The Pentagon on
Monday strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile test, adding that the
United States' commitment to protect the homeland and allies such as Japan
and South Korea was "ironclad."
and South Korea was "ironclad."
Pentagon spokesman
Captain Jeff Davis told reporters that North Korea's "unlawful weapons
programs" were a clear and grave threat to national security.
"We are capable
of defending against a North Korean ballistic missile attack and will take all
necessary measures to deter and defeat threats to our and our allies'
territories and citizens," Davis added.
North Korea said it
had successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic
missile the previous day, claiming advances in a weapons program it is pursuing
in violation of U.N. resolutions.
The missile was
propelled by a solid-fuel engine and was an upgraded, extended-range version of
its submarine-launched ballistic missile that was tested successfully last
August, according to North Korea's government-run KCNA news agency.
Davis said it
appeared that the missile was an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the
land-based variant of what North Korea has launched from submarines in the
past.
*Reuters*
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