Sanctions Against N. Korea Weighed

U.N. Considering U.S. Draft With Tough Sanctions After Reported Nuke Test

(CBS/AP)  The Security Council began weighing a U.S. draft resolution to impose potentially crippling sanctions on North Korea after the secretive communist nation claimed to have set off an atomic explosion, drawing widespread international condemnation including from its closest allies.

The Security Council unanimously condemned North Korea's decision to flout its appeal not to carry out a test and urged Pyongyang to refrain from further nuclear blasts, return to six-party talks and keep its pledge to scrap its clandestine weapons program.

President Bush called the North Korean announcement provocative and unacceptable, though he said Washington is still trying to confirm the test. Nonetheless, Pyongyang's actions "constitutes a threat to international peace and security" and requires "an immediate response" from the Security Council, he said.

Soon after, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton asked the council to adopt a very strong resolution imposing new sanctions against the North aimed at curbing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, prohibiting all trade in military and luxury goods, and preventing "any abuses of the international financial system" that could contribute to the transfer or development of banned weapons.

The United States circulated a draft resolution late Monday that would condemn the test, demand that North Korea immediately return to six-party talks without precondition, and impose sanctions for Pyongyang's "flagrant disregard" of the council's appeal not to detonate a device. The draft, obtained by the Associated Press, was based on proposals circulated earlier Monday.

Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, the current council president, said all council members "emphasized that the response of the council should be strong, swift and very, very clear in its message and its action."

But just how long it will take members to agree on a resolution remains to be seen.

"There are several levels of negotiations still ongoing to get to an agreement on a sanctions resolution regarding North Korea, including meetings of the experts and of the five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Japan, planned for Tuesday," CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk reports from the U.N. "But there is consensus that a tough document will emerge because the greater concern is the perception that an international arms race will result if not enough is done."

The Bush administration repeatedly has said it has no plans to invade North Korea and military action appeared unlikely. But the U.S. proposed stringent U.N. sanctions on Monday, including a trade ban on military and luxury items, the power to inspect all cargo entering or leaving the country, and freezing assets connected with Pyongyang's weapons programs, according to a copy of the draft obtained by The Associated Press.

But CBS News national security correspondent David Martin says the U.S. government’s response may include a naval blockade of North Korea. Martin said the North doesn't have the capability to launch a nuclear-tipped missile yet, making the primary concern the possibility that Pyongyang might export nuclear material or technology to nations such as Iran or Syria, or to a terrorist group.

North Korea's U.N. ambassador Pak Gil Yon said the Security Council should congratulate his country instead of passing "useless" resolutions or statements.

Iranian state radio, meanwhile, blamed North Korea's reported nuclear test on U.S. pressure, saying the test "was a reaction to America's threats and humiliation."

Iran has said it will not abandon uranium enrichment despite the threat of international sanctions over its disputed nuclear program, which Tehran insists is purely for peaceful purposes.

Mr. Bush said the United States was still attempting to confirm that a nuclear test had actually taken place. Still, he said, "such a claim itself constitutes a threat to international peace and security."

A U.S. government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the situation, said the seismic event could have been a nuclear explosion, but its small size was making it difficult for authorities to pin down.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service chief Kim Seung-kyu reportedly told lawmakers signs of suspicious movement were spotted at another suspected test site.

The current members of the nuclear club are the United States, Russia, Britain, France, India, Pakistan and China. Israel is widely believed to have the bomb but has not publicly declared that it does.

[drgoodwin12]

Let us all pray and demand that the company who has created anti-matter(I beleive it is swedish,to early and not enough time to give you the name)stops all development and destroys all information that can be used to make it.Anti-matter is so powerful that if used as a weapon 1 ounce of it could literally destroy N.Y.City.Second let us get rid of all the ingredients namely uranium by buying or seizing it.No more nuclear power plants that lead to nuclear bombs.

[teo.blu]

NOW is the time to remind Americans that the person who sold nuclear technology to North Koreans is no other than US DEFENSE SECRETARY DONALD RUMSFELD.
DONALD RUMSFELD sat on the board of directors of ABB, European engineering giant based in Zurich, between 1990 to 2001, (earning $190,000 a year) when ABB sold two light water nuclear reactors to North Korea.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,952289,00.html

Why CBS News never reported this???

