UNITED NATIONS (AP) - South Korea's foreign minister was officially nominated Monday as the next U.N. secretary-general, and he pledged to work to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis hours after the communist regime announced it had tested a nuclear weapon.
One can't help wonder what Lil' Kim's reaction to this news will be. Kim Jong Il is not one to sit back and let South Korea take the spot light away from him. Look out for reaction from North Korea. Maybe another missile test? Like the last one went so well for him.
Meanwhile, reaction to North Korea's nuclear test has provoked America to propose sanctions to the Security Counsel.
The American proposals were among several ideas for a Security Council resolution that America shared with council diplomats after North Korea announced that it had set off an atomic explosion underground. A copy of the document was obtained by The Associated Press.
The document says that America wants the resolution to fall under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which deals explicitly with threats to international peace and security, as well as acts of aggression. Chapter 7 grants the council the authority to impose a range of measures that include breaking diplomatic ties and imposing economic and military sanctions to taking military action.
Military action, however, is far from anyone's minds.
"We believe that highly provocative act requires a very strong resolution explicitly under Chapter 7 that provides for sanctions against the North Korean regime," the document said.
Among the proposals were to:
_ Prohibit trade in materials that could be used to make or deliver weapons of mass destruction.
_ Require states to make sure that North Korea not use their territory or entities for proliferation or illicit activities. Financial transactions that North Korea could use to support those programs would also be banned.
_ Require states to freeze all assets related to North Korea's weapons and missile programs, as well as any other illicit activities it conducts.
_ Authorize inspection of all cargo to and from North Korea to limit proliferation.
_ Ban trade with North Korea in luxury goods and military items
Ambassador Bolton told the Security Council that Washington would view a North Korean attack on South Korea or Japan as an attack on America, U.N. diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed. America has defense agreements with Tokyo and Seoul, and thousands of American troops are stationed in both countries.
It remains unclear what actions China will take. China has tried for years to broker an understanding between the west and North Korea. This test is largely seen as a slap in China's diplomatic face. Scarier still, will this test force Japan to ramp up its nuclear program? What will China's reaction to that be? What will the United States reaction?
North Korea and Iran are playing a diplomatic game of Nuclear chicken. To me, this is scarier than the Cuban missile crises and the entire cold war. At least during the cold war cooler heads prevailed because of a fear of mutual self-destruction. Kim Jung Il seems to not operate under that level of self control. Iran, believes it is doing allah's work. Destruction of Iran will only fuel islamic extremists around the world.
Scary times!
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