February 11, 2009 5:52 PM
- Text
Security Council Backs N. Korea Sanctions
(CBS/AP)
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose sanctions on North Korea including ship searches for banned weapons, calling Pyongyang's claimed nuclear test "a clear threat to international peace and security." North Korea walked out, rejecting the resolution and accusing the council of "gangster-like" action.
The U.S.-sponsored resolution approved Saturday demands that the reclusive communist nation abandon its nuclear weapons program, and orders all countries to prevent North Korea from importing or exporting any material for weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missiles. It also orders nations to freeze assets of people or businesses connected to these programs, and ban the individuals from traveling.
"In record time, the U.N. Security Council was able to bridge serious differences and produced a tough sanctions Resolution, sending a united message to North Korea to stop its weapons development and return to the bargaining table," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk.
The resolution calls on all countries to inspect cargo leaving and arriving in North Korea to prevent any illegal trafficking in unconventional weapons or ballistic missiles. The final draft was softened from stronger language authorizing searches, but was still unacceptable to China — the North's closest ally — which said it would not carry out any inspections.
"Intense negotiations, beginning last Sunday with North Korea's weapons test, produced a unanimous vote on a Resolution that reassured the Chinese and the Russians that there would be no military force used without a return to the Security Council," Falk said.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said North Korea's proclaimed test "poses one of the gravest threats to international peace and security that this council has ever had to confront."
"Today, we are sending a strong and clear message to North Korea and other would-be proliferators that there will be serious repercussions in continuing to pursue weapons of mass destruction," he said, in what appeared to be a clear warning to Iran, whose nuclear ambitions come before the Security Council again next week.
North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Pak Gil Yon countered by blaming the United States for the reported test, saying America's "threat, sanctions and pressure" had forced North Korea to "prove its possession of nukes to protect its sovereignty and right to existence from the daily increasing danger of war from the United States."
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is ready for talks, dialogue and confrontation," he said. "If the United States increases pressure upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea persistently, the DPRK will continue to take physical countermeasures considering it as a declaration of war."
North Korea has made similar threats in the past, and also has said it might conduct a second nuclear test in response to U.N. sanctions.
The resolution imposed sanctions for the North's "flagrant disregard" of the council's appeal not to detonate a nuclear device and demanded that North Korea "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile."
The vote came after the United States, Britain and France overcame last-minute differences with Russia and China during what the Russian ambassador called "tense negotiations."
"At the last minute, the vote was delayed in order to adjust the Resolution to reflect the voluntary nature of the cargo inspection provision," according to Falk.
The resolution expressly rules out military action against North Korea, a demand by the Russians and Chinese. Bolton warned Pyongyang, however, that if it continues pursuing nuclear weapons, the United States would seek further measures.
The Security Council condemned the nuclear test that North Korea said it conducted on Oct 9. It demanded that North Korea immediately return to six-party talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to dismantle its weapons program without precondition.
"This action by the United Nations, which was swift and tough, says that we are united in our determination to see to it that the Korean Peninsula is nuclear-weapons free," President Bush said.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, who was chosen on Friday to become the next U.N. secretary-general, said in an AP interview that the council's "very strong resolution ... sends a very strong, clear and unified message to North Korea."
"I hope that North Korea will comply with this resolution," he said. "I hope that all member states of the United Nations will fully implement this resolution."
The U.S.-sponsored resolution approved Saturday demands that the reclusive communist nation abandon its nuclear weapons program, and orders all countries to prevent North Korea from importing or exporting any material for weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missiles. It also orders nations to freeze assets of people or businesses connected to these programs, and ban the individuals from traveling.
"In record time, the U.N. Security Council was able to bridge serious differences and produced a tough sanctions Resolution, sending a united message to North Korea to stop its weapons development and return to the bargaining table," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk.
The resolution calls on all countries to inspect cargo leaving and arriving in North Korea to prevent any illegal trafficking in unconventional weapons or ballistic missiles. The final draft was softened from stronger language authorizing searches, but was still unacceptable to China — the North's closest ally — which said it would not carry out any inspections.
"Intense negotiations, beginning last Sunday with North Korea's weapons test, produced a unanimous vote on a Resolution that reassured the Chinese and the Russians that there would be no military force used without a return to the Security Council," Falk said.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said North Korea's proclaimed test "poses one of the gravest threats to international peace and security that this council has ever had to confront."
"Today, we are sending a strong and clear message to North Korea and other would-be proliferators that there will be serious repercussions in continuing to pursue weapons of mass destruction," he said, in what appeared to be a clear warning to Iran, whose nuclear ambitions come before the Security Council again next week.
North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Pak Gil Yon countered by blaming the United States for the reported test, saying America's "threat, sanctions and pressure" had forced North Korea to "prove its possession of nukes to protect its sovereignty and right to existence from the daily increasing danger of war from the United States."
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is ready for talks, dialogue and confrontation," he said. "If the United States increases pressure upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea persistently, the DPRK will continue to take physical countermeasures considering it as a declaration of war."
North Korea has made similar threats in the past, and also has said it might conduct a second nuclear test in response to U.N. sanctions.
The resolution imposed sanctions for the North's "flagrant disregard" of the council's appeal not to detonate a nuclear device and demanded that North Korea "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile."
The vote came after the United States, Britain and France overcame last-minute differences with Russia and China during what the Russian ambassador called "tense negotiations."
"At the last minute, the vote was delayed in order to adjust the Resolution to reflect the voluntary nature of the cargo inspection provision," according to Falk.
The resolution expressly rules out military action against North Korea, a demand by the Russians and Chinese. Bolton warned Pyongyang, however, that if it continues pursuing nuclear weapons, the United States would seek further measures.
The Security Council condemned the nuclear test that North Korea said it conducted on Oct 9. It demanded that North Korea immediately return to six-party talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to dismantle its weapons program without precondition.
"This action by the United Nations, which was swift and tough, says that we are united in our determination to see to it that the Korean Peninsula is nuclear-weapons free," President Bush said.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, who was chosen on Friday to become the next U.N. secretary-general, said in an AP interview that the council's "very strong resolution ... sends a very strong, clear and unified message to North Korea."
"I hope that North Korea will comply with this resolution," he said. "I hope that all member states of the United Nations will fully implement this resolution."
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Scott Conroy Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.
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