UN Council still divided on North Korea

UNITED NATIONS, July 7 (Reuters) The UN Security Council on Wednesday was divided on applying sanctions to North Korea's missile programs but Japan, which is considering calling for a vote, said a decision would be made soon.

A new version of Japan's draft resolution, obtained by Reuters, rewords bans on the transfer of financial resources and materials that would help North Korea's missile programs.

But it does not drop the sanctions as Japanese media predicted Tokyo would do to get support from Russia and China, who want a council policy statement instead.

Japan's UN ambassador, Kenzo Oshima, told reporters that for Tokyo the sanctions under enforcement provisions of Chapter 7 of the UN Charters were crucial.

''China has one position. Of course we respect that but unfortunately I don't think there is any sort of a closing of gaps as far as this meeting is concerned,'' Oshima said after talks at the US Mission to the United Nations.

''Some decision will be taken by the council one way or another'' on Wednesday after further consultations, he said.

Japan may formally introduce the draft today after which members have 24 hours before Tokyo could call a vote. ''It may happen on Saturday,'' said one council envoy, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the secret negotiations.

Asked if he were happy with the draft, China's UN ambassador, Wang Guangya, told reporters ''No, No.'' ''Now there are two versions,'' he said, referring to a council statement that China wants adopted instead of a resolution.

US Ambassador John Bolton said earlier the draft resolution was backed by the other 13 council members.

Moscow and Beijing, which is North Korea's closest ally, could kill the draft by voting ''no.'' But if Russia and China, which have veto power, decide to abstain and let the measure pass, the resolution would lose much of its impact.

North Korea launched at least six missiles early on Wednesday and fired off a seventh some 12 hours later.

The missiles included a long-range Taepodong-2, which some experts had said could hit Alaska. US officials said it flew for less than a minute and fell into the sea west of Japan.

In addition to the sanctions, the Japanese draft condemns the missile launches and says North Korea should ''immediately cease the development, testing, deploying and proliferation of ballistic missiles.'' It also deplores that North Korea ''is a leading proliferator of ballistic missiles and related technology.'' ''The thrust of what we're trying to do is identify the risk posed in the region and in the wider world about a North Korea with ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads,'' Bolton said on Wednesday in reference to Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

US President George W Bush on Wednesday said he telephoned Presidents Hu Jintao of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia in an effort to persuade them to back him with a tough response to the missile tests.

But Putin warned against ''an emotional reaction'' that would jeopardize the now-stalled six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. The six nations are Russia, China, the United States, Japan, South Korea and North Korea.

The last time North Korea fired a missile, in 1998, the Security Council ended up, at China's insistence, issuing an press statement that did not chastise Pyongyang or lead to sanctions. A press statement has no official standing as compared to one the full council adopts.

REUTERS SY PM2252