Australia to send military aircraft to monitor North Korean ships

By Alison Bevege

 

FILE PHOTO: Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne gestures as she talks to the media after a meeting with her Indonesian counterpart Ryamizard Ryacudu in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 21, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will send a military patrol aircraft to monitor North Korean vessels suspected of transferring prohibited goods in defiance of United Nations sanctions, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Saturday.

 

The announcement came a day after the leaders of North and South Korea pledged at an historic summit to work for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

 

However, U.S. President Donald Trump, who is also set to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said he would maintain pressure on Pyongyang through sanctions that were imposed in a bid to rein in the North's missile and nuclear programmes.

 

Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, also promised to keep up economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea.

 

"Australia is to send a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Japan to contribute to the enforcement of United Nations Security Council resolutions in our region," Payne said in a media release.

 

"The deployment supports the international campaign to address North Korea's illicit trade and associated networks," she said.

 

Senior U.S. officials said in February the Trump administration and key Asian allies were preparing to expand interceptions of ships suspected of violating the sanctions on North Korea. The strategy called for closer tracking of ships suspected of carrying banned weapons components and other prohibited cargo to and from North Korea.

 

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said pressure had to be kept on North Korea to ensure the Korean peninsula was denuclearised.

 

Japanese media outlet NHK initially reported unidentified Japanese defence sources as saying Australia and Canada would send patrol aircraft, while Britain would also send a frigate to a U.S. base in southern Japan to monitor North Korean vessels transferring goods at sea.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-28

1 hour ago, car720 said:

Australia, a staunch U.S. ally.

 

Aussies used to know the meaning of staunch.  Not anymore.  When are we going to stop kissing the rear end,

Australia stopped being staunch the day we bowled underarm.

Not sure you understand what staunch means in the context here.

Edited April 28, 20188 yr by Expatthailover

"the day we bowled underarm".  The underarm delivery was a legal delivery. Michael Schumacher won the 1998 British Grand Prix by avoiding a stop and go penalty by entering the pit lane to serve it on the last lap. His pit box was after the finish line so he crossed the finish line to win the race. I am yet to stick sandpaper down my jocks by the way.

You have a voice, you have a vote.

Off-topic posts removed.  

19 hours ago, car720 said:

Australia, a staunch U.S. ally.

 

Aussies used to know the meaning of staunch.  Not anymore.  When are we going to stop kissing the rear end,

Australia stopped being staunch the day we bowled underarm.

Like it or not, a perfectly legal delivery as distinct from ball tampering.

Australia is to send one maritime patrol aircraft

 

Kim Jong Un will be terrified. He'll be shaking in his boots.

 

He's probably wondering why Austria needs maritime aircraft.

 

Little kids really should not be playing in the big kids sandbox.

Australia, do please shut up.  We're entering into a new era of peace with Korea. The last thing we want is, is you pretending that you have whatever impact on the world stage, and flying your aeroplane(s) near North Korea.

Look, let the Koreans monitor their own ships. Let South Korea do the monitoring, and South Korea can then calm America down with the results. That's a much better idea. Thanks, Australia.

Edited April 29, 20188 yr by tonbridgebrit

9 hours ago, electric said:

Australia is to send one maritime patrol aircraft

 

Kim Jong Un will be terrified. He'll be shaking in his boots.

 

He's probably wondering why Austria needs maritime aircraft.

 

Little kids really should not be playing in the big kids sandbox.

Totally agree, Australia make themslves look like a bunch of jumped-up nobodies by doing this.

9 hours ago, tigermoth said:

Like it or not, a perfectly legal delivery as distinct from ball tampering.

No-one in my homeland (Australia) believes that.The shock on the day was immense.

 

Whatever else we are, we are not congenital hypocrites,

 

And yes we are tired of Iraq,Afghanistan,Syria ..et al. send a freakin canoe if that satisfies the powers that be.

 

One thing for sure Kim will not take umbrage to it and will probably turn up in Surfer's next year for the Miss Nuclear Missile contest...

perhaps a new dawn is here for all.The Americans can withdraw as with all the allies here.The South Korean soldiers can grow twins and defend their own country.I next propose the Americans do this in Japan as well