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             NKorea Puts Troops on Alert over US-Led Military Drill

   North Korea has placed its military on alert and warned of "disastrous
   consequences" in response to a United States-led military drill near
   the Korean peninsula.
   A North Korean military spokesman on Tuesday told state media all
   troops have been ordered to "keep themselves ready to promptly launch
   operations at any time."
   The threat comes as the U.S. moved a group of ships to the South Korean
   port of Busan for what officials describe as a routine search and
   rescue drill. The North is particularly upset about the participation
   of the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
   The statement in the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) warned
   the closer that U.S. forces get to North Korea, "the more unpredictable
   disasters their actions will cause."
   Pyongyang regularly condemns the joint U.S.-South Korean exercises,
   viewing them as preparations to invade its territory. It often
   threatens military action in response, but rarely follows through on
   the threats.
   The North`s war-like rhetoric reached a peak not seen in years
   following international condemnation of its nuclear test in February.
   At its worst point, North Korea was issuing near-daily threats of
   nuclear war against the U.S. and its regional allies.
   Relations had recently shown signs of improvement, with the two Koreas
   reaching tentative agreements on resuming a series of cross-border
   projects, including a symbolic joint factory that had served as a
   bellwether of Korean ties.
   But the KCNA article warned that "the situation on the Korean peninsula
   is getting strained again." It said this is "entirely attributable" to
   what it called the "persistent anti-DPRK military confrontation of the
   U.S. and Japanese aggressors and South Korean puppet forces."
   The South`s Yonhap news agency says Seoul`s military has confirmed
   North Korean troops have been placed on high alert. A spokesman says
   South Korea is "closely watching the movement of the North Korean
   military."
   The paper also said that the start of the three-day exercise, which
   involves U.S., South Korean and Japanese troops, has been delayed for a
   day because of bad weather.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorea-puts-troops-on-alert-over-usle
   d-military-drill/1765022.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorea-puts-troops-on-alert-over-usled-military-drill/1765022.html