North Korea crisis

The USS John S. McCain was shadowing the vessel, the Kang Nam, a ship suspected of carrying banned cargo, as part of international efforts to enforce UN sanctions imposed a week ago against Pyongyang.

US defense officials confirmed that the ship was being monitored and said that the North Korean ship was one of a group of vessels previously linked to illicit missile-related cargo.

Defense sources have yet to indicate if, or when, they might ask to search the vessel under the UN Security Council resolution, which bans shipments of arms and nuclear or missile technology to and from North Korea.

The North Koreans are expected to reject any such request. But at some point, the ship will likely need to stop for refueling along the Chinese coast or elsewhere, officials said.

At that point, the country where the ship enters port is obliged under the UN resolution to search the vessel if there are grounds for suspicion.

Pentagon officials declined to comment on a television report that the Navy destroyer was heading to intercept the North Korean vessel. The officials stressed that the UN sanctions do not authorize military force and that Washington was pursuing a diplomatic strategy.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running high since Pyongyang carried out its second nuclear test last month.

After the underground test and subsequent missile launches, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution last week that includes financial sanctions designed to choke off revenue to the regime.

Hawaii on alert

In other developments, the US military has moved to beef up missile defenses in Hawaii over fears Pyongyang may launch a rocket over the Pacific.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, citing concerns that North Korea might launch a missile towards Hawaii, said Thursday he had approved the deployment of THAAD missile defense weaponry to the Pacific island chain as a precaution.

However, US military officials say they have no indication that North Korean missile technology has improved markedly since past failed launches, and military and other assessments suggest the communist nation probably could not hit the westernmost US state if it tried.

The North's Taepodong-2 could travel that far in theory, if it works as designed. But three test launches have either failed or do not demonstrate anything close to that range.

Nonetheless, past failure should not be considered a predictor, one military official said, and the seaborne radar and land-based interceptors were added this week as a prudent backstop.

US, China set for talks

Meanwhile, the US urged China on Friday to support international pressure on North Korea in talks next week.

The Pentagon officials will also ask China to agree to more contacts between the countries' armed forces in hopes of building a more open dialogue and reducing tensions.

The US-China talks will be the latest in a flurry of international discussions which most recently included the meeting of European leaders to discuss North Korea, the UN resolution and increasing EU sanctions on Friday.

EU agrees on fresh sanctions

In a statement, the council of EU heads of state and government "insists on the importance of a swift and efficient implementation of all these measures" adopted by the UN Security Council last week.

The fresh sanctions include a ban on shipments of arms and nuclear and missile technology to and from North Korea.

The EU summit statement, issued after two days of talks between European leaders, condemned the recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests in the isolated communist state.

The leaders called on the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to "transpose this resolution in a robust way and without delay in order to reinforce coercive measures aimed at the North Korean leaders and entities linked to them."

The statement also called on Pyongyang to "engage in dialogue and cooperation", including the resumption of international talks on its nuclear program.

nda/AFP/Reuters/AP

Editor: Greg Benzow