US activates missile defence amid North Korea dispute

WASHINGTON - The United States has activated its ground-based interceptor missile-defence system amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch, a US defence official has said.

Pentagon officials declined to say whether they would try to shoot down any missile launched by the reclusive communist state, but other US officials have said that is unlikely, assuming the launch is aimed at open water.

Many US experts say Pyongyang has a legal right to test and there are questions about the accuracy of US missile defences.

Pyongyang had no immediate comment, but a North Korean official said earlier the country does not feel bound by pledges to halt test firings of long-range missiles.

A US defence official confirmed a Washington Times report that the Pentagon had switched its multibillion-dollar missile-defence system from test mode to operational.

"It's good to be ready," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff, asked whether the United States would try to shoot down a North Korean missile, said: "We have a limited missile-defence system ... We don't discuss the alert status or the specific capabilities."

The United States has built a complex of interceptor missiles, advanced radar stations and data relays designed to detect and shoot down an enemy missile. Test results have been mixed, but officials had previously said the system could be activated on short notice.

North Korea has placed a long-range Taepodong-2 missile on a launch pad, but may not have finished fueling it, US and South Korean officials said.

"They seem to be moving forward towards a launch, but the intelligence is not conclusive at this point," White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon urged Pyongyang to scrap test plans.

The United States has said it would be a provocation if North Korea launched the missile, which some experts said could reach Alaska. Regional powers have warned a launch would be a grave mistake.

US officials said they have seen no significant changes in the test site in the past 24 hours, and poor visibility over North Korea could persist for most of the week, possibly delaying any launch.

If Pyongyang tests, Washington is likely to tighten existing trade sanctions against the North and push a UN Security Council resolution condemning the test. Some US officials expect Japan and South Korea to also enact tough measures.

A senior US official said even as participants in six-country talks on ending the North's nuclear programme contemplate punitive steps, they are also looking to revive negotiations.

This could involve a meeting of the parties, whether or not North Korea participates, but there is no expectation that chief US negotiator Christopher Hill would visit Pyongyang in a bid to salvage the stalled talks.

"The North Korean preparations for a missile test have underscored the importance of common action within the six-party context," the senior official said.

He said the issue also gives new urgency to implementing a September 2005 agreement in which Pyongyang would abandon its nuclear programmes in return for economic and political benefits.

North Korea reneged on the terms soon after the agreement was announced.

- REUTERS