The Bush administration rejected Tuesday direct talks with North Korea and said it would not be intimidated by a reported threat that it could fire a nuclear-tipped missile against the U.S. unless the Bush administration acts to resolve the standoff.
"This is the way North Korea typically negotiates by threat and intimidation," said U.S. Ambassador John Bolton. "It's worked for them before. It won't work for them now."
The Republican head of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday urged the Bush administration to speed up funding for the Pentagon's missile defense project in response to North Korea's nuclear test.
California Rep. Duncan Hunter said lawmakers negotiating the Pentagon's fiscal 2007 budget had added $100 million for Aegis ballistic missile defense SM-3 interceptors and Aegis system development. More money and faster development of the missile-defense project are needed, he said.
"I recommend strongly that the executive branch submit to the Congress both a proposal that states what steps are necessary to accomplish such acceleration and a request to reprogram the necessary funds," Hunter said in a letter to President George W. Bush.
The Aegis combat system was developed by Lockheed Martin Corp. while the Standard Missile SM-3 interceptors were built by Raytheon Co.
"I also believe that the United States must take immediate steps to develop and deploy systems that are capable of addressing the full range of North Korean missile-based threats to the United States, our deployed forces and our allies," Hunter said
