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North Korea threatens pre-emptive nuclear strike against US North Korea threatens pre-emptive nuclear strike against US
(about 5 hours later)
North Korea has vowed to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States, amplifying its threatening rhetoric hours before a vote by UN security council on whether to level new sanctions against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test. North Korea has vowed to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States, amplifying its threatening rhetoric hours before athe UN security council voted to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang for a recent nuclear test.
An unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang's foreign ministry said the North will exercise its right for "pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors" because Washington is pushing to start a nuclear war against it.An unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang's foreign ministry said the North will exercise its right for "pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors" because Washington is pushing to start a nuclear war against it.
Although North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs and pre-emptive strikes, it is not thought to have mastered the ability to produce a warhead small enough to put on a missile capable of reaching the US. It is believed to have enough nuclear fuel, however, for a handful of cruder devices.Although North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs and pre-emptive strikes, it is not thought to have mastered the ability to produce a warhead small enough to put on a missile capable of reaching the US. It is believed to have enough nuclear fuel, however, for a handful of cruder devices.
Such inflammatory rhetoric is common from North Korea, but it has been coming regularly in recent days. The Pyongyang regime is angry over the possible sanctions and over upcoming US-South Korean military drills.Such inflammatory rhetoric is common from North Korea, but it has been coming regularly in recent days. The Pyongyang regime is angry over the possible sanctions and over upcoming US-South Korean military drills.
The UN security council is set to impose a fourth round of sanctions against North Korea in a fresh attempt to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. At the UN in New York, the US-drafted resolution was approved unanimously by the 15-nation security council. It came after three weeks of negotiations between the US and China after North Korea's latest nuclear test on 12 February.
Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, the current security council president, said the council will vote on the draft sanctions resolution on Thursday morning. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, said the resolution "sent an unequivocal message to [North Korea] that the international community will not tolerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons."
The resolution was drafted by the US and China, North Korea's closest ally. The council's agreement to put the resolution to a vote just 48 hours later signalled that it would almost certainly have the support of all 15 council members. The resolution specifies some luxury items that North Korea's elite will not be allowed to import, such as yachts, racing cars, luxury automobiles and certain types of jewelry. This is to close a loophole that previously allowed countries to decide for themselves what constitutes a luxury good.
The statement by North Korea's foreign ministry spokesman was carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency. The export of luxury goods, and items related to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, to North Korea has been prohibited since 2006, though diplomats and analysts say the enforcement of UN sanctions has been uneven.
It accused the US of leading efforts to slap sanctions on North Korea. The statement said the new sanctions would only advance the timing for North Korea to fulfil previous vows of taking "powerful second and third countermeasures" against its enemies. Those measures haven't been specifically elaborated on. Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said: "The strength, breadth and severity of these sanctions will raise the cost to North Korea of its illicit nuclear program and further constrain its ability to finance and source materials and technology for its ballistic missile, conventional and nuclear weapons program,
"We gravely warn that at a time when we cannot avoid a second Korean war, the UN security council, which served as the US puppet in 1950 and made Korean people harbour eternal grudges against it, must not commit the same crime again," it said. "When North Korea tries to move money to pay for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, countries must now block those transfers even if the money is being carried in suitcases full of bulk cash," she said.
North Korea in the statement demanded the security council immediately dismantle the American-led UN command that is based in Seoul and move to end the state of war that exists on the Korean peninsula, which continues six decades after fighting stopped because an armistice, not a peace treaty, ended the war. China's ambassador Li Baodong reiterated Beijing's calls for a resumption of the stalled six-party aid-for-disarmament talks between the two Koreas, United States, China, Russia and Japan. "We want to see full implementation of the resolution. The top priority now is to defuse the tension, bring down heat, focus on the diplomatic track."