from Reuters
March 25, 2009
TOKYO (AFP) — The Japanese government's powerful security council will meet this week to prepare for the shooting down of a North Korean rocket if it threatens to hit the country, the premier said on Wednesday.
The isolated Pyongyang regime has said it will launch a communications satellite over Japanese territory in early April, but the United States and its Asian allies suspect the launch is a ballistic missile test.
Tokyo, which has developed a missile defence system with the United States in recent years, has warned it will attempt to shoot down any missile or debris that threatens to hit its territory.
North Korea, which has announced a launch window of April 4 to 8, says it would regard a rocket intercept as an act of war.
To prepare for the launch, "the government will summon the security council this week," said Prime Minister Taro Aso. "It is the government's obvious duty to prepare to the best standard so people don't have to worry."
Japan's security council includes the premier, chief cabinet secretary, defence and foreign ministers as well as other cabinet ministers.
It will decide how to respond to a North Korean launch -- either the cabinet would make an instant decision after any missile lifts off or it could give the military approval in advance to shoot it down.
The government will likely choose the latter option, said Kyodo News and Asahi Shimbun daily reports, which added that Tokyo will likely issue an order Friday for its armed forces to prepare to intercept the rocket.
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