WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration signaled Sunday that it was seeking a way to interdict, possibly with China's help, North Korean sea and air shipments suspected of carrying weapons or nuclear technology. The administration also said it was examining whether there was a legal basis to reverse former President George W. Bush's decision last year to remove the North from a list of states that sponsor terrorism. The reference to interdictions -- preferably at ports or airfields in countries like China, but possibly involving riskier confrontations on the high seas -- was made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was the highest-ranking official to talk publicly about such a potentially provocative step as a response to North Korea's second nuclear test, conducted two weeks ago. While Mrs. Clinton did not specifically mention assistance from China, other administration officials have been pressing Beijing to take such action under Chinese law.
The administration also said it was examining whether there was a legal basis to reverse former President George W. Bush's decision last year to remove the North from a list of states that sponsor terrorism.
The reference to interdictions -- preferably at ports or airfields in countries like China, but possibly involving riskier confrontations on the high seas -- was made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was the highest-ranking official to talk publicly about such a potentially provocative step as a response to North Korea's second nuclear test, conducted two weeks ago.
While Mrs. Clinton did not specifically mention assistance from China, other administration officials have been pressing Beijing to take such action under Chinese law.
A court in North Korea has sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of hard labour, adding to the pressure on the US Government to respond to weeks of unanswered provocation by the isolated dictatorship. A terse report on North Korea's state news agency today announced the outcome of the closed trial of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were arrested in March close to the border with China. "The trial confirmed the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing," it said, ". . . and sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labour." Before the announcement of the verdict, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, suggested that Washington might once again designate North Korea officially as a sponsor of terrorism. "We are deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release," the White House said in a statement. Two months after a long-range rocket test, and two weeks after Pyongyang's second nuclear test, both the US Government and the international community are struggling to formulate a meaningful response.
A court in North Korea has sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of hard labour, adding to the pressure on the US Government to respond to weeks of unanswered provocation by the isolated dictatorship.
A terse report on North Korea's state news agency today announced the outcome of the closed trial of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were arrested in March close to the border with China. "The trial confirmed the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing," it said, ". . . and sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labour."
Before the announcement of the verdict, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, suggested that Washington might once again designate North Korea officially as a sponsor of terrorism. "We are deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release," the White House said in a statement.
Two months after a long-range rocket test, and two weeks after Pyongyang's second nuclear test, both the US Government and the international community are struggling to formulate a meaningful response.
