Rice Says N.Korea Defeated By U.N.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that a U.N. Security Council resolution which imposes sanctions against North Korea has the rouge state isolated even from its closest ally, China.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted Saturday to approve tough sanctions against North Korea for its supposed nuclear test. The sanctions bar North Korea from importing and exporting everything from luxury goods to weapons — especially nuclear weapons — but the problem to find a way to enforce the resolution.

"It will be enforced because member states have an obligation to enforce it," Rice told Face The Nation host Bob Schieffer. "I think there are some matters that will need to be worked out… But this is a really resounding defeat for North Korea. And it's a resounding victory, really, for the international community and its efforts to deal with proliferation matters."

One of the biggest differences between China and the U.S. is over whether or not countries must inspect cargo leaving and arriving North Korea. The final resolution was softened from language in previous drafts which authorized the searches.

Yesterday, the Chinese ambassador said he could not see China enforcing any restrictions that "would create conflict that could have serious implications for the region," raising questions about China's commitment to the resolution.

"Well, I don't think anybody wants to create conflict, but China is a party now to an international resolution – a Security Council resolution – that demands very clear cooperation of member states to make certain that dangerous goods are not getting in and out of North Korea," Rice said. "China has come a very long way in being willing to sign on to a resolution that makes China now responsible to make certain that North Korea's not trading."

In regards to interdiction, Rice said "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves," but said that it is "an important tool that the international community can use."

Sen. John Warner, Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, congratulated the White House for its work. "I think the president, Bush and his team of Rice and Bolton did a wonderful job here."
The North Koreans have said that they might declare a state of war against the United States if these sanctions were too tough or if one of their ships is interdicted.

"They're going to have to get accustomed to the fact that this is not a problem with the United States. This is a problem with the world," Rice said. "That is why it is so important not to allow this to become a bilateral negotiation, because the north would like nothing better than to simply deal with the United States so that we are the ones that isolate it."

Former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., said that North Korea is the only country that believes that the U.S. will attack it.

"I don't think we have any intention to attack. But when you're paranoid and when you're developing nuclear weapons and when you see the United States has invaded Iraq, they didn't have nuclear weapons, then it's pretty natural that you are going to develop your own program," he said.

Critics have pointed out that the U.S. went to war with Iraq to rid the nation of weapons of mass destruction that were never found but are slow to engage in conflict with North Korea who has demonstrated its capabilities. The New York Times' David Sanger said that the Bush administration had a chance to warn North Korea when the country ordered weapons inspectors to leave the country. It could have been an opportunity to prevent the North Koreans from stockpiling weapons, he said. Rice said that the Bush administration feels that the situation is best dealt with through diplomacy.

"When you have a situation in which the United States don't have either all of the carrots or all of the sticks in dealing with North Korea, you have to build coalition of states that has the right combination of sticks and carrots," she said. "And that's this coalition. And in fact, the six-party talks really come out of that period. The six-party talks then put China at the table, South Korea at the table, states that have real leverage. And I do not accept that North Korea has an irreversible nuclear program."