Pyongyang
Four North Korean fighter jets tailed an American spy plane this week, flying as close as 50 feet before banking back down. One of the jets targeted the plane with its weapons radar, but did not fire. The Bush administration said it would protest the “reckless behavior,” which occurred in international airspace over the Sea of Japan. Analysts said the provocative move, like North Korea’s test of a missile last week, was a dangerous escalation in tensions between the two nations. “This is serious stuff,” a U.S. official told The New York Times. “It’s worrisome because they are creating their own drumbeat.” Last week, U.S. intelligence officials said North Korea had restarted a nuclear reactor that could produce enough weapons-grade plutonium to make dozens of nuclear bombs. The North Koreans are demanding direct talks with the U.S., but the Bush administration has so far refused.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The Finest Summer Flavours -
Today's political cartoons - May 20, 2024Cartoons Monday's cartoons - flags flipped, Diddy dunked, and more
-
Diddy admits to beating girlfriend after videoSpeed Read Though he previously denied allegations of abuse, Combs apologized for abusing Cassie Ventura following the release of new CCTV footage
