Nuclear North Korea

Gates draws the line on North Korea's nuclear program: No proliferation L.A. Times — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates promised today to hold North Korea accountable for selling or transferring nuclear material outside its borders, providing the first clear expression of the Obama administration's thinking on a vexing foreign policy challenge. A succession of U.S. presidents have tried to persuade the reclusive government to give up its nuclear arms, and Gates made it clear that President Obama was open to using diplomacy to end the threat. click to read complete article

Gates: China, U.S. need to cooperate wherever possible Xinhua — It is essential for the United States and China to find opportunities to cooperate in every possible area, including maintaining a defense relationship, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said here on Saturday. Speaking at the 2009 Asian security summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, Gates said that the United States is working with China on common challenges, from economic matters to security issues such as regional areas of tension, counter terrorism, non-proliferation, energy security, piracy and disaster relief. click to read complete article

Are British expats in Korea anxious? BBC — North Korea's decision to stage a nuclear test in direct contravention of an international ban has been widely condemned and led to fears of conflict in south-east Asia. But are Britons living in the region fearful? If the Scottish government was to begin assembling a nuclear arsenal and make threatening noises towards its neighbours, you might expect mass panic across the rest of the UK. click to read complete article