U.S. worried about regional arms race due to N. Korea: Clinton

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more comments)
By Lee Chi-dong
PHUKET, Thailand, July 23 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
criticized Thursday what she called North Korea's anachronistic claim aimed at
justifying its nuclear ambitions, saying the communist nation has no place to go
and no friends left.

"I think they are living in a sort of time period that doesn't reflect today's
realities," the secretary said at a press conference after a session of the ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF) on this Thai resort island.
North Korean delegates claimed Pyongyang has been subjected to threats by U.S.
nuclear weapons deployed in South Korea, a false charge since all tactical U.S.
nuclear weapons were removed from the peninsula in the early 1990s, Clinton said.
"Unfortunately, the North Korean delegation offered only an insistent refusal to
recognize that North Korea has been on the wrong course," she said.
She added the U.S. is "very open to a positive relation with North Korea" on the
condition that it is denuclearized. "But we are not interested in half measures,"
she said.
The U.S. diplomat also expressed worries about a possible regional arms race
because of North Korea.
"North Korea's continued pursuit of its nuclear ambitions is sure to elevate
tensions on the Korean Peninsula and could provoke an arms race in the region,"
she said. "This would serve no nation's interests."
Clinton reaffirmed that Washington is ready to provide defensive measures for its
regional allies such as South Korea and Japan.
She said nations were unified in enforcing the U.N. sanctions resolution adopted
after the North's nuclear test.
"There is no place to go for North Korea. They have no friends left that will
protect them from the international community's efforts to move towards
denuclearization," she said.
But she also held out an olive branch, detailing a "comprehensive package" of
incentives available should Pyongyang choose the right path.
"We and our partners have a more ambitious agenda for any future talks. Such
talks must lead to irreversible steps by North Korea to denuclearize," she said.
"This, in turn, would lead us and our partners to reciprocate in a comprehensive
and coordinated manner. Full normalization of relations, a permanent peace
regime, and significant energy and economic assistance are all possible in the
context of full and verifiable denuclearization."
Clinton also noted Myanmar's unprecedented cooperation in punishing the North.
"We were grateful for Burma (Myanmar)'s statement announcing its intention to
adhere to the U.N. resolution," she said.
"At the same time, we know that there has been cooperation North Korea and Burma
in the past, and we are going to be vigilant to make sure that doesn't occur in
the future."
A North Korean cargo ship, believed to have been headed to Myanmar carrying
weapons material earlier this month, turned back and returned home after a
pursuit by U.S. Navy vessels.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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