North Korea: Sanctions Are Declaration of War
Pastor Dale Morgan
North Korea: Sanctions Are Declaration of War*
By BO-MI LIM
The Associated Press
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; 3:48 PM
SEOUL, South Korea -- Satellite images indicate North Korea appears to
be getting ready for a second nuclear test, officials said Tuesday, as
the defiant communist regime held huge rallies and proclaimed that U.N.
sanctions amount to a declaration of war.
China, the North's longtime ally and biggest trading partner, warned
Pyongyang not to aggravate tensions in the wake of U.N. condemnation of
its Oct. 9 atomic blast. And U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill told
reporters in Seoul that another nuclear explosion would be "a very
belligerent answer" to the world.
As the White House acknowledged that the isolated nation might try a
second test, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice launched a diplomatic
drive to persuade Asian allies and Russia to intensify North Korea's
isolation by enforcing sanctions approved by the U.N. Security Council.
Concern over a second test stems partly from new satellite imagery
showing increased activity around at least two other North Korean sites,
a senior U.S. defense official said.
The activity, started a number of days ago, included ground preparation
at one site and construction of some buildings and other structures,
said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it
involved intelligence gathering. He said that although the purpose of
the structures is unclear, officials are concerned because North Korea
has left open the possibility of another test.
Japan's government also has "information" about another possible blast,
Foreign Minister Taro Aso told reporters, without elaborating.
A senior South Korean official told foreign journalists that despite
signs of a possible second test, it was unlikely to happen immediately.
"We have yet to confirm any imminent signs of a second nuclear test,"
the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity
of the information.
In North Korea, the nation marked the 80th anniversary of the
"Down-with-Imperialism Union" _ a political platform on which the ruling
party was built. North Koreans held parades across the country along
with an enormous gathering at a central square in Pyongyang. In the
capital, hundreds of women in brightly colored costumes sang and held
bunches of flowers, including some named for Kim Il Sung, the late
father of current leader Kim Jong Il.
The regime slammed the U.N. measures with a stream of bellicosity in a
Foreign Ministry statement released on the official Korean Central News
Agency. It was the central government's first reaction to the sanctions
since they were unanimously passed by the Security Council on Saturday.
"The resolution cannot be construed otherwise than a declaration of a
war" against the North, the statement said.
The North also said it "wants peace but is not afraid of war," and that
it would "deal merciless blows" against anyone who violates its sovereignty.
It said it wouldn't cave in to "the pressure and threat of someone at
this time when it has become a nuclear weapons state."
South Korean nuclear envoy Chun Yung-woo said the North's reaction
wasn't surprising, and was full of "the usual rhetoric."
China warned Pyongyang against aggravating tensions.
"We hope North Korea will adopt a responsible attitude ... and come back
to resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation instead of
taking any actions that may further escalate or worsen the situation,"
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a press briefing
in Beijing.
But now that the U.S. has confirmed that last week's blast was indeed
nuclear, North Korea can be expected to use its new position as a
confirmed atomic state to press for direct talks and concessions with
Washington _ as it did in March 2005, a month after Pyongyang first
asserted it had a nuclear weapon.
Hill, the U.S. envoy, said the North was falsely assuming it would win
more respect with atomic explosions.
"The fact of the matter is that nuclear tests make us respect them
less," he said, adding that the North's comments about sanctions were
"not very helpful."
The White House said it wouldn't be surprising if North Korea were to
try another nuclear test "to be provocative."
"It would not be a good thing for them, but it certainly would not be
out of character," said White House press secretary Tony Snow. "We're
not going to discuss any particular matters of intelligence, but if you
take a look at the record, I think it is reasonable to expect that the
government of North Korea will do what it can to test the will, the
determination and the unity of the United Nations."
Asked why it would not be a good thing for North Korea, Snow said, "If
they do believe that somehow people are going to give them a pass on
this, they're going to find out that they're wrong."
While U.S. officials insist they aren't about to invade, they have taken
other steps against North Korea _ even before the U.N. resolution _
including severing it from the international financial system. That move
is believed to have angered the elites that keep Kim in power, and Kim
may fear being ousted or possibly even killed.
The North has consistently pressed for direct talks with the U.S. on the
financial sanctions and has refused to attend six-nation disarmament
talks until the sanctions are lifted. Along with the U.S., the talks
include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.
Now, the North has a new arrow in its quiver: being a confirmed nuclear
power recognized as such by the very country whose attention it so
desperately craves.
The Bush administration, wary of rewarding the regime's behavior, has
consistently refused to talk directly to the North, insisting the issue
is a regional concern and seeking to enlist other countries.
On Tuesday, Rice left for Japan, first stop on a four-nation trip, amid
clear signs of unease in China and South Korea about even the softened
sanctions.
China contends that interdicting ships, although permitted in the U.N.
resolution, might needlessly provoke the North and discourage it from
returning to the six-nation talks. South Koreans worry about a
conventional attack by their unpredictable neighbor.
"Sanctions against North Korea should be done in a way that draws North
Korea to the dialogue table," South Korean Prime Minister Han Myung-sook
said, according to Yonhap news agency. "There should never be a way that
causes armed clashes."
___
AP writers Barry Schweid in Washington, Burt Herman and William Foreman
in Seoul, Audra Ang in Beijing and Kana Inagaki in Tokyo contributed to
this report.