Shield plan should deter North, says Rumsfeld

The United States' missile defense program will have a deterrent effect on rogue nations by proving U.S. capabilities, Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defense, said Tuesday after announcing the start of the shield program.

Asked if the program "sends a signal to nations like North Korea," Mr. Rumsfeld said in a press briefing in Washington, "It should. Other countries will know what we are capable of. To the extent that we have a capability, it will have a deterrent effect."

U.S. President George W. Bush has directed the Pentagon to begin deploying initial missile defense capabilities in 2004 and 2005 to meet the near-term ballistic missile threat to the continental United States, its deployed forces and ally nations, the Pentagon and the White House said.

Pyeongyang test-fired its Daepodong 1 missile over Japan in 1998, shocking the Japanese. Since then, Tokyo has participated in the U.S. research and on Tuesday vowed to be more active in the development and operation of the program.

North Korea last month said it would reconsider its moratorium on missile test launches in connection with the U.S. program.

by Ser Myo-ja