HILLARY CLINTON yesterday raised the stakes in the confrontation with North Korea over the sinking of a South Korean warship, warning that Pyongyang would face international consequences for torpedoing the vessel.
Speaking to reporters during a brief visit to Tokyo, the US secretary of state refused to specify what action was being considered in response to the attack on March 26th, which killed 46 sailors, but said the world would not revert to “business as usual” in dealing with North Korea.
"The evidence is overwhelming and condemning," she said during a joint press conference with the Japanese foreign minister, Katsuya Okada. "The torpedo that sunk the Cheonanwas fired by a North Korean submarine.
“We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community. This will not be and cannot be business as usual. There must be an international, not just a regional, but an international response.”
Mrs Clinton was in Japan for a few hours at the start of a five-day visit to Asia that will take in China and South Korea.
The White House has said it would prefer South Korea to take the initiative in deciding a response to the Cheonansinking.
South Korea’s president, Lee Myung-bak, yesterday sounded a more cautious note in a statement released before he addressed an emergency meeting of the national security council.
Seoul yesterday promised resolute measures against Pyongyang, but is wary of escalating the situation. “Since this case is very serious and has grave importance, we cannot afford to have the slightest mistake, and will be very prudent in all response measures we take,” Lee said.
South Korean investigators, working with experts from several other countries, said there was overwhelming evidence that a torpedo fired from one of the North's submarines caused the blast that destroyed the Cheonan.
North Korea denies any involvement in the March disaster. It repeated its warnings of war, and said it was prepared to tear up all agreements with its neighbour. – ( Guardianservice)