In a tactical move, the United States has ordered the standby of a warship off the Korean coast to act as a shield to any possible missle attack from North Korea. In the event of such an attack, the newly installed South Korean president vowed a swift retaliation against a North Korean ballistic strike.
Washington has not observed any mobilization from the North Korean side aside from the bellicose rhetoric resulting from new sanctions imposed because of the nuclear test it conducted last February. It also is taking the threats seriously, according to White House spokesperson Jay Carney. Last Monday Carney said, "I would note that despite the harsh rhetoric we are hearing from Pyongyang, we are not seeing any changes to the North Korean military posture, such as large scale mobilizations and positioning of forces."
The warship deployed to the peninsula is the USS McCain, an Aegis class guided missile destroyer primarily used for ballistic missle defense. There are also ongoing military exercises between the US and South Korea, though the warship is not included in the said exercises.
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