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US: N. Korea nuke test may lead to penalties
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-16 09:32
The Bush administration warned North Korea on Sunday that conducting a
nuclear test would be a serious act of "defiance" and would force the United
States and its regional partners to consider new punitive steps against
Pyongyang.
"Action would have to be taken," U.S. national security adviser Stephen
Hadley told CNN's "Late Edition."
Washington's warning, coupled with similar pressure from Japan, raised the
stakes in the nuclear standoff after North Korea announced last week that it had
removed fuel rods from its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, a potential precursor to
building more weapons or testing one.
In this photo provided by FOX News Sunday, US
National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley is interviewed on FOX News Sunday
in Washington, Sunday, May 15, 2005. [AP] | Hadley acknowledged the difficulty of assessing whether North Korea was set
to conduct a nuclear test, saying it was a "very difficult target" for U.S.
intelligence agencies.
But he told Fox News Sunday: "We've seen some evidence that says that they
may be preparing for a nuclear test. We have talked to our allies about that.
Obviously that would be a serious step."
On CNN, Hadley said the United States had observed some activities by North
Korea that are "consistent with possible preparations for a nuclear test."
But he added; "We don't know for sure."
"If there is a nuclear test, obviously that will be a defiance by North Korea
of every member of the six-party talks, including China. And we think at that
point we will have to have a serious conversation about other steps we can
take," Hadley said.
Hadley offered no details about what specific steps the United States would
seek against North Korea if it conducted a nuclear test. But he said the
Japanese government has concluded that those steps would "need to include going
to the (U.N.) Security Council, and potentially sanctions."
Three rounds of talks involving North Korea, South Korea, the United
States, Japan, Russia and China aimed at dismantling the impoverished North's
nuclear programs made little progress, and the process has stalled since the
last meeting in June 2004.
Hadley sought to play down differences with China over how hard to press
North Korea to return to the talks, insisting: "We're comfortable that we are
all on the same page."
Washington has urged China to exert more pressure on its neighbor,
including possibly cutting off its oil supply to the country.
China has rebuffed the idea and publicly asserted pressuring North Korea was
the wrong tactic.
Chinese diplomats have also complained strongly to the United States that
Bush's decision last month to return to using tough talk against the North
Korea's leader hurt Beijing's chances of bringing Pyongyang back to the
negotiating table.
Hadley brushed aside "some statements by lower-level" Chinese officials, and
said U.S. and Chinese leaders are in agreement.
"The most important thing is that at the senior levels of the governments,
Russia, China, the United States, South Korea, and Japan, there is agreement
that a nuclear North Korea is unacceptable and we need a denuclearized Korean
peninsula," Hadley said.
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