N. Korean ship puzzles US with course change

A North Korean ship, suspected of transporting a cargo of weapons, has suddenly changed course while being monitored by the US Navy, a US official has claimed. Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the official said that a ship named Kang Nam -- whose quest was allegedly to deliver weapons to Myanmar -- has reversed its course and may be headed back to North Korea. "We've no idea where it is going," the official said. "The US didn't do anything to make it turn around." "It's pretty much on a reciprocal track," the official added. According to North Korean media, the ship is a known North Korean weapons trader and was probably headed for Myanmar. Other media outlets, however, have speculated Singapore as having been its destination. The government in Singapore has declared that any attempt by the ship to dock with a cargo of weapons would prompt a harsh response. North Korea has defied the international community with a series of nuclear and missile tests and has thus raised fears that it may be seeking atomic weaponization. US officials have not disclosed the reason for the Navy monitoring program, but the New York Times reported on Tuesday that some senior members of the Obama administration are wondering whether they are being manipulated by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "The whole thing just doesn't add up," the newspaper quoted one senior administration official as saying.