“Missile Defense System in Real Service by America Will Be A Deterrent”

The US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated on the 17th that it would be a deterrent against countries like North Korea for the US to put the Missile Defense System in real service.

The Secretary Rumsfeld answered to a question, asking that the decision like this was sending a `signal` to North Korea, during a briefing about putting the Missile Defense System in real service, “I guess so.”

He said, “Other countries will know what kind of ability we have,” and “as long as we have the ability (to intercept a missile), that (the Missile Defense System) will have a deterrent.”

The Secretary Rumsfeld also said that America kept cooperating closely with Korea, Japan, Russia, and China about the nuclear threat of North Korea, and he said, “The President (George W. Bush) has a determination to push North Korea to change her attitude through cooperation with friendly countries and allies.”

He, however, dodged the question asking whether America will consider a preemptive attack if North Korea develops weapons of massive destruction as much as actually threatening America.

In the meantime, the White House Spokesperson Ari Fleischer stated that the decision of America to put the Missile Defense System in real service was not related to the announcement of North Korea to pursuit the nuclear development.

Before this, the US Department of Defense announced that it planned to put 10 antimissile missiles each in 2004 and 2005 in real service in Alaska.

Ki-Heung Han eligius@donga.com