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| NKorea threatens to weaponise all its plutonium |
| Press Trust of India / Seoul/ United Nations Jun 13, 2009, 14:50 IST |
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A defiant North Korea today threatened it would "weaponise" all its plutonium and restart uranium enrichment programme as it rejected the tough new UN sanctions meant to stop the rogue state from selling its nuclear weapons and missiles.
Vowing not to abandon its nuclear programme, North Korea said its decision to go ahead with nuclear tests was a decision to defend itself from what it calls hostile US policy and nuclear threat against the country, Yonhap quoted a North Korean foreign ministry statement as saying.
"Firstly, all plutonium to be extracted will be weaponised," the statement said claiming "one third of the used fuel rods have been re-processed."
"We will also start our uranium enrichment programme," the South Korean agency quoted the statement as saying.
Pyongyang also threatened that it will take "resolute military action" if the United States and its allies try to impose any naval blockade, the statement carried by the North Korea's official Central News Agency said.
The North Koreans said the option of giving up nuclear weapons has become an impossible thing and claimed whether UN sanctions were "dirty trick" to disarm and suffocate us economically.
Pyongyang's strong rejection came after the UN Security Council unanimously imposed punishing new sanctions on North Korea, toughening up an arms embargo and authorising ship searches on the high seas to prevent the rogue nation from trading in nuclear and ballistic missiles clandestinely.
The 15-member body endorsed a resolution sponsored by Britain, France, Japan, South Korea and the US, which condemned the May 25 nuclear test, saying it was conducted in "violation and flagrant" disregard of earlier Council resolutions.
The unanimous support for the resolution mirrored an international disapproval of North Korea's second nuclear test which was followed by a spate of missile firings.
While the resolution does not call for use of force, it imposes a series of measures including tougher inspections of cargo suspected of containing banned items related to the North's nuclear and ballistic missile activities, a tighter arms embargo with the exception of light weapons and new financial restrictions.
However, key North Korean allies China and Russia, who were involved in drafting the resolution, resisted making the inspections and some other measures mandatory, thereby leaving unclear the impact the sanctions will have.
Through fresh sanctions, aimed at cutting off all financial military-related transactions and imposing a near-total ban on export and import of arms, the Council hopes to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table for dismantling its nuclear and missile development programmes.
"The measures in this resolution are targeted very precisely at the nuclear, missile and weapons of mass destruction programmes of North Korea," said Ambassador Philip Parham, deputy permanent representative for UK.
The resolution seeks to deprive North Korea of financing and materials for its weapons programmes and bans the communist countries lucrative arms exports, especially missiles. It does not ban normal trade but calls on international financial institutions to halt grants, aid or loan to the country expect for humanitarian, development and de-nuclearisation programme.
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