danger debris could fall during the launch, in a flight path similar to a failed launch in April this year.
    "This is against the U.N. security council resolutions and we are monitoring the situation closely and working very closely with the Self-Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence," Angelella said.
    While the rocket's projected path will not take it anywhere near Tokyo, two PAC-3 launchers were still deployed in central Tokyo and others at bases near to the capital.
    Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said the government would consider intercepting the rocket if it goes off course, the same stance the government took earlier in the year.
    Last month Noda said that Japan's security environment was tougher than ever, underscoring the threat of North Korea's weapons programmes and tension with China over a territorial dispute.
    North Korea says it is once again merely sending a satellite into space, but the United States claims it is a disguised ballistic missile test.
    In April, Japan deployed Aegis radar-equipped destroyers carrying Standard Missile-3 interceptors to the sea between Japan and South Korea and others to the East China Sea.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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