U.S. urges DPRK to abandon nuclear weapons

Source: Xinhuanet

10-16-2006 14:39

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) must abandon its nuclear weapons or it will face even more pressure from the United States, said John Bolton, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Sunday.

If the DPRK refused to abandon its nuclear weapons program and continued on the path of building a nuclear arsenal, Washington would ratchet up the pressure to the extent that would make the country impossible to continue its nuclear program, Bolton said in an interview with the NBC.

The United States would do everything possible to ensure that the DPRK was unable to procure the "materials and technology and equipment they need to continue these programs," Bolton said.

While reaffirming the U.S. stand of resolving the DPRK nuclear issue through diplomacy, the ambassador said President George W. Bush "never takes the military option off the table."

The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Saturday on the recent nuclear test conducted by the DPRK.

The resolution, cosponsored by the United States and eight other nations, condemned the claimed nuclear test, demanded the DPRK to eliminate its nuclear weapons and nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and imposed sanctions on the DPRK government in spheres related to its nuclear, ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

Editor:Sun Luying