13 June 2011 VOA News The New York Times is reporting that the U.S. Navy intercepted a North Korean ship the Navy suspected of carrying missile technology to Burma, and forced the vessel to return home after a standoff lasting several days.
It is not certain where the cargo vessel M/V Light was headed, or what it was carrying, but the Times said on its website late Sunday that U.S. officials suspected it of transporting missile technology to Burma.
The U.S. Navy destroyer McCampbell intercepted the Belize-flagged vessel in international waters on May 26 and had permission from Belize to search it. But the North Koreans refused to be boarded, and after a few days of military confrontation and diplomatic pressure, turned toward home.
U.S. officials described the episode as an example of how they can use a combination of naval power and diplomatic pressure to enforce U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea after a 2009 nuclear test.
Stumble It!
