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| US condemns NKorea nuke test, calls for UNSC action | | |
Washington, Oct 9
Terming the North Korean nuclear test as a "provocative act" in defiance of the will of the international community, the US today asked the United Nations Security Council to take "immediate actions" to respond to this.
"North Korea has claimed it conducted an underground nuclear test. A North Korean nuclear test would constitute a provocative act, in defiance of the will of the international community and of our call to refrain from actions that would aggravate tensions in northeast Asia," White House spokesman Tony Snow said in a statement.
"We expect the (UN) Security Council to take immediate actions to respond to this unprovoked act," he said.
Snow maintained that Washington is "closely monitoring" the situation and was committed to protect and defend its allies in the region.
President George W Bush was informed of the development shortly before 10pm last night.
Earlier, a seismic event was detected by American and South Korean intelligence and other facilities at a suspected North Korean site.
US Geological Survey also detected a seismic event in North Korea measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale calling it a "shallow event" or very close to the surface of the earth.
An unnamed official said the seismic event could be a nuclear explosion but that the small size was making it difficult to make the right assessment.
Some analysts meanwhile said the test appeared to be "more of a fizzle than a pop". PTI
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