Japan may mull strengthening N Korea sanctions

The Japanese government is to complete deployment of interceptor missiles both on the ground and at sea by the end of Saturday, in preparation for North Korea’s planned rocket launch. Japan considers the launch will be a test of a ballistic missile. North Korea has announced that it would launch a satellite-carrying rocket between the 10th and 22nd of this month. South Korean officials say North Korea may have begun loading fuel in preparation for the launch. The Japanese government intends to keep urging the North to exercise restraint. On Friday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s chief of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Shinsuke Sugiyama, telephoned Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov. They agreed to work together to put pressure on North Korea, Japan’s (NHK Radio) website reported. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has ordered the Self-Defense Forces to be ready to intercept the rocket if its debris falls on Japanese territory. The SDF will complete deployment of Aegis vessels armed with an interceptor called “Standard Missile 3″, or SM-3, and PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles. It will also confirm methods to share information with US Aegis ships which will be deployed to waters closer to the launch site. Japan also plans to work with the US and other concerned countries to have the UN Security Council impose tougher sanctions on the North if it actually carries out the launch.