REUTERS — Allies of the United States agree that an “impactful response” is needed following a rocket launch in North Korea over the weekend, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday. (Febuary 8)
“There certainly is an agreement about an impactful response being necessary,” Earnest said at a news briefing. “That means considering a range of economic sanctions that would further isolate North Korea.”
The Pentagon confirmed that it will start formal talks with South Korea on deploying an advanced missile defense system to South Korea to counter the growing threat of North Korea’s weapons capabilities after its rocket launch this weekend.
U.S. military officials have said the sophisticated system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) was needed in South Korea.
South Korea said on Sunday it and the United States would begin talks on the THAAD, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket earlier carrying what it has called a satellite.
“We feel confident that our posture right now is adequate to the challenge and the task,” said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. “But we do think adding THAAD would simply only improve that posture and improve if you will the reassurance level for our allies.”
North Korea says it put a satellite into orbit on Sunday, but the United States and its allies see the launch as cover for Pyongyang’s development of ballistic missile technology that could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon.
