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WASHINGTON -- The New York Times reported Monday that the U.S. government considered submitting a UN resolution "empowering all nations to intercept shipments in or out of the country that may contain nuclear materials or components." The paper said the plan was aimed at North Korea, and would allow the U.S. and other nations to intercept nuclear shipments in the waters off the Korean Peninsula and force down aircraft for inspection.
The paper cited unnamed officials as saying a plan along these lines, which would amount to a quarantine of the Stalinist country, was being pushed by the Defense Department and Vice President Dick Cheney's staff and attracting interest from hawkish figures in the administration.
Some officials said any such plan would be loosely modeled on measures taken by former president John F. Kennedy against Cuba. But the NYT said the main purpose according to officials was to give China the political means to police its border with North Korea, which is a route for shipments of weapons, drugs and counterfeit money, Pyongyang¡¯s main sources of foreign exchange.
The paper said it was unclear whether China or South Korea would support the plan, and all efforts would fail if China was ¡°not a full partner.¡±
(Heo Yong-beom, heo@chosun.com )
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