THE HAGUE (AFP) — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended Tuesday Japan's right to protect itself from a planned North Korean rocket launch over its territory, calling the act provocative.
"Japan has every right to protect and defend its territory from what is clearly a missile launch that could very well be aimed at their nation," she told reporters in The Hague on the sidelines of a conference on Afghanistan.
Clinton warned the North Korean launch could have consequences at the UN Security Council.
"It is an unfortunate example of provocation by the North Koreans," she said.
"Their missile launch violates UN Security Council Resolution 1718 and there will be consequences, certainly (at) the UN Security Council if they proceed with the launch."
Pyongyang has said it will launch a communications satellite over northern parts of Japanese territory between April 4 and 8. But the United States and its Asian allies suspect the launch is a cover for a ballistic missile test.
Japan has deployed anti-missile systems to try to bring down the rocket should it start falling towards Japanese territory.
It has dispatched three Aegis destroyers, two of which are fitted with ballistic missile interceptors, to waters around Japan, and Patriot guided-missile units to select locations in the country.
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