The world should not recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapons state as it desires, but should be stripped of its nuclear capabilities, Ambassador Joseph DeTrani tells
Newsmax TV.
North Korea's
claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb is just the latest effort in its quest to be seen by the world as a nuclear weapons state, DeTrani, a former special envoy for Six-Party Talks with North Korea, told "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth on Wednesday.
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"It goes way back to the beginning of negotiations starting in 1994 with the Agreed Framework," he said. "They have pursued a nuclear weapons capability for over 25 years and they continue to pursue that."
North Korea wants a seat at the table and to be treated as other nuclear weapons states are treated.
"North Korea should never be accepted, recognized as nuclear weapons state," DeTrani said. "It's not a question of arms control, it's a question of denuclearization for the obvious reason."
Iran and North Korea continue to have a close political and military-to-military relationship, he added.
"The missile technology that went from North Korea to Iran was extensive and continues," he said. "What we have not seen is cooperation in the nuclear arena. That's the one piece, but that element of cooperation between Iran and North Korea is very tight."
Western officials are skeptical of North Korea's claim they actually tested a hydrogen device, but DeTrani said if the claim turns out to be true it represents a "very significant development."
"It's telling us that North Korea's pursuing with great vigor and whatever resources they can get their nuclear weapons program," he said. "If this indeed was a hydrogen test, it's telling us that North Korea has nuclear capabilities that we did not expect them to have for at least another generation."
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