North Korea Nuclear Threats (1) 5-25-2009 Honolulu News

UN Security Council condemns N. Korea nuke test
By EDITH M. LEDERER • Associated Press • May 25, 2009

Hours after North Korea defiantly conducted its second test, its closest allies China and Russia joined Western powers and representatives from the rest of the world on the council to voice strong opposition to the underground explosion.

After a brief emergency meeting held at Japan's request, the council demanded that North Korea abide by two previous resolutions, which among other things called for Pyongyang to return to six-party talks aimed at eliminating its nuclear program. It also called on all other U.N. member states to abide by sanctions imposed on the North.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the current council president, made clear in a statement that the condemnation was only an initial response, and that more will follow. He said it was too early to give any specifics.

"The members of the Security Council have decided to start work immediately on a Security Council resolution on this matter," he said.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the 15-member council agreed that work on the new resolution will begin Tuesday.

"What we heard today was swift, clear, unequivocal condemnation and opposition to what occurred," she said. "The United States thinks that this is a grave violation of international law and a threat to regional and international peace and security and therefore the United States will seek a strong resolution with strong measures."

Churkin was asked whether Russia viewed the nuclear test as more serious than North Korea's missile launch in April, which also led to Security Council condemnation and sanctions against three North Korean companies.

"This is a very rare occurrence as you know, and it goes contrary not only to resolutions of the Security Council but also the (Nuclear) Nonproliferation Treaty and the (Nuclear) Test Ban Treaty," he replied. "We are one of the founding fathers - Russia is - of those documents, so we think they're extremely important in current international relations. So anything which would undermine the regimes of those two treaties is very serious and needs to have a strong response."

The five permanent veto-wielding members of the council - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - met behind closed doors for over an hour with the ambassadors of Japan and South Korea ahead of the closed meeting of the full 15-member council.

Japan said North Korea's "irresponsible" nuclear test and the April missile launch had challenged the authority of the U.N.'s most powerful body "and the response must be firm."

"It's a very clear challenge," said Japan's U.N. Ambassador Yukio Takasu, a non-permanent council member. "So therefore we need a really, really clear and firm message from this - preferably a resolution."

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• 북한핵실험
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• Nuclearthreats

[welcomegohome]

nice fucking slideshow.

[fcballer102]

also a reply to jvirasaws other comment the reason we are reacting and not letting them have them is because KIM JONG-IL is physco and a dictator hes clearly unstable.

[fcballer102]

Really jvirasaw really, you believe we should be focused on mal-nutrient children I do agree thts serious but the possibility of a NUCLEAR MISSLE LAUNCH, thats VERY serious look outside the box if they launch that it will trigger world war 3 and or the end of the world, dont believe me think of it this way N.Korea launches a nuke, then we launch 1 back, then N.Korea's allies launch some also then our allies launch Nukes then suddenly we all are launching them....we pratically blow our selves up

[ahmer9800]

Yeah, and not just that he was taught the korean propaganda when he was born, and ever since. He doesn't know what anything else is.

All he knows is the N. Korean propaganda.

He needs god, and he needs to put himself into other peoples shoes.

[ahmer9800]

English, please.

[duba3988]

agreed.

[jvirasaw]

Vox, I don't deny what you are saying, it is possibly true..but should we just behave like dictators by deciding who should and shouldn't have nuclear weapons..USA + Russia account for about 9000 active nuke warheads..NKorea is close to sth like 10..I think we should think about all those kids dying of lack of nutrition than N.Korea and their few missiles..

[VoxJoxx]

Ridiculous, Kim Jong-il is a dictator, over come with power and corruption, a nuclear display is no way to negotiate sanctions or head in the right direction of peace, he is in power because their is no democracy the only way this will be resolved is if he and his family are assassinated. There is no good that comes from totalitarianism. He is clearly insane.

[jvirasaw]

USA, some EU countries, india, China, Russia have the nuclear missile, so com'on give those guys a break..Why not..What if they are attacked by one of those guys who have it..They could reply back in the same way..never know..It seems fair to me that they should have a nuclear missile if they can have it, unless all those who do have nuclear weapons completely disarm themselves and show the example..May be starting with the US.