There is growing concern in the United States that communist-ruled North Korea may be planning to fire a long-range missile toward Hawaii on or about U.S. Independence Day, July 4, after the U.N. Security Council passed tough new sanctions in response to North Korea's nuclear tests.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday that the United States is "fully prepared" to defend itself from a North Korean missile strike.
His comments followed those of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week that the military had bolstered its defenses in Hawaii in preparation for a potential North Korean missile launch toward U.S. territory.
The U.S. Navy is also tracking a North Korean ship that has been linked to banned missile-related cargo.
Pyongyang retorted Monday that as a "proud nuclear power" it would hit back if it thought it was under attack.
There is growing concern in the United States that communist-ruled North Korea may be planning to fire a long-range missile toward Hawaii on or about U.S. Independence Day, July 4, after the U.N. Security Council passed tough new sanctions in response to North Korea's nuclear tests.
And although Obama said he was not warning of a military response, the United States is prepared for any eventuality.
"This administration -- and our military -- is fully prepared for any contingencies," he told CBS television in an interview Sunday that was aired Monday.
"I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals," he told the CBS interviewer. "But I do want to give assurances to the American people that the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted in terms of what might happen."
Gates said last week the U.S. military had deployed airborne high-altitude missile defenses over Hawaii and primed ground-based defenses in Alaska.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is tracking a North Korean ship, the Kang Nam 1, which possibly is carrying missiles or related parts, to ensure it does not break U.N. sanctions.
Last week's resolution barred shipments of arms and weapons technology to and from Korea, and authorized inspection of vessels if there are "reasonable grounds" that they may be carrying illicit cargo.
However, the U.N. resolution did not authorize the use of military force to impose the ban.
According to an intelligence source for South Korean YTN television, the 2,000-ton vessel is heading for Myanmar via Singapore.
On Monday the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said the country was a "proud nuclear power" and would hit back if it considered itself to be under attack.
It said Washington and Seoul were preparing for nuclear war under the guise of deploying a "nuclear umbrella for South Korea."
Obama had last week vowed to defend South Korea from Pyongyang, which he called a "grave threat."
Pyongyang tested its second nuclear bomb on May 25. That followed a launch April 5 of what Pyongyang said was a satellite, but Washington insisted was really a disguised long-range missile test.
Pyongyang's traditional allies -- Russia and China -- last week called on the reclusive state to return to the negotiating table
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