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North Korea: Sanctions "A Declaration Of War"
US spooks claim NK is preparing a second test
Pyongyang says that the United Nations sanctions agreed last week to punish the North Korean regime for testing a nuclear bomb amount to "a declaration of war."
"It cannot be construed otherwise (...° because it was based on the scenario of the U.S. keen to destroy the socialist system," said North Korea's foreign minister in an interview carried on the state's official propaganda broadcaster. For its part, Pyongyang "wants peace but is not afraid of war."
Also today, US authorities claim to have detected activity around another NK nuke site similar to that which preceded October 9th's bomb test. According to CNN, this activity includes building and moving structures around, possibly to disguise preparations to detonate another bomb.
The new report comes as the US confirmed the detonation earlier this month as a nuclear test, following an examination of radioactivity in the air.
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said a second test would be regarded as "very belligerent".
China has stepped up its policing of North Korea: CNN also reports that China is stopping and searching lorries crossing the border into the Stalinist kingdom, and that Beijing has confirmed it will assist in policing other shipments coming out of the country. It was believed that China would not agree to close inspections - however, a Chinese official quoted by the network says that inspections are not the same as "interception and interdiction."
