WASHINGTON: The Unites States is closely watching North Korea for signs of a possible missile launch or nuclear test in the coming days that officials are referring to as a 'Christmas surprise.” A significant launch or test would mean the end of North Korea's self-imposed moratorium and raise tensions in the region.
Korean People's Army soldiers pay their respects before a statue of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, on the anniversary of his death, at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang recently. - AFP
It would also be a major blow to one of the Trump administration's major foreign policy initiatives: the drive to get North Korea back to negotiations to eliminate its nuclear weapons and missiles. "North Korea has been advancing. It has been building new capabilities," said Anthony Wier, a former State Department official who tracks nuclear disarmament for the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Victor Cha, a Korea expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said a review of the possible launch sites in North Korea show that they are a"basically ready to go.”Using solid fuel allows North Korea to more quickly fuel up a rocket, providing less lead time for the U.S. or others to prepare for a launch. Sea-based launches are also more difficult to locate and would give less warning or time for the US to react.
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