| North Korea became the first country to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) on Thursday, but the international community appeared no closer to agreeing a united response to the communist state's suspected nuclear weapons programme. The withdrawal, which followed a 90-day notice period since Pyongyang announced its intention to quit in January, dealt a blow to the 187-nation arms-control pact and posed a challenge to US president George W. Bush's drive to stop "rogue" states acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Washington wanted the UN Security Council to issue a statement condemning North Korea's withdrawal from the NPT, but the move was blocked by China and Russia at a Council meeting in New York on Wednesday. The disagreement dashed hopes that the Council could heal its bitter divisions over Iraq by forging a united approach towards North Korea. Beijing and Moscow, traditional allies of Pyongyang and permanent Council members, argued that a statement would increase tensions on the divided Korean peninsula rather than help solve the crisis. North Korea, named by the US alongside Iraq as part of an "axis of evil", warned in advance that it would consider Security Council action a "prelude to war". Washington attempted to play down its differences with Beijing and Moscow, insisting there was international "unanimity" behind the goal of keeping the Korean peninsula free from nuclear weapons. However, divisions within the US government about policy towards North Korea have been exposed this week by the contrasting statements of different US officials. While John Negroponte, US ambassador to the UN, said Washington sought a "peaceful and diplomatic" solution to its dispute with Pyongyang, John Bolton, under-secretary of state for arms control, urged North Korea and other countries seeking weapons of mass destruction to "draw the appropriate lesson from Iraq". Mr. Bolton's comment seemed likely to deepen North Korea's fear that it could be the next target of US military action. Earlier this week, North Korea said that Iraq's experience showed that the only way to protect against attack by the US was to develop a powerful military deterrent. "Everyone is waiting to see what conclusion North Korea draws from war in Iraq," said Paik Jin-hyun, professor of international relations at Seoul National university. "Will they decide they must accelerate their nuclear programme to make it too dangerous for the US to attack? Or will they decide it is safer to compromise with Washington?" |