Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




NUKEWARS
Obama warns North Korea on proliferation
by Staff Writers
Canberra, Australia (AFP) Nov 17, 2011


President Barack Obama said Thursday that the United States would take firm action to prevent North Korea proliferating nuclear material to other states or terror groups.

"The transfer of nuclear materials or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States and our allies," Obama said in a speech to the Australian parliament.

"We would hold North Korea fully accountable for the consequences of such action."

The US leader said his country would "act firmly" against any proliferation activities by North Korea and vowed that Washington's commitment to neighbouring South Korea would "never waver".

The US sees Pyongyang's uranium enrichment programme, revealed last November, as a grave threat and has repeatedly urged the communist state to take "concrete steps" towards denuclearisation before six-nation disarmament talks can resume.

Officials expressed concern this week about a new domestically built light-water reactor which is soon due to start operating, saying it was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and 2005 commitments by the North.

Talks between the US, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas opened in 2003 and resulted in a 2005 agreement, but have stalled since December 2008.

The North quit the six-party talks in April 2009, a month before staging its second atomic test. It has since made numerous overtures about returning to the negotiating table but insists there be no preconditions.

Washington and its allies say talks cannot resume without concrete actions including the cessation of weapons development and testing, ending enrichment activity and re-admitting UN nuclear inspectors.

Obama said the US would maintain a strong presence on the Korean peninsula and China had already shown it could be a valuable "partner" in preventing proliferation and reducing tensions in the region.

"We'll seek more opportunities for cooperation with Beijing," he added.

Washington and Seoul vowed last month to raise combat-readiness against North Korean attacks after two deadly incidents last year, with South Korea warning further provocation was likely as the regime grapples with succession.

Inter-Korean ties have been tense since the South accused its neighbour of torpedoing a South Korean warship in March 2010 near the Yellow Sea border with the loss of 46 lives.

The North denied sinking the ship but shelled a border island last November, killing four South Koreans including civilians.

Seoul believes there is a "high" probability of North Korean provocation next year due to the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Kim Il-Sung and ongoing plans for who will succeed his son, Kim Jong-Il, as leader.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said there would be no reduction in the 28,500 troop commitment to South Korea despite Pentagon spending cuts, warning that "North Korean aggression or provocation is not to be tolerated".

.


Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








NUKEWARS
Photos show N.Korea progress on new reactor
Seoul (AFP) Nov 16, 2011
North Korea has made significant progress in building a new nuclear reactor but it is unlikely to become operational for two to three years, according to a website which published satellite photos. Pyongyang's official news agency said last week the light-water reactor at the Yongbyon complex would start operating soon but gave no date. The North says the experimental reactor and an asso ... read more


NUKEWARS
Mystery of the Lunar Ionosphere

Ancient Lunar Dynamo May Explain Magnetized Moon Rocks

Ancient Lunar Dynamo May Explain Magnetized Moon Rocks

Lunar Probe to search for water on Moon

NUKEWARS
'Frustration' in Europe over joint Mars probe: NASA

NASA readies launch of 'dream machine' to Mars

Contact with Russian Mars probe 'unlikely' - expert

Mars explorers will include women, experts say

NUKEWARS
Allianz and International Space Transport Association partner in space tourism industry

US honors astronauts for pioneering space flights

Raytheon and Petrofac Partner to Provide Water Survival Training at NASA

Voyager 2 Completes Switch to Backup Thruster Set

NUKEWARS
New advance in space, new start for China

Why China in space is a blessing to the world

China completes second space docking

China sets up management body for orbiting space lab

NUKEWARS
Soyuz Docks At ISS, Hatch Opened

Soyuz TMA-22 manned transportation spacecraft launched towards ISS

New Crew Launches to Join Expedition 29

Russia sends astronauts back to space after mishaps

NUKEWARS
First Vega launch campaign aims for January liftoff

Air Force Opens Door to Rocket Launch Competition

International Launch Services and Eutelsat Announce Launch of the W3D Satellite in 2013

ILS and Eutelsat Announce Launch of the W3D Satellite in 2013

NUKEWARS
Giant planet ejected from the solar system

Three New Planets and a Mystery Object Discovered Outside Our Solar System

Dwarf planet sized up accurately as it blocks light of faint star

Herschel Finds Oceans of Water in Disk of Nearby Star

NUKEWARS
Samsung to release modified tablet in Germany

Rare earth metal shortages could hamper deployment of low-carbon energy technologies

Hungary likely source of elevated radioactivity levels: IAEA

Hewlett-Packard unveils its first "ultrabook" laptop




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement