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http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1045511327645&p=1012571727169 Financial Times March 4, 2003 US deploys bombers to Guam as 'deterrent' By Peter Spiegel in Washington and Andrew Ward in Seoul Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, has ordered 24 long-range bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, a deployment officials said was intended to show North Korea the US intends to deter any aggressive actions even as it builds up forces in the Persian Gulf. The bombers were put on alert last month, but the announcement comes less than 24 hours after the Pentagon disclosed four North Korean MiG fighters intercepted a US spy plane flying over the Sea of Japan. Administration officials said the move was a ratcheting up of tensions in its stand-off with Pyongyang. Lt Cmdr Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said the deployment orders were sent out before the weekend incident. He said the move was similar to other deployments made during the Afghan campaign to deter North Korea in case Pyongyang felt it could take advantage of military activities elsewhere in the world. "These movements are not aggressive in nature," said Lt Cmdr Davis. "Deploying these additional forces is a prudent measure to bolster our defensive posture and as a deterrent." At the time the bombers were put on alert, Mr Rumsfeld said: "Our force deployments and arrangements ought to lead to the proper conclusion that we are not single-minded and that that deterrent effect is a healthy thing." The deployment, which includes B-1 and B-52 aircraft from bases in Louisiana and Texas, comes as North Korea has engaged in a series of aggressive actions, including the restarting of its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, and as US and South Korean forces began a month-long joint military exercise that could raise tensions even further. Ari Fleischer, White House spokesman, said the US would lodge a formal diplomatic protest against Sunday's intercept, arguing the move was "reckless" and would further isolate the communist state. He added, however, that President George W. Bush "continues to believe that this matter can be handled through diplomacy". Over the next month, hundreds of thousands of US and South Korean troops are expected to participate in "Foal Eagle", an annual training drill designed to test readiness for possible war with North Korea. Nearly 40,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against aggression by the North. Pyongyang has claimed that the exercise is part of preparations for a US invasion. "The US would be held wholly accountable for the disastrous consequences" of its "reckless large-scale joint military exercises in South Korea", said the North's state news agency. Washington has insisted that this month's "defence-orientated" exercise is part of routine training. The US has stressed it has no plans to invade North Korea, but in a recent interview with newspaper reporters, Mr Bush refused to rule out military action. "[The] military option is our last choice," Mr Bush said on Monday. "Options are on the table, but I believe we can deal with this diplomatically." -------------------------------------------------------http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1045511330486&p=1012571727169 Financial Times March 5, 2003 Exercise may fuel tensions on Korean peninsula By Andrew Ward in Seoul US and South Korean forces yesterday began a month-long joint military exercise that threatens to raise tensions further on the divided Korean peninsula, following a mid-air confrontation between US and North Korean aircraft. Four North Korean fighter jets flew within 15 metres of a reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the Sea of Japan on Sunday. The incident was the latest in aseries of provocative military gestures by North Korea that have deepened the crisis surrounding the communist state's suspected nuclear weapons programme. Hundreds of thousands of US and South Korean troops are expected to participate in "Foal Eagle", an annual training drill designed to test readiness for possible war with North Korea. Nearly 40,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against aggression by the North. Pyongyang has claimed that the exercise is part of preparations for a US invasion. "The US would be held wholly accountable for the disastrous consequences" of its "reckless large-scale joint military exercises in South Korea", said the North's state news agency. Washington has insisted that this month's "defence-orientated" exercise is part of routine training. The US has repeatedly stressed it has no plans to invade North Korea but has refused to rule out military action. Pyongyang and Washington have been engaged in an escalating dispute since last October, when the US accused North Korea of secretly developing nuclear weapons. Sunday's incident was the first aerial confrontation between the cold war enemies since 1969, when a North Korean jet shot down a US spy plane, killing 31 people. No shots were fired on Sunday but analysts said the incident highlighted the risk that a localised confrontation could spiral into an accidental war. Hundreds of thousands of troops and arsenals of artillery are positioned on either side of the 4km-wide no-man's-land that separates the two Koreas. Pyongyang issued a complaint last week about US spy missions invading its territory, although Washington insists that its aircraft stay in international airspace. Military experts said the US used aircraft to hunt for missile launch sites and nuclear facilities in North Korea. US military officials said reconnaissance flights would continue but declined to comment on reports that fighter jets would accompany future missions. Over the past few weeks, North Korea has test-fired a short-range missile, flown a fighter jet into South Korean airspace and restarted a mothballed nuclear reactor. Analysts said North Korea's aggressive behaviour was designed to grab international attention and put pressure on the US to meet its demand for a non-aggression pact. Washington has refused to enter negotiations unless Pyongyang abandons its nuclear ambitions. Despite the rising tensions, analysts said the risk of war remained slight because both sides had too much to lose in a conflict. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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