| Friday, March 7, 2003 Posted: 11:05 AM EST (1605 GMT)
WASHINGTON -- North Korea has issued a notice to mariners that indicates it plans to conduct an at-sea weapons test, possibly as early as this weekend.
U.S. officials tell CNN they believe North Korea will conduct another test of its KN-01 short-range anti-ship missile, which is under development.
The announcement came hours after President Bush re-emphasized U.S. demands for multilateral talks to discuss North Korea's nuclear program, despite Pyongyang's repeated calls for direct talks with Washington. (Bush upbeat)
The KN-01 is the same missile that was tested several weeks ago and the test is expected to also occur over the Sea of Japan in the same area as the last test.
The U.S. also plans to resume reconnaissance flights over the Sea of Japan following the intercept several days ago of an Air Force RC-135 by North Korean MiG fighters, the officials said.
Officials said they hope to get Japan and South Korea to participate in the reconnaissance missions.
Bush said Thursday he was optimistic that the best way to resolve a nuclear crisis with North Korea is through a joint diplomatic effort.
"This is a regional issue...because there's a lot of countries that have got a direct stake in whether or not North Korea has a nuclear weapon," he said, mentioning Japan, South Korea, Russia and China.
"We're working the issue hard and I'm optimistic we'll come up with a diplomatic solution," he said.
There have been a number of military related maneuvers in the past fortnight that have added to tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
On Wednesday, the U.S. dispatched 24 bomber aircraft to boost its forces in the Pacific.
It said the deployment had been planned for some time and was not in response to the intercept of an U.S. spy plane by North Korean fighter jets last weekend.
Pentagon officials say the move is designed to send a non-threatening message to North Korea warning it not to take advantage of the Iraqi situation and assume the U.S. military is distracted by events in the Gulf. (Bomber message)
Also, Pyongyang has accused the U.S. of increasing spy flights as a prelude to a military strike against North Korea.
Last month, on February 24, North Korea test fired a short-range anti-ship missile off its east coast, its first such launch since a self-imposed moratorium began in 1998.
Both the U.S. and Japan are wary of North Korea's missile development.
The CIA warned Congress last month North Korea had a long-range missile capable of hitting the continental United States.
Within East Asia, the potential threat has led Japan to consider its missile defense options.
Tokyo has also said it could launch preemptive military action if there was evidence a North Korean missile strike was likely | |
