Pentagon's global militarisation: planned deployment of THAD in South Korea 'not negotiable'

 U.S. says THAAD not negotiable, but confident on North Korea sanctions
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa...
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency/Handout via Reuters/
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency/Handout via...
By David Brunnstrom | NEW YORK
The planned U.S. deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea is not negotiable as part of efforts to agree new U.N. sanctions on North Korea after its fifth nuclear test, but Washington is confident tougher steps will be agreed before long, the senior U.S. diplomat for Asia said on Friday.

China, whose full backing is widely seen as crucial for sanctions on North Korea to be effective, is strongly opposed to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and some experts have argued it should be part of talks on new U.N. measures.

Asked whether THAAD was negotiable, Daniel Russel, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, referred to a U.S.-South Korean agreement on the deployment.

"No. The two countries have made a decision," he told Reuters.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, meeting Southeast Asian leaders in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, said the United States would "do whatever is necessary to defend our own citizens and to honor our security commitments to our allies."

Discussions are under way on a possible new U.N. sanctions resolution on North Korea after it conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 9.

Russel later told a news briefing discussions were still at an early stage, but he was confident that a new U.N. resolution would be agreed before long, imposing further sanctions and tightening existing ones.

Among the aims, he said, would be to prevent North Korea's abuse of international infrastructure, including banking and shipping, to further its nuclear program.

China is North Korea's main ally, but has been angered by its repeated missile and nuclear tests and backed tough U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang in March.

QUESTIONS REMAIN

Beijing has said it will work within the United Nations to formulate a necessary response to the latest nuclear test, but questions remain as to whether it is willing to agree tough enough steps to force North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons.


National security topped the agenda at the National Assembly on Monday. In light of North Korea's latest provocations,... the deployment of the U.S. missile defense system THAAD was a hot topic of debate. Park Ji-won reports. The ruling Saenuri Party has once again stressed the necessity of deploying the U.S. missile defense system THAAD to the peninsula... to effectively counter the nuclear threats from North Korea. "The THAAD deployment is no longer a matter of choice, but a necessity,... as it is the country's right to defend itself from North Korean nukes and missiles." Meanwhile, the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea made clear its opposition to the idea floated recently by the ruling camp... that South Korea should procure its own nuclear arsenal to protect itself from the North. The party hasn't yet laid out its stance on THAAD, but the party's floor leader did say that party leader Choo Mi-ae's opposition to THAAD is her own opinion and does not represent the party's official stance. "The party will lay out its official stance on THAAD after holding a seminar with experts and gathering lawmakers' opinions." Woo added that the controversy in South Korea over the THAAD deployment... reflects differences in how to deal with North Korea's nuclear threats,... but is not a sign of anti-Americanism... nor is it a weakening of the alliance with the U.S. The minor opposition People's Party is currently considering changing its opposition to the THAAD deployment,... although it hasn't yet offered an official position on the matter. The party did, however, stress that the South Korean government should keep providing humanitarian aid to the North... and urged it to draw up a long-term national strategy for dealing with Pyongyang.






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