Harris condemns North Korea ICBM test, convenes sideline meeting at APEC

Naomi Lim

November 18, 01:46 AM November 18, 01:46 AM

Vice President Kamala Harris has convened a meeting of world leaders on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into Japanese waters.

Harris encouraged North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to reengage in "serious and sustained diplomacy" as part of remarks to the press Friday afternoon local time before reporters were ushered out of the room.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined Harris, according to the White House.

Harris's comments echoed White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson's condemnation of the test, in which she advised that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation.

"This launch is a brazen violation of multiple [United Nations] Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region," Watson wrote in a statement. "This action demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people."

"The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies," she added.

Friday's long-range missile, launched after an earlier short-range test, landed in the sea about 130 miles west of the Japanese island Hokkaido after traveling 621 miles at a height of 3,790 miles and a speed of Mach 22. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile could have reached the U.S.

Harris's meeting Friday was reminiscent of Biden's emergency gathering of NATO and Group of Seven counterparts this week after Poland, a NATO member, reported a Russia-made missile killed two people in its Ukrainian border town of Przewodow.

UN nuclear watchdog begins investigation of alleged ‘dirty bomb’ in Ukraine

Mike Brest

November 01, 12:06 PM November 01, 12:08 PM

The United Nations's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has begun its investigation into Russia’s allegation that Ukraine is producing a “dirty bomb” to use in the war.

Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Monday that the inspections of two sites “had begun” and “would soon complete,” according to a readout from the agency. Ukraine had requested the independent inspection following Russia’s claims of a “dirty bomb,” which was quickly repudiated by Western leaders.

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Western leaders took Russia’s accusation, which came from Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin leaders, seriously as Russia has a history of accusing its adversaries of actions or plans it is about to take itself.

Similarly, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg noted last week that “Russia often accuses others of what they intend to do themselves. We have seen this pattern before,” and he also added that “Russia must not use false pretexts for further escalation. The world is watching closely.”

A dirty bomb is a conventional bomb that includes radioactive, biological, or chemical agents that disperse upon detonation, creating a much larger impact radius.

"A dirty bomb is a bomb where you use conventional explosives to expand and scatter and to release agents which can cause more widespread and long-standing injuries beyond just the explosive blast," National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters last week. "In the case of this particular allegation, it's really about radioactive material."

The IAEA said in a statement last week that it previously did an inspection of “one of the two locations a month ago and no undeclared nuclear activities or materials were found there.”