[nieuws] 'N KOREA WILL USE NUKES'

[Caspar]

North Korea has at least 100 nuclear missiles aimed at the United States and will use them if new economic sanctions are imposed against it, a spokesman claims.

Kim Myong Chol, who styles himself executive director of the Centre for Korea-American Peace said: "It's quite obvious North Korea may have minimum 100 nuclear warheads, maximum 300.

"They all lock onto American cities."

Kim, who goes under the title "unofficial spokesman for North Korea", was speaking in a recorded interview on Australia's Channel Nine Network.

He claimed the weapons had been made before Pyongyang's non-proliferation agreement with the adminstration of former US president Bill Clinton in 1994.

'Economic sanctions'

Kim added that the nuclear technology used to produce the missiles had been tested in Pakistan, a claim which Islamabad has denied.

They did not therefore breach international agreements, he maintained.

Kim was asked if North Korea intended to use the weapons if the US did not give in to its diplomatic and economic demands.

"If the US attacks North Korea, North Korea will definitely use those nuclear weapons against the US mainland," he replied.

"North Korea will use those nuclear weapons against the US mainland if America imposes additional economic sanctions on North Korea."

Pure Heroin

He also rejected a charge by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer last week that an official of North Korea's ruling political party was aboard a North Korean ship accused of smuggling heroin to Australia.

The freighter, Pong Su, was boarded and seized by Australian special forces troops on April 20 after a chase that began when it allegedly unloaded the drugs off southeastern Australia five days earlier.

Some 26 North Korean crew remain in custody, charged with helping to import 110 pounds of pure heroin into Australia.

"I'm afraid the Australian Foreign Minister is entirely wrong," Kim said.

Last Updated: 07:15 UK, Sunday May 04, 2003

Bron: www.sky.com/skynews/