UNSC/DPRK: COUNCIL MEMBERS CONDEMN TEST, PREPARE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001932

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2016
TAGS: PREL KNNP PARM UNSC KN
SUBJECT: UNSC/DPRK: COUNCIL MEMBERS CONDEMN TEST, PREPARE
TO DISCUSS DRAFT RESOLUTION

REF: A. STATE 169266


B. STATE 168337

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton, Permanent Representative,
for reasons 1.4 b,d.


1. (C) Summary. The Security Council met on the morning of
October 9 to discuss the DPRK's announced test of a nuclear
weapon. It took less than thirty minutes for each of the
Council's fifteen members to condemn, without reservation,
the DPRK's actions. Ambassador Bolton introduced elements of
a potential Chapter VII Resolution and called for Council
experts to meet the same day to discuss. The majority of
Council members endorsed the idea of a resolution, with a
number explicitly calling for action under Chapter VII. The
Russians and Chinese, while condemning the DPRK's actions,
were not explicit in how they would like to see the Council
respond. End Summary.

U.S. says Chapter VII response needed
--------------


2. (C) The Security Council discussed the DPRK's announced
test of a nuclear weapon in closed consultations on the
morning of Monday, October 9. Ambassador Bolton said that
the DPRK had apparently tested a nuclear weapon in "open
defiance" of the Council's unanimous adoption of a
Presidential Statement on October 6. He noted that President
Bush had just delivered a public statement condemning the
DPRK's actions, and he circulated to Council members the text
of the President's statement. Bolton argued that the Council
needed to react "swiftly and strongly" to this "highly
provocative act" through the adoption of a resolution under
Chapter VII of the UN Charter.


3. (C) Ambassador Bolton suggested that Council experts
convene later in the day to discuss the text of a resolution,
noting that the U.S. had shared the elements of a possible
resolution with each Security Council member in capitals last
week (reftels). In order to facilitate swift action by the
Council, Ambassador Bolton read through the proposed elements
again.


4. (C) Before closing, Ambassador Bolton noted to the Council
that the United States is a treaty ally of South Korea and
Japan, and would therefore consider an attack on either of
our allies "as if it were an attack on the U.S."

Other P5 Comments
--------------


5. (C) Chinese PR Wang said that China was "firmly opposed"
to the DPRK's nuclear test, calling it a "serious incident."
He called for a "firm, constructive, but prudent" reaction
from the Council. China would, he said, continue to work for
a peaceful solution to the DPRK's nuclear program by all
diplomatic means.


6. (C) UK PR Jones Parry called for a "robust, firm" Council
response: "Chapter VII is in order." The Council, through
the Presidential Statement issued on Friday, had already made
clear that a nuclear test would constitute a threat to
international peace and security. The Council's response, he
said, should be also support a process to address the DPRK's
nuclear program, in particular the Six Party Talks.


7. (C) French PR de La Sabliere called on the Security
Council to meet its responsibilities and work quickly on a
strong resolution. He expressed readiness to work on the
basis of the proposals put forward by Ambassador Bolton,
working under Chapter VII in order to "build on Resolution
1695." De La Sabliere also stressed the importance of the
resumption of the Six Party Talks.


8. (C) Russian PR Churkin said that Russian "national
technical means" had detected an underground nuclear test in
North Korea of between five and fifteen kilotons. He
stressed the importance of the DPRK returning to the NPT and
said that the Council needed to act "with cool heads."
Russia, he said, was prepared to engage in the Council on the
proper response.

E-10 offers strong condemnation
--------------


9. (C) Each of the ten elected members of the Council
explicitly condemned the DPRK's actions and called for the
Council to respond. Denmark, Argentina, Slovakia, Japan, and
Tanzania each explicitly welcomed the elements proposed by
Ambassador Bolton. Argentina noted that the DPRK's actions
presented a threat not only to neighboring states, but also
to the entire international community.


10. (C) Japanese PR Oshima said that it was a "sad fact" that
the DPRK's test has forced the world into "a more dangerous
nuclear age." The DPRK's ballistic missile capabilities, he
said, combined with their nuclear program have "dramatically
changed the security environment" in North-East Asia. And,
he warned, this "new nuclear age" in the region threatened to
spread to other parts of the world if the Security Council
did not act resolutely to address the DPRK's actions.


BOLTON