Bush warns North Korea against nuclear proliferation
US President George Bush today warned North Korea against transferring nuclear weapons or material to other countries, saying such an act would be considered a “grave threat” to the United States.
The stand-off over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme tops the agenda in most of the meetings the president will have during his eight-day, three-nation Asian trip, which kicked off with a speech in Singapore.
“The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States and we would hold North Korea fully accountable for the consequences of such action,” Bush said in the speech at the National University.
Bush also urged allies in the region to stand firm against a nuclear-armed North Korea and enforce UN sanctions against the country for test-firing a nuclear bomb last month.
“For the sake of peace, it is vital that the nations of this region send a message to North Korea that the proliferation of nuclear technology to hostile regimes or terrorist networks will not be tolerated,” he said.
With China’s influence on the rise and his own stature weakened at home after his Republican Party lost mid-term elections to anti-war, anti-free trade Democrats, Bush sought to ease any doubts in the region about Washington’s long-term commitment. He assured Asian leaders that the US engagement of Asia would not diminish.
“In this new century, America will remain engaged in Asia because our interests depend on the expansion of freedom and opportunity in this region,” the president said.
“We hear voices calling for us to retreat from the world and close our doors to these opportunities,” he said. “These are the old temptations of isolationism and protectionism and America must reject them.”
Bush said the United States would remain a reliable partner in liberalising trade, confronting North Korea’s nuclear threat and fighting terrorism, poverty and disease.
“Amid this new century we see threats like terrorism and proliferation and disease that have the potential to undermine our prosperity and put our futures in doubt,” he said.
“We must maintain our presence in the Pacific. We must seize on our common opportunities. We must be willing to confront our common threats and we must help our partners build more hopeful societies in this vital part of the world.”
