Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 10, 2003
Interception of US Plane Just, Self-defensive Act: DPRK Paper
The interception of a US reconnaissance aircraft by four fighter jets of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a just and self-defensive act to safeguard the sovereignty of DPRK, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary on Monday.
The interception of a US reconnaissance aircraft by four fighter jets of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a just and self-defensive act to safeguard the sovereignty of DPRK, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary on Monday.
"We can not stand by and watch the aggressive attempts by the US army", the commentary said.
Four DPRK fighter jets intercepted a US RC-135s reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of Japan on March 2.
"If the US aggressors had not reinforced the military buildup against us and committed such aggressive acts as that of the reconnaissance aircraft, the interception would not have happened", said the commentary.
The United States paid lip service to negotiations and diplomatic means to settle the DPRK nuclear issue on one hand, while strengthening the aggressive forces around the Korean Peninsula and staging military exercises against the DPRK in action, it said.
It also accused the United States of waging joint military exercises with South Korea and deploying 24 long-range bombers in the western Pacific in an effort to deter the DPRK.