U.N. Council Stalled on N. Korea

[Dreamer128]

U.N. Council Stalled on N. Korea
U.S., Allies Suspend Push for Criticism of Nuclear Efforts
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By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 10, 2003; Page A19

UNITED NATIONS, April 9 -- The U.N. Security Council failed to reach agreement today on a common approach to confronting North Korea for its plans to reactivate an atomic energy program capable of producing nuclear bombs.

Facing stiff Chinese and Russian opposition to U.N. action, the United States, France and Britain temporarily ended their efforts to persuade the 15-nation council to adopt a statement criticizing North Korea.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John D. Negroponte, said the Bush administration would continue diplomatic efforts to restrain North Korea's nuclear ambitions. But he sharply criticized the North Korean leadership for engaging the world in a game of deadly nuclear brinksmanship.

"North Korea's behavior has cast a shadow over the Korean Peninsula and is of concern to the entire international community," Negroponte said after the council met to discuss the issue. He said North Korea's actions "threaten the stability of northeast Asia."

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States is working with regional powers, including China, South Korea and Japan, to start multilateral talks on the future of North Korea's nuclear program. He said that any deal with the government in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, would require "verifiable" assurances that it has eliminated its nuclear weapons program.

South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun announced he would make his first visit as head of state to Washington on May 14 to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis with President Bush.

U.S. and European diplomats led council efforts to issue a relatively mild statement criticizing North Korea for announcing plans to reactivate a facility with the capacity to process plutonium, expelling international inspectors and withdrawing from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

But China, a close ally of North Korea that has veto power in the Security Council, opposed any council action that would increase pressure on Pyongyang. "All the efforts are being done, and will continue, to promote political dialogue," said Wang Yingfan, China's U.N. ambassador. Russia supported the Chinese position.

North Korea opposes any Security Council role in resolving the nuclear standoff. It has warned that it would consider any decision by the council to impose sanctions as an act of war. It is seeking direct negotiations with the United States aimed at obtaining an end to U.S. sanctions, along with assurances that it will not be a target of U.S. military attack after the war in Iraq.

North Korea precipitated a crisis for the United Nations with its Jan. 10 announcement that it would become the first country to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. A provision in the treaty requires that a country provide three months' warning before it can formally withdraw from the treaty. That deadline expired today.

The nuclear pact obliges countries without an atomic arsenal to forgo the development of nuclear weapons and to permit international inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, a U.N. body, to verify that they are not diverting fissile material from a civilian nuclear energy program.

The Vienna-based nuclear agency concluded in February, after its inspectors were expelled from North Korea, that it could no longer verify whether Pyongyang was diverting fissile material to a banned weapons program. The agency referred the matter to the Security Council.

The Bush administration had hoped to rally the council around a tough statement urging Pyongyang to reconsider by today's deadline. "North Korea has violated its obligations," Boucher said. "We do believe the council should act to go on record opposing North Korea's nuclear actions and warning against further provocation."

© 2003 The Washington Post Company

I wonder if this will be such a big issue in the UN as Iraq was. After all, we know for a fact that these people have nukes. While all we could do during the Iraq conflict was speculate....

[Sir Taliesin]

Just another example of why the UN doesn't work anymore.

[Dreamer128]

Hm... it might be more effective if we were to get rid of the veto....
Edit; read this post ( http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=01475 5#000001 ) for more details on the flaws of the UN Veto System.

[ 04-10-2003, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]

[Thoran]

A chinese official was quoted on the BBC basically saying "the best solution for the Chinese is if the US kisses NK butt and agrees to continue paying them off to not develop nukes" (can you tell I'm paraphrasing )

I think we should wash our hands of the whole matter... take the bribe funds we would've sent to N.K. and build up a viable Anti-ballistic missile system that we can deploy to Japan and Australia.

Let China and Russia be the only reachable targets for N.K. nukes... then THEY can deal with the problem. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Timber Loftis]

Note that everyone concerned is basically avoiding the UN. China doesn't want it involved, even though China is assisting us with negotiations. NK said a resolution would be an act of war. [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img] Yeah, let it declare war against every UN nation - that'll be some nice fireworks. 8)

I think we should wrap up Iraq ASAP and declare war on NK. That simple. Let's topple that despot, too. Let South Korea swallow North Korea and let them all choose their fate going forward. If China doesn't like that idea, well it can... it can... dunno, stick it, I guess. I mean, China is becoming yet another bribed slave to US money - for good or for ill.

Just some random thoughts. War with NK seems like a good idea at first blush. I admit it is not something I have fleshed out. Any other feasible way around Kim and his progeny? I mean, he is after all crazy enough to make Saddam look sane and almost as megalomanic.

[Skunk]

This whole SC meeting was a stupid idea anyway.

North Korea officially leaves the NNPT as of 11th April - so having a meeting about it the day before is really a waste of time.

If there is one thing that the world has learnt from the Iraq and NK affairs it is, GET A NUCLEAR WEAPONS STOCKPILE NOW before it is too late.

North Korea got the message - and now the US finds itselfs unable to do anything but engage in useless posturing.

[ 04-10-2003, 05:08 PM: Message edited by: Skunk ]

[Rokenn]

In likely hood the opening minutes of a war with NK would be some the most explosives minutes in history. We would either have to launch a surprise attack carpet bombing a good deal of southern NK or watch NK unload with ten or so thousand artillery peices they have aimed at Seoul.