US Would 'not Necessarily' Shoot Down NKorean Missile: Pentagon
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published January 11, 2017 | 09:50 AM
WASHINGTON, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2017 ) - The US military would not necessarily shoot down a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile, should the country's leader try to test one, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Tuesday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said in a New Year's speech that the country was "in the final stages of test-launching the intercontinental ballistic missile." Carter, whose two-year run as Pentagon chief will come to an end when President Barack Obama leaves office January 20, said in his final news conference that it might make sense to watch such a test without taking action.
"If the missile is threatening it will be intercepted," he said. "If it is not threatening, we won't necessarily do so... it may be more to our advantage to first of all save our interceptor inventory, and second to gather intelligence from the flight rather than do that when it's not threatening.
" In 2016, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland.
Analysts are divided over how close Pyongyang is to realizing its full nuclear ambitions, especially since it has never successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The Pentagon last week said it was confident in its capabilities to defend against a missile attack by North Korea.
For its part, South Korea plans to deploy a US missile defense system -- despite opposition from China -- to protect against any threats from the North.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Dubai Police Marks International Workers' Day with 'Talabat' Riders
Sharjah Ruler inaugurates 15th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
Parineeti Chopra opens up about her decision to marry politician Raghav Chadha
PCB decides to set up training camp for national team ahead of England, Ireland ..
Virat Kohli's sweet birthday wish for Anushka Sharma
Interior Minister commends Pakistan Coast Guards
Pakistan women’s squad announced for England tour
Punjab CM Maryam inaugurates initiative of field hospitals
PM Shehbaz constitutes committee to investigate caretaker govt’s wheat import ..
Women T20I: Pakistan to face West Indies in fourth match tomorrow
Pak-UK 6th Regional Stabilization Conference underway at NDU, Islamabad
World Labor Day being observed today
More Stories From World
-
Alcaraz crashes, Sinner hobbles out of Madrid
15 minutes ago -
Floods strand dozens of tourists in Kenya's Maasai Mara
45 minutes ago -
Colombia to cut diplomatic ties with Israel
45 minutes ago -
Rublev sends two-time defending champion Alcaraz crashing in Madrid
1 hour ago -
Police tackle US campus protests as Los Angeles hit by clashes
1 hour ago -
Thousands rally in Georgia as 'foreign influence' bill advances
1 hour ago
-
UK confirms first migrants held for Rwanda deportation flights
2 hours ago -
Master-blaster Airee named in Nepal T20 World Cup squad
2 hours ago -
Dubai Police Marks International Workers' Day with 'Talabat' Riders
2 hours ago -
Sharjah Ruler inaugurates 15th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
2 hours ago -
Pakistan represented at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
2 hours ago -
Thirty years on Ecclestone regrets causing upset over Senna's death
2 hours ago