A NORTH Korean nuclear test, perhaps as early as today or tomorrow, has electrified the United States and other regional powers as they scramble for a way to deal with the danger. | “We discussed the possibility that the test would occur this weekend," said Japan's Vice-Foreign-Minister, Shotaro Yachi... |
UN Security Council nations were expected to adopt a joint statement late yesterday urging North Korea to abandon plan to test a nuclear bomb as the next UN chief, South Korea's Foreign Minister, Ban Ki-moon, said he was ready for a diplomatic mission to Pyongyang.
| “But the expected UN Security Council text, which does not explicitly threaten sanctions, is likely to be weaker than the US and Japan had requested...” |
And Australia's stand on North Korea has been criticised as "very sad, even pathetic" by Professor Peter Hayes, the Australian-based director of the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability, a foreign policy think tank. Canberra had become too extreme and too beholden to the US, and it could have disastrous consequences if North Korea decided to bomb "soft targets who are allies", Professor Hayes said. "We have a big coastline and we can't monitor all approaches to Australia; and if the North Koreans are at war with the United States, who will they threaten with their weapons?"
The Prime Minister, John Howard, explained Australia's position on radio in Perth yesterday: "We are strongly opposed to North Korea developing a nuclear capacity, we favour resolving these issues through the six-party talks. We've joined everybody else in condemning the recent statement by North Korea."