| You were waiting for this, of course ... |
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council Monday condemned North Korea's underground test of a nuclear device earlier in the day and vowed to seek a resolution that would impose further sanctions on the reclusive regime.
The Security Council "voiced their strong opposition to and condemnation of the nuclear test," said the current council president, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin. In a statement to the press, Mr. Churkin said council members "demand that the DPRK comply fully with its obligations" under Security Council resolution 1718 not to conduct further nuclear tests. That resolution was passed in October 2006, days after Pyongyang announced its first test blast.
Mr. Churkin said the council had "decided to start work immediately on a Security Council resolution on this matter."
| No doubt it will be strongly-worded but will avoid embarrassing the Chinese ... |
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, France's deputy ambassador, told reporters that in the closed-door council meeting Monday evening he had called for the resolution to include new sanctions against North Korea. Mr. Lacroix said other nations on the Security Council expressed a similar position.
Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador, said, "The U.S. thinks 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."
Ms. Rice refused to speculate on what those measure would be, saying it "would be premature to suggest what [the resolution's] contents will be."
"What we heard today was a swift, clear and unequivocal opposition to what occurred. We are now resolved to work on a strong resolution, with appropriately strong content," Ms. Rice said.
| Yes, strong, it has to be strong, and no doubt it's strength will be strongly seen ... |
| Harrumph harrrrumph HARRRUMPH!! And HARRRUMPH again! Good day to you , Mr Jong Il, sir! |
The quick reaction by the council — about 20 hours after the test blast — was in contrast to the week it took for the body to agree on a statement regarding North Korea's launch of a long-range missile on April 5. It took three weeks for the council to agree on sanctions against a handful of North Korean companies for that launch.
| Whereas they'll take action against the same handful of Nork companies in a day. Well, two days. It's the holiday, so make it three ... |
"This is not the complete reaction of the Security Council, it's an indication of the direction we are going to take on a resolution," Mr. Churkin said. "We made no effort today to take a definitive position because it will take a number of days to produce this kind of ... outcome."
China and Russia had held up the discussions last time, but on Monday both swiftly condemned the nuclear test. "This is a very rare occurrence and it goes contrary to not only the resolutions of the Security Council, but to the non-proliferation treaty and the test ban treaty," Mr. Churkin said.
President Barack Obama, in a statement, called the action a "matter of grave concern to all nations" and said North Korea was undermining stability in northeast Asia. "It will not find international acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery," he said.
Speaking later in the Rose Garden of the White House, Mr. Obama called the tests "a blunt violation of international law" and said that Pyongyang has reneged on its commitment to abandon its nuclear ambitions, the Associated Press reported. The president said the U.S. would work with its allies to "stand up to" Pyongyang.
| Strongly, of course. Any day now ... |
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