Posted on 05/16/2003 2:02:09 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
U.S. Seen Cracking Down on North Korea's Exports
Thu May 15, 8:23 PM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Carol Giacomo, Diplomatic Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration, aiming to increase pressure on North Korea (news - web sites) to abandon nuclear arms, intends to crack down on narcotics and missile exports that earn hard currency for Pyongyang and may agree on a plan in the next few weeks, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
They also said the United States would soon ask the U.N. Security Council to again consider adopting a statement demanding that North Korea address the nuclear issue.
The administration has reiterated a willingness to hold more negotiations with the North, but officials said there was no rush to do so and nothing would be set until at least after the Group of Eight industrial nations meet June 1-3 in France.
National security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) told Reuters on Monday Washington was "looking at ways to deal with Pyongyang's trade in illegal drugs, counterfeiting and missiles.
A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, went further. "We've got a decision and we're going to do it," he said in an interview on Thursday.
"We're going to pursue that within the Security Council and we're going to pursue the idea of cutting off their weapons sales and drug sales and other illegal forms of raising hard currency." Another senior official described the administration as "clearly leaning in that direction."
With President Bush (news - web sites) in the midst of two weeks of delicate Korea-related diplomacy, Sean McCormack, spokesman for the National Security Council, was more cautious.
"We're going to continue talking about that with our friends and allies...it's important to stop the spread of WMD (weapons of mass destruction) technology and missile technology as well as the smuggling of illicit narcotics," he said.
Bush met South Korea (news - web sites)'s new President Roh Moo-hyun at the White House on Wednesday and will host Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi next week. He will meet the leaders of Russia and China, key actors on North Korea, at the G-8 summit.
Washington has been debating its approach to North Korea, including how to balance peace talks with punitive measures.
Officials and experts say the United States and its allies could have a major impact on North Korean leaders by cutting off the exports of missiles, illegal drugs and counterfeit bills that provide the hard currency that keeps them afloat.
Washington is still debating the exact shape of what one official called a "counter-proliferation action plan."
Ideas include persuading countries not to allow trade with North Korea in missiles, illegal drugs and counterfeit money and "making it clear that shipments are at risk" and might be interdicted if trade is discovered, officials said.
Some tricky legal issues are unresolved "and there are a lot of practical difficulties," said another senior official.
Drug trafficking and counterfeiting are criminal activities that merit a crackdown but "missile sales, as horrible as they are, aren't violating any law or any agreement," he said.
Australia showed support for a tougher approach last month when it seized a shipment of 110 pounds of heroin, the proceeds of which were believed destined for Pyongyang.
U.S. officials said they believe Japan, which has moved to halt the flow of illegal gambling revenue to the North, supports the U.S. position. But South Korea, worried about the North's possible implosion, is unsure.
The nuclear crisis erupted last October, when Washington said North Korea admitted to a covert program to make highly enriched uranium for nuclear arms in addition to a plutonium program frozen under a 1994 pact with the United States.
U.S. officials said that during talks in Beijing last month North Korea went further, admitting it has nuclear weapons and implying it might test and export these arms and build more.
America (and maybe China) could move against N. Korean business outfits and bank accounts in overseas financial institutions. S. Korea could drastically cut down on economic aids to N. Korea.
All these on top of the direct interdiction of drugs, couterfeit currencies, and missiles (or their parts). N. Korea would run out of hard currency pretty fast if this is implemented.
Which countries currently allow that?
Defund North Korea---relegalize drugs!
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