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Reluctant Hero · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:24 pm Post subject: North Korea threaten nuclear test

N Korea warned over nuclear test

A North Korean nuclear test would be a "provocative act", US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said.
Speaking in Cairo, she said the US would have to assess its options should North Korea's threat be carried out.

North Korea did not give a date for its test, which was announced on state TV, but said it would boost security in the face of US military hostility.

Japan, South Korea and Russia, who have been involved in six-party talks with Pyongyang, have also expressed concern.

The US and China have also been part of the talks, which have been stalled for a year.

No reaction to the news was immediately available from China, one of North Korea's few allies.

In quotes: World reaction

The Chinese have, like the South Koreans, been advocating quiet diplomacy in efforts to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme, but both countries joined in condemning ballistic missile tests it conducted in the Sea of Japan earlier this year.

The latest announcement from Pyongyang is bound to put both Beijing and Seoul under renewed pressure to take a tougher line, BBC East Asia regional editor Clare Harkey says.

She adds that a nuclear test by North Korea, with its crumbling infrastructure and struggling economy, would also raise fears on safety grounds.

'Grave threat'

The US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said he would be raising the nuclear issue with the Security Council and hoped for a strong response similar to the one following missile tests.

KOREAN NUCLEAR CRISIS
Sept 2005: Hailed as an historic breakthrough, North Korea agrees to give up nuclear activities
Next day, N Korea says it will not scrap its activities unless it gets a civilian nuclear reactor
US imposes financial sanctions on N Korea businesses
July 2006: N Korea test-fires seven missiles
UN Security Council votes to impose sanctions over the tests
Oct 2006: N Korea threatens nuclear test

"Given the very strong action by the council in July in condemning the North Korean ballistic missile tests, I think it's important that we're prepared to follow up here," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the nuclear test plans were unacceptable and would be met "harshly".

South Korea's government held emergency security talks, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for restraint and a diplomatic solution.

In London, Foreign Office officials warned of "serious consequences" to what would be regarded as "a highly provocative act".

HAVE YOUR SAY
It is of concern to the whole world that North Korea should want to test nuclear weapons

Steve, Chippenham

Send us your comments
North Korea is thought to have developed a handful of warheads but never before announced it would test one.

US and South Korean reports suggest the North has at least one underground test site.

The North appears increasingly angry at sanctions imposed by the US and other countries on North Korean businesses accused of arms sales and illegal activities.

In 2002, it restarted its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and forced two UN nuclear monitors to leave the country.

It is unclear how far work has progressed at the plant since then.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5403572.stm

Provocative act Ms Rice? I think you should take a long hard look in the mirror before accusing anyone else.

SLG · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:54 am Post subject:

So it's a provocative act, but what's it going to provoke them to do?

Reluctant Hero · Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:33 pm Post subject:

Russia is now in "direct talks" with North Korea.

The whole thing just stinks of hypocrisy. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see every nuclear weapon destroyed. But if it is good enough for Japan, the US, the UK, France etc, why can't North Korea be allowed to develop their own weapon?

Russians 'in N Korea test talks'

Russia says it is in direct contact with North Korea to try to prevent it from carrying out its plan to test a nuclear weapon.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was talking to the North Korean leadership in an attempt to dissuade it from conducting a test.

It comes two days after North Korea said it would test a nuclear weapon.

The announcement drew warnings from the international community to North Korea not to take such a step.

The secretive communist regime says it possesses nuclear weapons, but this has not been independently verified.

Pyongyang has been involved in on-off six-party talks with Russia, the US, China, Japan and South Korea to resolve the crisis over its nuclear programme.

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a nuclear test by North Korea would be a "very provocative act".

White House spokesman Tony Snow said on Thursday it was "enormously important" that North Korea was not allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

But he said US warnings did not amount to a "lethal threat" against Pyongyang.

Aid deal

Speaking to reporters while on a visit to Warsaw, Poland, Mr Lavrov said Moscow was working directly with the North Korean government to ease the situation.

"We are all very worried about this," the minister was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

"We are talking about moves we can take and working directly with the leaders of North Korea to try to convince them to hold back from committing any act which could worsen the situation."

Mr Lavrov said that in the interests of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and security on the Korean peninsular, it was important that North Korea returned to the six-party negotiations.

The most recent round of talks ended in September 2005, with a deal which promised economic aid in return for Pyongyang scrapping its nuclear ambitions.

HAVE YOUR SAY
It has always been obvious that the nuclear threat is the only card left for North Korea

Shinya Yoshida, Tokyo

Send us your comments
That agreement, however, appears to have fallen apart over disagreements on its implementation.

North Korea has not specified where or when a nuclear test might be carried out.

In continuing diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is due to hold talks with US President George W Bush in Washington on Thursday.

His visit comes amid talks of a split between Washington and Seoul on how to handle Pyongyang, after President Roh appeared to downplay North Korea's recent missile tests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5410066.stm

Morph · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:29 pm Post subject:

The thing is North Korea, said that they will only do this if the sanctions on their bank acounts are not lifted. This sabre rattling seems to be another attempt at forcing the Americans into a two country negotation instead of the multi-country talks the US favours in this situation.
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elidir · Nationalist Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 140

I agree with your sentiments RH

"White House spokesman Tony Snow said on Thursday it was "enormously important" that North Korea was not allowed to develop nuclear weapons."

It is if you are the agressor.

"But he said US warnings did not amount to a "lethal threat" against Pyongyang."

I'm not suprised; if they have workable nuclear weapons then no one will be threatening them lethal or not. If you want to protect yourself from current American foreign policy then you must have some leverage: nuclear proliferation may be seen as a neccessary response to the invasion of Iraq. I beleive that Pakistan now have nuclear weapons, seen in light of the american threat to bomb them into the stone age if they did not aquiese then what do people expect. I'm sure it's the last time anyone will threaten Pakistan in such a way again!

Aventinian · Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:01 am Post subject:

"I beleive that Pakistan now have nuclear weapons, seen in light of the american threat to bomb them into the stone age if they did not aquiese then what do people expect. I'm sure it's the last time anyone will threaten Pakistan in such a way again!"

Err... Pakistan acquired nuclear weapons to compete in their arms race with India, who in turn had developed them to keep the Chinese from invading. It had nothing to do with the United States. And there was never any question of attacking Pakistan in the 'war on terror' - Pakistan is a co-operative and fairly developed member of the international community.

Your tone seems to suggest that it is a good idea having states largely run by uncivilised borderline psychotics having weapons capable of such destruction. I certainly don't - they are an evil which should be done away with in the long term (equally though, I don't support unilaterally disarming our own).
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'Socialists cry "Power to the people", and raise the clenched fist as they say it. We all know what they really mean—power over people, power to the State.'

BonnieBlueFlag · Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 3:25 pm Post subject:

For china to issue a warning to Pyongyang stating that there will be "very serious consequnces" in the event of any nuclear testing the situation must be extremely serious and worrying for the region.
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elidir · Nationalist Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 140

Err...once again I do not respond to slanderers. I will not tire of reminding you whatever your tone.