[drgoodwin12]

Time for a new policy,that prevents countries or individuals from obtaining the necesarry ingredients to make nuclear bombs.Nuclear energy is not a safe source,to many countries have used that as their premise for obtaining uranium only to make nuclear weapons.N.Korea.Stop the source of ingedients by buying or seizing all of them.Then ecologically destroy all of it.

[drgoodwin12]

To Agnim I agree with you on saying that the other users comments are off base I am being nice,not using the word you used.It took Einsehower to get us out of the Korea war.Truman had started the process and Eisenhower finish it.The reason why I bring this up is that our own military assessment of a conflict with N.Korea or Iran even if we were out of Iraq is bleak.They both have large armies and they both have weapons to counter ours(Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapon).It would be foolish to use military actions,look at their allies some of which proclaim to be ours.Regardess of who is on the ballot in 08 vote for an ex general for president.Powell or Clark for example write them in.The conflict with these two countries will not be resolved before then and it will take an ex general or current to get our country out of this mess along with a congress that will work with them.The republicans have lost Americas trust as reflected in the latest Zogby poll,so it looks like we will have a democratic congress before then,there are enough constituitonal tools at their disposal and at ours to impeach the current president and V.P. and draft a new president perhaps a general.The fault lies in the nuclear proliferation treaty implemantion,it is a failed policy.continued

[agnim]

Hey,tibu987, that "stupid plan" should work equally well with equally stupid warmongers, yes?

Notice that the Koreans are in their OWN space.
Guess who is out of place on the Korean Peninsula?
Guess who should bring the troops home state side?

And your childish attitude about blowing Korea away is what got us deeply into this mess in the first place. Ignorance and arrogance will get us more than a 911 this time.

Have you forgotten 911.
If you think that was a rude awakening for Americans (beside you, touhg guy)then you ain't seen nothing yet.

What we need are intelligent leaders, not cowboys from the wild wild west who are oblivious of their mortality because they are super power-drunk.

[johnsixtysix]

Why do we think we can tell other countries that they can or cannot have nuclear weapons?

Either all of us can have them or none of us can have them.

[thomas_hoag]

Once again, the useless tack of sanctions will push North Korea to the brink as it did Nazi Germany two-thirds of a century ago.

[tibu987]

This situation would be laughable if it weren't so potentially dangerous. This simple man, whose country has suffered for years, has come up with a rather stupid plan to negotiate with the U.S. In either case, he loses. Let him throw his weight around too heavily and the U.S. will blow him and his half of the country away. I don't think that will happen. Interesting though, we will see.

[gladetryst]

Agnim has a good comment down below.

[jw218389]

Clinton had it all worked out with Peace and RECORD PROSPERITY...

But there was cattle rustlers on the horizon...

Next thing ya know GW Bush Texas (Maine?)swaggered into our White House and started swinging the bar doors open and proclaimed that he was a taken them thar Axis of Evils to the a shoot out at the OK Corral.

Course that mean hombre' GW Bush (hardend by his childhood of ropin' & brandin' calfs on the dirt streets of Kennebunkport, Maine) had a score to settle with his cattle rustlin' rival Senior Hussein from "not Texas."

GW moved in with a posse and took out Hussein while he was sleeping behind the chuck wagon and YEE HAW we got ourselves a war.

YEEE HAAAAWWWW!!! A NUKE - YOU - LER War!!

Thanks George W. for your cowboy diplomacy - and for proving Barbara right when she called JEB, "the smart one."

[agnim]

All this hand wringing over Korean nuke is laughable when so many nations have so many nukes hiding in their closets. What grant the possessors of nukes rights over everyone else?

Who is the ONLY country to ever use nukes?

To say, "we can have nukes; but you can't" is ignorance, arrogance, condescension, and bullying.

And some human somewhere on the planet isn't going to stand being bullied.
That is the nature of human existence. Remember Vietnam?
People from old cultures don%u2019t bow to neophytes, no matter how poor and backward they may SEEM. Koreans are from an old culture far more mature than America%u2018s 200 year old %u2018culture%u2018.

