Suchergebnisse

ON JULY 19, 1993, IRAQ INFORMED THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION THAT IT WAS READY TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISION OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 715 REQUIRING LONG-TERM MONITORING OF IRAQI WEAPONS PROGRAMS. THE MONITORING PLAN IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT IRAQ FROM DEVELOPING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND BALLISTIC MISSILES WITH RANGES OVER 150 KILOMETERS.

ON MARCH 12, 1993, NORTH KOREA ANNOUNCED THAT IT INTENDS TO WITHDRAW FROM THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY. PYONGYANG'S DECISION IS WIDELY VIEWED AS HAVING POTENTIALLY SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR EAST ASIAN SECURITY AND FOR THE GLOBAL NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME.

AT THE INSISTENCE OF THE UNITED STATES, ISRAEL WILL END CONTACTS WITH NORTH KOREA THAT WERE OSTENSIBLY DESIGNED TO STOP PYONGYANG FROM SELLING INTERMEDIATE-RANGE MISSILES TO MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES. AMERICAN OFFICIALS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE ISRAELI-NORTH KOREAN CONTACTS MIGHT COMPLICATE U.S. EFFORTS TO ISOLATE NORTH KOREA AND CONVINCE PYONGYANG TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY SPECIAL INSPECTIONS.

ON JUNE 11, 1993, NORTH KOREA ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD SUSPEND ITS DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS CONTAINED IN A JOINT U.S.-NORTH KOREAN STATEMENT. BOTH SIDES EXPRESSED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE "IMPARTIAL APPLICATION" OF FULL-SCOPE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) SAFEGUARDS, ALTHOUGH NORTH KOREA DID NOT AGREE TO ACCEPT SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AT TWO SUSPECTED NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE SITES. WITH THE ISSUE OF IAEA SPECIAL INSPECTIONS STILL UNRESOLVED, QUESTIONS REGARDING NORTH KOREA'S TRUE NUCLEAR INTENTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED.

IN AN EFFORT TO ENFORCE CONDITIONS IMPOSED AFTER THE GULF WAR, U.S.-LED COALITION FORCES BOMBED IRAQI AIR DEFENSE MISSILE, RADAR, AND COMMUNICATION SITES AND NUCLEAR-RELATED FACILITIES IN JANUARY 1993. U.S. PLANES ALSO ATTACKED INDIVIDUAL AIR DEFENSE SITES IN THE NORTHERN AIR EXCLUSION, OR NO FLY ZONE. SADDAM HUSSEIN FORCED THE CONFRONTATIONS WITH ALLIED FORCES IN WHAT MANY EXPERTS VIEW AS A CHALLENGE TO INCOMING PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND A FINAL SNUB TO OUTGOING PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH.

ON FEBRUARY 15, 1993, NORTH KOREA REFUSED AN INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL INSPECTION OF TWO SUSPECTED NUCLEAR-RELATED FACILITIES. IN RESPONSE, THE IAEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS CALLED UPON PYONGYANG TO PERMIT THE INSPECTION AND SET MARCH 25 AS THE DEADLINE FOR DOING SO. NORTH KOREA'S REFUSAL VIOLATES THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY AND RENEWS INTERNATIONAL FEAR THAT IT IS PURSUING A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM.

ARGENTINA HAS TURNED OVER TO U.S. OFFICIALS FOR DESTRUCTION MOST, IF NOT ALL, REMAINING COMPONENTS FROM ITS CONDOR II MISSILE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. IN A DECISION VIEWED AS A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO ARGENTINA'S WILLINGNESS TO ABANDON THE CONDOR PROGRAM, THE MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR) VOTED TO APPROVE THE COUNTRY'S APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION.

RECENT ACTIVITIES IN CONGRESS INDICATE CONFLICTING VIEWS ON THE U.S. ROLE IN THE PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. ON MAY 28, 1993, SENATOR JOHN GLENN INTRODUCED TWO BILLS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHENED U.S. NONPROLIFERATION POLICY. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND COMPUTER INDUSTRIES APPEARED BEFORE A CONGRESSIONAL SUBCOMMITTEE TO URGE THAT EXPORT CONTROLS BE REDUCED ON PRODUCTS THAT ARE NOW CONTROLLED TO PREVENT THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS.

ON MAY 11, 1993, THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION 825, CALLING ON NORTH KOREA TO HONOR ITS TREATY OBLIGATIONS AND RECONSIDER ITS DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY. THE RESOLUTION WAS APPROVED 13-0, WITH CHINA AND PAKISTAN ABSTAINING.

AFTER FIVE DAYS OF TALKS WITH U.S. DIPLOMATS, NORTH KOREA AGREED TO BEGIN BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) ON UNRESOLVED SAFEGUARDS ISSUES. NORTH KOREA ALSO AGREED TO RESUME DISCUSSIONS WITH SOUTH KOREA ON IMPLEMENTING A NORTH-SOUTH TREATY TO DENUCLEARIZE THE KOREAN PENINSULA. HOWEVER, THE U.S.-NORTH KOREAN TALKS DID NOT END PYONGYANG'S REFUSAL TO ALLOW IAEA INSPECTION OF TWO SUSPECTED NUCLEAR WASTE SITES AT THE YONGBYON NUCLEAR COMPLEX.