Rice urges crackdown on 'weapons proliferators'

Who is going to crack down on the biggest 'weapons proliferators' in the World today, America I ask?

Weapons Sales At Highest Level Since 2000, U.S. Biggest Seller And ...

Weapons Sales At Highest Level Since 2000, U.S. Biggest Seller And China Is ... Makes you wonder how many weapons American arms dealers are selling to the ....

U.S. Arms Sales around the World

Correspondents in Hanoi
November 16, 2006

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today urged Asia-Pacific nations to crack down on illicit financial activities by "weapons proliferators", in an indirect reference to North Korea.

"Confronting the threats posed by terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, natural disaster and pandemic disease is inextricably tied to the prosperity of the region," Dr Rice told APEC ministers meeting in Hanoi.

"We also hope that APEC members will take all necessary actions to prevent the abuse of their financial systems by weapons proliferators."

North Korea's nuclear ambition, put on display last month when Pyongyang carried out its first atomic bomb test, is one of the key issues on the agenda at this week's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering.

The US is one of five nations involved in disarmament talks with North Korea. A breakthrough came in September last year, when Pyongyang agreed to scrap its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.

But the North walked out of the talks a year ago after Washington effectively froze $US24 million ($A31.44 million) in North Korean funds by blacklisting a bank in Macau.

The US said the funds were the suspected proceeds of counterfeiting US dollar "supernotes" and other illicit activities by the regime of Kim Jong-il.

North Korea boycotted the six-party talks for a year in protest at Washington's freeze and a larger crackdown on accounts elsewhere in Asia.

The APEC meeting comes two weeks after North Korea agreed in secret negotiations in Beijing to return to the six-nation talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the US.

Dr Rice today held a breakfast meeting with foreign ministers, including Australia's Alexander Downer, which was dominated by the crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons test.

Following the meeting, Dr Rice said regional security and bird flu were "inextricably tied" to prosperity and growth.

Dr Rice arrived in Hanoi overnight, a day ahead of President George W. Bush who landed earlier today in Singapore on the first leg of his week-long Asia tour.

Prime Minister John Howard, China's Hu Jintao, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Japan's Shinzo Abe are also flying in for the weekend summit, the biggest diplomatic event in Vietnam's history.

Dr Rice noted the extension for another two years of an APEC counter-terrorism task force designed to study bioterrorism, aviation and port security and ways to counter the financing of terrorism.

On bird flu, Dr Rice said the virus still posed a "serious threat" to the region and, in what was seen as a veiled reference to China, said it was "important for members to report outbreaks and to share biological samples in a timely and transparent manner".

China has been criticised for delays in reporting outbreaks of the virus, which has so far killed over 150 people worldwide and which scientists fear could trigger a deadly pandemic among humans.

An international research team has identified genetic mutations in the H5N1 birdflu virus enabling it to infect human cells, the latest edition of the science journal Nature has reported.

AFP