USA: North Korea's ambassador says he hasn't heard anything about what the U.N. Security Council is saying after his country's nuclear test

North Korea's ambassador to the U.N., Pak Gil Yon, said Tuesday (October 10) that he wasn't informed about what the Security Council was discussing after his country's underground nuclear test Monday (October 09). "I haven't heard anything about the Security Council," he told reporters. With world leaders roundly condemning North Korea's announcement about its alleged 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. Security Council members met on Tuesday to discuss the draft. Speaking before the meeting, China's ambassador, Wang Guangya said, "If there is something punitive then it will mean something." 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. 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. Still, there were some doubts of North Korea's claim. U.S. President George W. Bush said intelligence officials were still trying to confirm Pyongyang's announcement on Monday (October 9) 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. 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 re-imposing 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.

ITN Source | October 11, 2006

Tags:. .administration. .wasnt. .scheduled. .refuses. .luxury