U.S. military accuses DPRK of making threat by planned rocket launch

2009-03-19 20:13:45 GMT2009-03-20 04:13:45 (Beijing Time) Xinhua English

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military said Thursday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s planned rocket launch will be a threat to U.S. security, vowing it is "fully prepared to respond" to "this provocation."

The United States is watching closely the DPRK's orientation. There is a "high probability" that the U.S. military could knock down any missile launched by the DPRK, U.S. commander in the Pacific, Adm. Timothy Keating, told senators.

In addition, the Associated Press quoted Gen. Walter Sharp, the top U.S. commander in South Korea, as saying the threat from Pyongyang "is real, and it is felt in South Korea." He urged the DPRK "not to do this provocation."

Pyongyang declared on Feb. 24 that it was going to launch a communications satellite as part of a peaceful space program.

The DPRK in the past few weeks said it had the right to develop a peaceful space program which is centered on a multi-stage rocket.

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