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Britain urges new sanctions over Korean A-bomb fears(Yorkshire Post Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) UN challenged to make tough response as eccentric tyrant defies world with suspected test of nuclear device Britain is to push for new sanctions against North Korea in response to its apparent nuclear weapons test, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has said. She said they must go further than existing sanctions against the communist country. In a statement, Mrs Beckett said Britain would continue to work with its partners on the UN Security Council to take forward the response of the international community. "For our part, the UK will be pushing for a robust response under Chapter 7 of the Charter," she said. "Put simply, this means we shall be pushing for sanctions against North Korea." There are already sanctions barring trade in missile-related items. "Any new sanctions clearly have to go further than this," she said. "It should be clear to North Korea that it must return to the six-party talks and stop disregarding the concerns of its neighbours and of the international community." As the Security Council met in New York to discuss the issue, North Korea's claims came in for worldwide condemnation. Prime Minister Tony Blair hit out at the "completely irresponsible act" which showed a "disregard" for the concerns of the international community. He said: "I condemn this completely irresponsible act by the government of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea). "The international community has repeatedly urged them to refrain from both missile testing and nuclear testing. "This further act of defiance shows North Korea's disregard for the concerns of its neighbours and the wider international community." US President George Bush said it posed a threat to global peace and warranted an immediate response from the UN. "Once again, North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond," he said. America and the other permanent members of the Security Council "agreed that the proclaimed actions taken by North Korea are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response," he added. The US has submitted a draft resolution which was due to be discussed last night. North Korea remained defiant in the face of the diplomatic pressure - with its UN ambassador suggesting it should be congratulated, not punished. North Korea is led by eccentric movie-obsessed Kim Jong-il who has been described as a vain, paranoid, cognac-guzzling hypochondriac. He has refused to attend disarmament talks for a year. The country pulled out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003 after US officials accused it of a secret nuclear programme. Speculation over a possible nuclear weapons test arose earlier this year . It followed reports from the US and Japan of suspicious activity at a suspected underground site. The official Korean Central News Agency said yesterday: "The nuclear test is a historic event that brought happiness to our military and people. "The nuclear test will contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and surrounding region." North Korea is believed to have produced enough nuclear material for about six bombs, utilising bomb ingredients created by its main nuclear reactor, north of the capital, Pyongyang. The country also has an active missile programme, but it is not believed to have an atomic bomb design small and light enough to be mounted on a long-range rocket. If yesterday's test is confirmed, North Korea would become the ninth country in the world known to have nuclear weapons. The other countries are the US, Russia, France, China, Britain, India, Pakistan and Israel. Mrs Beckett said there still remained some doubts over the exact nature of what had taken place but it appeared "likely" to have been a nuclear test. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell joined the calls for more sanctions. He said: "This represents a major escalation in the proliferation of nuclear weapons. A unified response on the part of the United Nations and from North Korea's closest neighbours, particularly China, is vital. "This is a deliberate provocation which must not go unpunished. Sanctions are essential. "These sanctions should target the regime, not the North Korean people." Kate Hudson, chairwoman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: "North Korea has the mistaken idea that having nuclear weapons will increase its security. "This is wrong - nuclear weapons do not make a country safer. "Unfortunately, this is also a view taken by many of our own political leaders, hence their desire to replace Trident, but it is as wrong for Britain as it is for North Korea. "It is essential that the world breaks out of this dangerous spiral of nuclear proliferation." Copyright 2006 Johnston Press Plc. Source: Financial Times Information Limited |