U.S.
pledges 'strong response' in event of another North Korean nuclear test
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[April 18, 2016]
By Minami Funakoshi
TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States will
respond strongly in the case of a further North Korean nuclear test,
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, days after
the North's failure to launch what the United States believes was an
intermediate-range ballistic missile.
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North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and a
long-range rocket launch the next month, both in contravention of
U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Expanded U.N. sanctions aimed at starving North Korea of funds for
its nuclear weapons program were approved in a unanimous Security
Council vote in early March on a resolution drafted by the United
States and China.
Blinken, who is meeting senior Japanese government officials in
Tokyo, told reporters North Korea would be digging itself deeper
into a hole if it pursued further provocations.
"There will be additional strong response in case of another (North
Korean) nuclear test," Blinken said, adding that such actions by
North Korea were "unacceptable".
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Blinken said the United States would consider "a number of
possibilities" while adding that it was "premature" to be specific.
Some experts expect North Korea to conduct its fifth nuclear test in
the near future, possibly before its party congress in early May,
following the embarrassing missile failure on Friday.
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
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