Seraphim
08-02-2003, 05:14 AM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030802/ap_on_re_as/koreas_nuclear&cid=516&ncid=716
By JAE-SUK YOO, Associated Press Writer
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea (news - web sites) on Saturday warned that any moves to discuss its suspected nuclear weapons programs at the United Nations (news - web sites) would "hamstring" efforts for dialogue and be a "prelude to war."
The warning came a day after the communist country agreed to multilateral talks to deal with the nuclear standoff. North Korea accuses the United Nations of siding with the United States to stifle the communist country, fearing that the U.N. would impose economic sanctions on the impoverished nation.
"Any move to discuss the nuclear issue at the U.N. Security Council is little short of a prelude to a war," the official KCNA news agency said, reiterating similar comments made in the past.
On Thursday, U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton criticized the Security Council, saying its credibility was at stake because it had failed to take up the North Korean nuclear issue.
China, the North's closest ally and a permanent member of the Security Council, had thwarted previous U.S. attempts to have it condemn the North over its nuclear ambitions.
"The U.S. intention to bring up the nuclear issue ... at the U.N. at any cost is a grave criminal act to hamstring" North Korea's efforts for dialogue, KCNA said.
An early U.N. discussion of North Korea seems unlikely. South Korea (news - web sites), a U.S. ally, has said it would prefer that all other diplomatic options are exhausted before the Security Council takes up the issue.
North Korea agreed on Friday to multilateral talks, outside the purview of the United Nations, saying it would push for direct talks with the United States within the multiparty conclave. Washington said bilateral talks were a possibility.
Washington has long pushed for multilateral talks on the issue, saying the North's nuclear threat is a regional issue. North Korea had insisted on one-on-one talks with the United States, through which it hopes to win a guarantee of security.
No date has been set for the talks, which are expected to be held in China, and no decision has been made on the level of the officials who will attend.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency on Saturday quoted an unidentified official at the South Korean presidential office as saying talks could open "late this month or early next month."
U.S. officials believe North Korea already has one or two nuclear bombs and can yield enough plutonium from its 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods to build several more within months.
The nuclear standoff began in October when U.S. officials said Pyongyang admitted having a uranium-based nuclear weapons program in violation of international agreements.
By JAE-SUK YOO, Associated Press Writer
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea (news - web sites) on Saturday warned that any moves to discuss its suspected nuclear weapons programs at the United Nations (news - web sites) would "hamstring" efforts for dialogue and be a "prelude to war."
The warning came a day after the communist country agreed to multilateral talks to deal with the nuclear standoff. North Korea accuses the United Nations of siding with the United States to stifle the communist country, fearing that the U.N. would impose economic sanctions on the impoverished nation.
"Any move to discuss the nuclear issue at the U.N. Security Council is little short of a prelude to a war," the official KCNA news agency said, reiterating similar comments made in the past.
On Thursday, U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton criticized the Security Council, saying its credibility was at stake because it had failed to take up the North Korean nuclear issue.
China, the North's closest ally and a permanent member of the Security Council, had thwarted previous U.S. attempts to have it condemn the North over its nuclear ambitions.
"The U.S. intention to bring up the nuclear issue ... at the U.N. at any cost is a grave criminal act to hamstring" North Korea's efforts for dialogue, KCNA said.
An early U.N. discussion of North Korea seems unlikely. South Korea (news - web sites), a U.S. ally, has said it would prefer that all other diplomatic options are exhausted before the Security Council takes up the issue.
North Korea agreed on Friday to multilateral talks, outside the purview of the United Nations, saying it would push for direct talks with the United States within the multiparty conclave. Washington said bilateral talks were a possibility.
Washington has long pushed for multilateral talks on the issue, saying the North's nuclear threat is a regional issue. North Korea had insisted on one-on-one talks with the United States, through which it hopes to win a guarantee of security.
No date has been set for the talks, which are expected to be held in China, and no decision has been made on the level of the officials who will attend.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency on Saturday quoted an unidentified official at the South Korean presidential office as saying talks could open "late this month or early next month."
U.S. officials believe North Korea already has one or two nuclear bombs and can yield enough plutonium from its 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods to build several more within months.
The nuclear standoff began in October when U.S. officials said Pyongyang admitted having a uranium-based nuclear weapons program in violation of international agreements.