Defense chief: U.S. not to shoot down missile launched by DPRK

The United States would not shoot down a missile that Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was expected to launch soon, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in an interview to be aired on Sunday.

Gates told "Fox News Sunday" that the launch was likely to happen soon but the U.S. military was not prepared to "do anything about it."

His remarks were made after Timothy Keating, who leads the U.S. Pacific Command, said in an interview with ABC News that the U.S. military was ready to shoot down the missile if given the order.

"I think if we had a missile that was heading for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it," said Gates. "I don't think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point."

The DPRK has announced that it would launch a communications satellite between April 4-8. But the United States, Japan and South Korea suspected that it might be a long-range ballistic Taepodong-2 missile.

Gates said that although the launch was "intended as a mask for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile," this type of missile could not reach Alaska.

The U.S. government believed that DPRK carried a long-term intent to put a nuclear warhead atop a missile but he personally doubted about the country's ability to do it right now, the Pentagon chief added.

On Iran, Gates said in the interview that he believed economic penalties on Iran were more likely to bring success to the United States than diplomacy.

However, he also doubted that Iran was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon since it still lacked capabilities to enrich enough uranium to the levels needed for a weapon at the moment.

In the same interview, Gates also commented on President Barack Obama's newly-announced strategy for Afghanistan, saying that it has narrowed the short-term objectives for U.S. troops in the country, including reversing the Taliban's momentum, strengthening the Afghan army and police, and going after al-Qaeda.

A flourishing democracy in Afghanistan remained a long-term goal for the United States, he noted.

美国国防部长盖茨29日说，他认为朝鲜“似乎即将”发射一枚导弹，但美国不打算采取拦截行动。

盖茨当天在接受?？怂沟缡犹ú煞檬彼担拦挥性诒竟焱猎獾降嫉驳那榭鱿拢呕岵扇⌒卸枰岳菇睾突髀洹８菽壳扒榭?，美国不会采取这样的行动。

在被问及日本是否会采取拦截行动时，盖茨说，如果导弹发射失败碎片散落到日本，日方将采取相关行动。

盖茨的这一表态与美军太平洋司令部司令基廷此前的说法不同?；⒃担谰?ldquo;很有可能”对朝向美国领土的任何朝鲜导弹进行拦截。军方已准备好，一旦接到命令，便将其击落。

朝鲜宇宙空间技术委员会发言人２月２４日宣布，朝鲜将发射“光明星２号”试验通信卫星。此后，朝鲜通知有关国际机构，表示将在４月４日至８日期间发射这颗卫星。但美日韩官员认为，朝鲜发射的可能是“大浦洞”２型洲际弹道导弹。

日本政府本月２７日召开安全保障会议，决定启动针对朝鲜发射物的“摧毁”命令，期限至４月１０日。日本政府称，拦截计划是针对发射万一失败、发射物落入日本的情况。根据“摧毁”命令，日本海上自卫队的３艘“宙斯盾”驱逐舰当天驶出母港赶赴预定海域，准备对朝鲜即将发射的卫星或导弹进行拦截。