Global Policy Forum

By Evelyn Leopold

With world leaders roundly condemning North Korea's announcement it had carried out a nuclear test, U.N. Security Council members weighed an arms embargo and financial sanctions on Pyongyang. The United States drafted a resolution calling for international inspections of all cargo moving into and out of North Korea to detect weapons-related material, a freeze on any transfer or development of weapons of mass destruction and a ban on luxury goods. The draft is to be discussed on Tuesday.

Japan proposed even more stringent measures in amendments to the document from U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters. These included banning all North Korean ships and planes from all ports if they carried nuclear or ballistic missile-related materials.

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

No vote has been scheduled as the 15 council members sent the resolution to their capitals, although British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry hoped for adoption by the end of the week. Among the five powers with veto rights, Britain and France pressed for sanctions, although neither country said whether all the measures Washington had proposed were acceptable.

Russia and China were cautious. "I think we have to react firmly, but also I believe that, on the other hand, that the door to solve this issue from a diplomatic point of view is still open," China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said. Still, there were some doubts of North Korea's claim.

President Bush said intelligence officials were still trying to confirm Pyongyang's announcement on Monday that it had carried out an underground nuclear weapons test. But he said that the claim itself "constitutes a threat to international peace and security." Bolton, according to ambassadors at a closed door meeting, wants to limit North Korea's ability to import or export nuclear or ballistic missile technology.

The draft resolution also calls for an end to Pyongyang's access to illicit funds, including its alleged manufacture of counterfeit U.S. dollars. "We think it's important to respond even to the claim of a nuclear test by the North Koreans and we'll be going 24/7 if we need to be to get this resolution adopted quickly," Bolton said. The U.S. proposals highlighted the Proliferation Security Initiative Washington launched in May 2003 that aims to encourage member countries to interdict weapons from North Korea, Iran and other states of concern.

The Security Council has already imposed weapons-related sanctions on North Korea in resolution 1695 in July and many of the new U.S. proposals repeat or strengthen those measures. Separately, Washington has an array of sanctions on the economically devastated country, including a ban on military items and financial restrictions. The Bush administration has considered reimposing trade prohibitions lifted by former President Bill Clinton when Pyongyang agreed to a missile moratorium it then abandoned on July 4.

Both China and Russia have suggested the United States re-engage in bilateral talks, but there is no sign Washington would do so unless North Korea rejoined six-party talks. The two Koreas, China, Japan, the United States and Russia have held talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic incentives. But North Korea walked out of them a year ago and refuses to return until Washington ends a financial squeeze.

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