Those who fail to appreciate that reality will either be made to look like a fool, or to look by an even bigger fool by taking rash actions that can only lead to great destruction.

[drgoodwin12]

Everybody ones to blame someone else for the current situation.History could palce the blame Truman when he called Mccarther back as he was going into China who was supporting the N.Koreans,it is all irrelevant to todays situation.There were UN inspectors in N.Korea up until about two years ago.Nuke them someone suggested,take at look at our so called allies in the region and you will see this is not plausible.Allow them to have nuclear weapons,we already have.Nuclear proliferation regardless of where needs to be thought out with a more comphrensive plan than the ones currently in place.All adminstrations have failed the world in this regard.It is time for a new strategy.

[brianp55]

Nuke em.

[gaye5]

The current members of the nuclear club are the United States, Russia, Britain, France, India, Pakistan and China. hmmm.
Now lets look at from north Korea's stance, they see other countries have nuclear, and these same countries say that they cant, hmmm.

[drgoodwin12]

To laurieleemoo have you ever been in the military in combat?I have when the Vietnam war protest was at all time high and do you think I cared or thought for one second what other countries let alone my own thought about President Nixon?No,my mind was on one thing survival,iraq reminds me of Vietnam families,children being recruited and used as shields.And what do you think I thought when a woman with a baby in arms and a grenade in her hand.Survival,you are taught that in the military and you better not forget it,never take your eyes or ears off your surroundings.Dissent is what makes this country great,we can agree to disagree and we have the freedom to speak our minds.It does not matter who is president or a member of congress if they fail the American people.It is time to change course in Iraq not retreat,it is time to change the way we approach nuclear proliferation. And the list goes on and on.

[exusmcsgt]

laurieleemoo-

Have you ever considered that a president who divides rather than unites might have something to do with the situation?

[drgoodwin12]

to laurieleemoo so you supported Nixon who was forced to resign because of impeachment along with v.p.agnew?Ones support for a president or a member of congress should be based on their record not their office.The Lewinsky scandal was bad but not nearly as bad as all of the republicans who molested children here is the link http://www.armchairsubversive.com/
The list of republicans molesting children is to long to print here so go read the link.Look at where N.korea is situated on a map and tell me how many friends do we truly have there to impose sanctions let alone secure their borders from weapon smuggling.It is an ugly world right now and we need a change of goverment.If the democrats cannot(providing they win)make our world any safer and better for our children then we the people will have to create a viable third party that can.It is obvious to me that this group of republicans cannot.There are good republicans Warner and Powell to name a few but to many have walk lock stock and barrel with Bush.You obviously areyoungnot old enough to remember Nixon.If you would take the time to read any of the books I have mentioned and Woodwards (who also is a republican)and besides the first ladys pr office has not been rebuked.Laura Bush has not rebuked Woodward.It is time to realize that Bush and his Rovettes need to go.Unfortunatly there currently is no one beside perhaps Warner or Biden that could carry our country forward until 2008.

[tibu987]

laurieleemo,
Your blind following of whomever is the President is precisely what is wrong with so many voters.
It is scary to me. Yes, even a president can make mistakes due to poor judgement. Blindly agreeing does not make you more patriotic, just more misled by the power of the office.
Reminds me of this quotation:

%u201CSerge, this boy is very intelligent, but I can't keep working with him.
He agrees with everything I say.%u201D

Luis Bunuel to Jean-Claude Carriere
in the biog. By John Baxter , p.269

[laurieleemoo]

I know we are not shooting guns at each other, but Gawd I would just love for the world to see our unity and our strength. To the world---we seem weak and I don't like that at all. I want the world to view us as a STRONG, UNIFIED nation and its quite obvious they are picking up on all the President Bush Bashing. Its just not good for our country

[laurieleemoo]

Oh, and I'm sure I've been called names, but it doesn't bother me...."sticks and stones can break my bones, but words Can Never Hurt Me" (I'm a true believer in that old saying). So, its okay if they call me names---it doesn't bother me. Have at it whoever wants to. Actually, it usually makes me laugh when I see people get so mad they call me names.