Rice Warns North Korea of U.S. Might

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reminded North Korea on Monday that the United States has extensive military might in the Pacific, a day after a suspected North Korean missile test.

“I don’t think anyone is confused about the ability of the United States to deter -- both on behalf of itself and on behalf of its allies -- North Korean nuclear ambitions or gains on the peninsula,” Rice told reporters.

“The United States maintains significant, and I want to underline significant, deterrent capability of all kinds in the Asia-Pacific region. So I don’t think there should be doubt about our ability to deter whatever the North Koreans are up to,” she said.

Although the United States no longer stores nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula, it has long-range missiles and other weapons within striking distance of the North.

The U.S. Air Force rotates heavy bombers, including Stealth B-2s, onto its base on the island of Guam in the western Pacific. It maintains F-15E and other fighter jets in Japan and South Korea.

An American aircraft carrier is based off Japan, and the Navy has made clear it can move more vessels into the region on short notice.

Asian officials played down North Korea’s suspected launch of a missile into the Sea of Japan, saying it appeared to be a short-range weapon unable to carry a nuclear warhead. But they acknowledged that it would strain efforts to resume six-nation talks on ending the North’s nuclear program.

Speaking at a news conference with French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, Rice urged North Korea to return to the negotiating table.