This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22021832
The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| US to move missiles to Guam after North Korea threats | US to move missiles to Guam after North Korea threats |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US is moving an advanced missile system to the Pacific island of Guam as a precaution following threats by North Korea, the Pentagon has said. | The US is moving an advanced missile system to the Pacific island of Guam as a precaution following threats by North Korea, the Pentagon has said. |
| The Department of Defence said it would deploy the ballistic Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (Thaad) in the coming weeks. | The Department of Defence said it would deploy the ballistic Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (Thaad) in the coming weeks. |
| Pyongyang has threatened to target South Korea and the US in recent weeks. | Pyongyang has threatened to target South Korea and the US in recent weeks. |
| The state's warlike rhetoric follows new UN sanctions and joint military drills by the US and South Korea. | The state's warlike rhetoric follows new UN sanctions and joint military drills by the US and South Korea. |
| The Thaad system includes a truck-mounted launcher, interceptor missiles, and AN/TPY-2 tracking radar, together with an integrated fire control system. | The Thaad system includes a truck-mounted launcher, interceptor missiles, and AN/TPY-2 tracking radar, together with an integrated fire control system. |
| 'Real and clear danger' | |
| The Pentagon said in a statement the missile system would be moved to Guam as a "precautionary move to strengthen our regional defence posture against the North Korean regional ballistic missile threat". | The Pentagon said in a statement the missile system would be moved to Guam as a "precautionary move to strengthen our regional defence posture against the North Korean regional ballistic missile threat". |
| "The United States remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and stands ready to defend US territory, our allies, and our national interests," the statement added. | "The United States remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and stands ready to defend US territory, our allies, and our national interests," the statement added. |
| In recent weeks, North Korea has mentioned military bases in the US territory of Guam and the US state of Hawaii as possible targets. | |
| "Some of the actions they've taken over the last few weeks, present a real and clear danger," said US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, in his first major speech on Wednesday since taking up his post. | |
| He added that Pyongyang had also threatened the interests of South Korea and Japan. | |
| The North has apparently been angered by UN sanctions imposed after a recent nuclear test. Pyongyang has escalated its warlike rhetoric amid the current round of US-South Korea military drills. | |
| The US has recently made a series of high-profile flights of stealth fighters and nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea. | |
| Officials have also confirmed that the USS John McCain, an Aegis-class destroyer capable of intercepting missiles, has been positioned off the Korean peninsula. | |
| A second destroyer, the USS Decatur, has been sent to the region. | |
| On Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry called recent North Korean actions "dangerous" and "reckless". | |
| China, the North's only powerful ally, said it had despatched officials on Tuesday to hold talks with ambassadors from North Korea, South Korea and the US. | |
| The Pentagon's announcement comes hours after North Korea closed a border crossing that allowed South Koreans to work at a jointly run industrial park - the first time such action has been taken since 2009. | |
| The border into the Kaesong industrial zone is the last functioning crossing between the two Koreas, and the complex is the last significant symbol of co-operation. | |
| Kaesong is a key revenue source for North Korea. It has not indicated how long the entry ban will last. |