Japan on alert for N Korea rocket

by Barbara McPherson | March 28, 2009 at 09:16 am

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Tension between N. Korea and Japan continues to escalate with Japan stating that they will shoot down any missile that threatens that country and Pyongyang stating that interference with their rocket amounts to war. Yesterday they stated that they could intercept the rocket, today they are stating they will intercept it.

Russia, in an effort to cool off the situation, has asked the N. Koreans to postpone their launch, scheduled for between April 4 and 8.

Japan has positioned two warships off its coast and put anti-missile systems on alert in anticipation of North Korea's planned rocket launch.

Separately, a convoy carrying anti-missile systems arrived at the defence ministry headquarters in Tokyo on Saturday.

Pyongyang said it would regard any attempt to shoot down or otherwise interfere with its rocket as an act of war

Pyongyang maintains that the rocket to be tested is part of that country's space exploration programme while Japan asserts that it is a test for a long range missile.

Japan Could Intercept North Korean Rocket