Beef-up US Military Presence around Korean Peninsula

A US Defense official confirmed on Tuesday that the US is sending 24 bombers to the island of Guam in the western Pacific to deter any aggression by North Korea. He said the move was a prudent measure to keep peace on the peninsula.

Although the official said that the military build-up was not prompted by the weekend interception of a US spy-plane by four North Korean fighters, experts deem it as a warning against North Korea.

US Defense spokesperson Jeff Davis announced that the United States is preparing for any military situations that might happen in various regions [other than Iraq]. The military move made this time, he continued, was part of the US efforts to live up to the international demand.

According to the US news media, 12 B-1 bombers and like number of B-2 bombers will be dispatched to Guam.

Another Defense official confirmed, "In the future, we will have our fighters escort the reconnaissance plane. We have no plan for stopping the mission."

In a meeting with a Japanese politician, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage defined the latest midair encounter as an action arising out of North Korea`s worries over the possibility that its missile tests are watched by US spy planes, reported Daily Yomiuri. His remark indicates that North Korea will test its missile again.

In the meanwhile, the White House termed the interception by North Korean jet fighters as a reckless behavior, and on Tuesday confirmed it would lodge a formal protest over the encounter.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, "we speak with the Republic of Korea and our other allies about this incident, and we are consulting with them on how we will protest this incident in the most appropriate way to lodge the protest."

"[T]he President continues to believe that this matter can be handled through diplomacy. This kind of reckless behavior by North Korea will only lead to further international isolation of North Korea," Fleischer also added.

He explained, regarding his statement the previous day indicating the possible US attack on North Korea, "The President has always said that we leave our options on the table and that he continues to believe this can be settled diplomatically, but we leave all our options on the table. That`s what the President has always said."

maypole@donga.com