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North Korea engaged in 'attention seeking:' Biden
2009-07-06
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Vice President Joseph Biden on Sunday dismissed North Korea's latest series of missile launches, saying the communist regime was engaged in "attention seeking" as it faced increasing isolation. "Look, this has almost become predictable behavior," Biden told ABC television. "Some of it seems like almost attention-seeking behavior." The comments came after North Korea test-fired seven missiles off its east coast Saturday, according to South Korean officials. The ballistic missiles -- which the North is banned from firing under UN resolutions -- were launched into the Sea of Japan in an act of defiance apparently timed for the US Independence Day holiday. It was the biggest salvo of ballistic weaponry since the North fired a long-range Taepodong-2 and six smaller missiles in 2006, also on July 4th. Biden said he did not want to give these tests undue attention, but rather focus on moving forward with the policy of further isolating Pyongyang. "I think our policy has been absolutely correct so far," the vice president stated. "We have succeeded in uniting the most important and critical countries to North Korea on a common path of further isolating North Korea." Speaking on CBS television Sunday, the top US military commander fretted about the "unpredictability" of the North Korean regime. "I'm very comfortable with our defensive posture that we can protect our interests, our people and our territories," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen said. "What I am increasingly concerned about is just the belligerence and the unpredictability of the North Korean leadership," Admiral Mullen said. Meanwhile a North Korean ship tracked by the US Navy off the coast of South Korea appears to be heading back to its home port in the Yellow Sea, Mullen said. "It looks like it's on its way back. You can't know for sure. Don't know for sure why it turned around," he told CBS. "We were obviously concerned about it. We're keeping close track of it." Last month, the UN Security Council imposed new sanctions against North Korea, banning all weapons exports from the country and the import of all but small arms. Reacting to North Korea's second underground nuclear test in May, the council also called on all members of the international community to stop and search North Korean ships for weapons. In a departure from previous practice, the resolution was supported by China and Russia which are increasingly concerned by Pyongyang's belligerent stance. The vice president noted that the position taken by these two countries represented "a significant turning of the pressure." "Our policy is to continue to put united pressure from the very countries that North Korea was able to look to before with impunity," Biden said. He predicted that "there are going to be some very difficult decisions that that regime's going to have to make." A US delegation met this week with Chinese officials for talks on implementing UN sanctions imposed on North Korea. Delegation head Philip Goldberg -- the State Department's point man on coordinating implementation of the sanctions -- told reporters last Thursday he had "very good discussions" in Beijing. China has been criticized by the United States in the past for lacking enthusiasm for implementing UN sanctions against North Korea, its neighbor and ally. Meanwhile, a US State Department official urged North Korea on Saturday not to "aggravate tensions" and described Pyongyang's latest missile tests as "not helpful." "North Korea should refrain from actions that aggravate tensions and focus on denuclearization talks and the implementation of its commitments from the September 19, 2005 joint statement," State Department spokesman Karl Duckworth told AFP. Under the 2005 agreement, North Korea promised to give up its nuclear program in exchange for a US pledge not to attack or invade it, and to work toward normalized relations. The United States and other parties to the agreement -- China, Japan, Russia and South Korea -- also offered to put together an energy package for North Korea. But Pyongyang announced last April that it was walking out of the six-party talks and resuming operation of its nuclear facilities. "What North Korea needs to do is fulfill its international obligations and commitments," Duckworth said, adding that North Korean missile launches "highlight the importance of fully implementing the provisions of the UN resolutions."
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