NYT: U.S. Hits Obstacle in Getting a Vote on North Korea

[kskiska]

The United States pressed for a Saturday vote on a Security Council resolution that would impose sanctions on North Korea for its reported nuclear test, but questions from China and Russia on Friday evening cast the timing and possibly the content of the document into doubt.

The terms of the resolution had already been softened three times this week to meet objections from China and Russia, and earlier Friday there appeared to be agreement on holding a vote Saturday morning.

John R. Bolton, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said the new problems appeared “technical” rather than “substantial,” but said they would require another conference of Japan and the five permanent Council members, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, Saturday before the full 15-member panel met later in the day.

While the wording of the resolution was still being worked out, American intelligence officials said on Friday evening that they had found radioactive material in air samples taken over the region, providing more evidence that North Korea did indeed detonate a nuclear bomb.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/14/world/asia/14nations.html?hp&ex=1160798400&en=70612224e0e64a78&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[bullimiami]

1. so? havent britain, china, france, russia and the us all had many many

nuclear tests? whats the big deal if the prk has "one", everyone already thought they had the capability.

[rodeodance]

2. Rice would travel to Asia next week~~

Vitaly I. Churkin, the Russian ambassador, said, “I think we are on the right track, but we are not there yet.”

In Washington, officials, apparently confident of the imminent passage of the measure, announced that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to Asia next week to discuss how to implement the resolution, as well as to discuss other efforts to deter North Korean proliferation of a nuclear bomb or bomb-making materials. Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said Ms. Rice would travel to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing.

The trip, he said, is “an opportunity for her in the region to reaffirm and talk about the strength of our existing alliances there, and also to have a bit more of a wider conversation with others in the region about the current situation, about the security situation, and also to talk broadly about nonproliferation efforts.”

Senior State Department officials portrayed the United Nations momentum toward a resolution as evidence of a united, multilateral front agreeing to punish North Korea.

[bemildred]

3. Gee, who could have predicted this?

I expect Russia and China positively enjoy jerking Dolton's chain.

[Phredicles]

4. No one could have anticipated that

our mule-headed insistence on unilateralism would have reulted in the rest of the world telling us to piss off when we wanted something from them.:eyes:

[madrchsod]

5. there isn`t one thing the usa can do about north korea

untill we decide to shut up just let china ,russia,and south korea deal with this nut case...no, not bush, the other nut case...