United States and 10 other countries agree on weapons interdict

PARIS -- The United States and 10 other countries struck an accord Thursday outlining steps for uncovering shipments of weapons of mass destruction, including boarding ships, forcing suspected planes to land and inspecting cargoes.

The agreement, which came at the end of a two-day meeting in Paris, laid out guidelines for increasing cooperation on detecting transfers of weapons, delivery systems and related materials.

A part of the U.S. government's Proliferation Security Initiative, the pact called for changing national and international laws to strengthen interdiction efforts and share intelligence on weapons movements.

John Bolton, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control, said Washington was especially interested in winning Chinese and Russian participation. The two countries are not among the 11 members of the accord.

Bolton, in Paris for the meeting and for talks with French officials, said the aim was to stop shipments and to create a deterrent for states or groups considering such shipments.

"While interdiction actions are already a reality, efforts to enhance our collective capabilities for action are essential," Bolton told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.

In addition to the United States, the members are Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Britain.

The members will also conduct a series of 10 exercises to prepare for interdictions on sea, land and air, beginning Sept. 13 to 14 in the Coral Sea off Australia's northeast coast.

Bolton said the fruits of such cooperation were apparent in Taiwan's interception in August of a North Korean-registered vessel and seizure of 158 barrels of phosphorous pentafulfide, which U.S. officials said is a chemical weapons precursor. The seizure was carried out on the basis of U.S. intelligence.

The upcoming training sessions are "a very clear demonstration that what we're involved in here is not a diplomatic exercise," Bolton said.

In a statement, the French government said the agreement was part of the "overall effort in support of nonproliferation, which is a pillar of collective security."

"It can also help to reduce the risk of WMD falling into the hands of terrorists," the statement said.

Bolton rebuffed concerns the program could give the United States and other countries too much power to stop ships in international waters.

There is "abundant authority" under existing law to conduct interdictions, most of which take place in countries' territorial waters anyway, he said. In cases where the legal cover is not clear, members would attempt to strengthen the laws.

Bolton also said the effort was not aimed at any one nation, but he acknowledged North Korea's nuclear weapons program was a top concern.

Beijing last week hosted six-nation talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up its programs. North Korea, however, is demanding a nonaggression pact with the United States as a condition for giving up its nuclear ambitions, a step Washington has refused to take.

Bolton said he was not disappointed by the lack of progress in the initial round, saying the Bush administration is committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to the standoff with Pyongyang.

"Nobody believed there would be substantial breakthroughs in the first round," he said.