US, China, S Korea urge nations to lock down nukes

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and China issued stark warnings Tuesday about the threat of nuclear terrorism during the final day of a nuclear summit that has so far been upstaged by North Korea’s long-range rocket launch plans. Nearly 60 leaders have gathered for the two-day conference meant to find ways to keep terrorists from detonating an atomic weapon in a major city. The leaders were to release a communique Tuesday about their efforts to lock down the world’s supply of nuclear material by 2014. Much of the drama, however, has centreed on North Korea’s stated plans to launch a satellite on a long-range rocket around the April 15 celebration of the birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday pressured China, Pyongyang’s main ally and economic supporter, to use its leverage to persuade the North to back away from the launch. Although North Korea wasn’t mentioned in opening summit comments Tuesday by China, the US and South Korea, the launch was still a major point of discussion in leaders’ meetings on the sidelines. Lee and Italian Premier Mario Monti met Tuesday and urged North Korea to cancel its launch plans, Lee’s office said. In his opening comments, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for the creation of ‘an international environment conducive to boosting nuclear security.’ ‘We should commit to eliminating nuclear proliferation and the roots of nuclear terrorism,’ Hu said. Obama urged leaders to secure nuclear material to prevent terrorists from killing hundreds of thousands of people. Lee said nuclear proliferation and terrorism ‘are becoming grave threats’ to international peace. ‘There is no border in terrorism,’ he said. North Korea’s surprise announcement 11 days ago of a rocket launch came shortly after Pyongyang and Washington settled an aid-for-nuclear-freeze deal that had been seen as a breakthrough. Washington warns that the launch would jeopardize that deal. The impoverished North has a history of angling for food, oil and other concessions in exchange for disarmament pledges and has previously created crises during diplomatic talks in what negotiators see as attempts to secure more aid.