U.S. Military Tracking North Korean Ship Suspected of Proliferating Missiles, Nukes

[Vajra]

U.S. Military Tracking North Korean Ship Suspected of Proliferating Missiles, Nukes - Political News - FOXNews.com

The U.S. military is tracking a flagged North Korean ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last Friday, FOX News has learned.

The ship, Kang Nam, left a port in North Korea Wednesday and could be carrying weaponry, missile parts or nuclear materials. The U.S. military has been tracking it since its departure.

"It is believed to be 'of interest,'" a senior U.S. official told FOX News.

This is the first suspected "proliferator" that the U.S. and its allies have tracked from North Korea since the United Nations authorized the world's navies to enforce compliance with a variety of U.N. sanctions aimed at punishing North Korea for its recent nuclear test.

The apparent violation raises the question of how the United States and its allies will respond, particularly since the U.N. resolution does not have a lot of teeth to it.

The resolution would not allow the United States to forcibly board the ship. Rather, U.S. military would have to request permission to board -- a request North Korea is unlikely to grant.

North Korea has said that any attempt to board its ships would be viewed as an act of war and promised "100- or 1,000-fold" retaliation if provoked.

If there is cause to pursue the ship, sources told FOX News the U.S. military would instead likely follow the slow-moving vessel until it goes into port to refuel.

At that point, sources said, the U.S. military could request that the host country not provide fuel to the ship.

The Kang Nam is known to be a ship that has been involved in proliferation activities in the past -- it is "a repeat offender," according to one military source.

Aww shit, the moment of truth and decision.

[_chuchu]

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/76644...-them-yet.html

http://www.imagebeast.net/images/bi2...fkoj6ykioo.jpg

[Vajra]

This is current news that's happening now, not an "If scenario." Just saw it on both Fox/Cnn (but it was only on Fox's website). US Millitary Ships are following it right now according to CNN.

Edited by adding a quote in from the Fox News Website's Article.

[jmc]

This is gonna get interesting....


wonder what they are gonna do to refuel..... or even, where the hell are they going? lol

[Olo401]

in b4 tales of the black freighter

[Odon]

They are trying to start the next world war... in the same place it began for us!


THOSE MOTHER FUCKERS

[Dimmauk]

Japan: Take off every 'ZIG'!!
Japan: You know what you doing.
Japan: Move 'ZIG'.
Japan: For great justice.

[kuronosan]

The real reason they're tracking that ship is because they're using biological warfare to spread swine flu to our boys at sea.

Quick! SHUT. DOWN. EVERYTHING.

[Zilong]

This just in, Madagascar has just close down all its ports.

[Atreides]

I'm a little confused as to why they're just now bringing this ship up now... either they've been tracking ships in/out of the DPRK for a long time and they have a specific reason they're letting the public know about it, or they're just focusing on this because of heightened tension in the region. Either way, the skeptical part of me hopes this isn't another Gulf of Tonkin incident.

Maybe they're just releasing this information as a way of leaving the door open so that in case military action is necessary, the American public/international community has pretext to view such action as exigent circumstances and thus more justifiable? It seems like that's something they'd want to do, after Iraq.

[oldoldman]

The real reason they're tracking that ship is because they're using biological warfare to spread swine flu to our boys at sea.

Quick! SHUT. DOWN. EVERYTHING.

Awwww I wanted to make the Swine Flu Vajra joke

[Vajra]

Yeah it's really smart to take a serious topic off topic, Bravo!

Anyways on CNN I just heard that the Navy "might" be able to search the ship at a refueling point, because they will most likely restrict the country that wants to refuel the ship from doing so, unless they can search ship. Question is, where will they most likely try to refuel o.0?

Reason why this is getting press today is because:

The Kang Nam is known to be a ship that has been involved in proliferation activities in the past -- it is "a repeat offender," according to one military source.

I forgot to bold that in the original post.

[kuronosan]

This is a Vajra topic. There is nothing serious to talk about here.

[Effluo]

International Incident incoming...

I can only imagine what N. Korea will be like when the "Brilliant Comrade" takes over

[guartz]

or even, where the hell are they going? lol

IRAN

[Vajra]

Now on CNN.com

U.S. tracking N. Korea ship with possible weapons, official says

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military is tracking a North Korean ship believed to be carrying illicit weapons or technology, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

The ship, the Kang Nam, is a North Korean-flagged ship, according to two senior U.S. officials, and is currently in the Pacific.

While the United States does not know what specifically is on the ship, the Kang Nam is a "repeat offender," known for having carried "proliferation materials," one senior defense official said.

Without speaking to any details of the Kang Nam report, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the United States would not forcibly board a North Korean ship but, in accordance with the recent United Nations resolution, would request permission to search the ship or press any port the ship docks in to inspect it for illegal materials.

Mullen told reporters at a news conference that neither the United States nor any other navy would board a ship without permission.

"The United Nations Security Council resolution does not include an option for opposed-boarding or noncompliant boarding with respect to that," he said. "We expect compliance."

North Korea has warned that any effort to stop one of its ships would be considered an act of war.

"To further isolate itself, to further noncomply with international guidance and regulations in the long run puts them in a more difficult position," Mullen said

Took them long enough to post it lol...

[Correction]

Probably because they wanted a better source than unnamed 'U.S. officials' to write into their story. They also didn't want to use said unnamed sources as reason to speculate about nuclear material on the ship, something the FOX story didn't hesitate to do.

[Xiona]

personally i think that the ship isnt carrying nukes, but more like carrying crates full of swine flu!!!

[Plow]

I'm a little confused as to why they're just now bringing this ship up now... either they've been tracking ships in/out of the DPRK for a long time and they have a specific reason they're letting the public know about it, or they're just focusing on this because of heightened tension in the region. Either way, the skeptical part of me hopes this isn't another Gulf of Tonkin incident.

Maybe they're just releasing this information as a way of leaving the door open so that in case military action is necessary, the American public/international community has pretext to view such action as exigent circumstances and thus more justifiable? It seems like that's something they'd want to do, after Iraq.

Because 3 weeks ago NK basically told the world they're selling weapons and any attempt to stop them will result in an attack on SK.


And now they're following through on the first half.

[Atreides]

Because 3 weeks ago NK basically told the world they're selling weapons and any attempt to stop them will result in an attack on SK.


And now they're following through on the first half.

yea, it's pretty clear what the DPRK is doing here, my post was more wondering the possible motivations for the US releasing that information to the press.