*EPF402 10/02/2003
White House Sees "Threats, Bluster" in North Korea Statement
(White House Report, October 2: North Korea, Nominations) (680)

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters October 1 that the White House had no information to confirm reported statements by North Korea that it is using plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel rods to make atomic weapons.

Noting that Pyongyang has previously made statements about developing nuclear weapons, McClellan said "North Korea needs to recognize that all they're doing with these kinds of threats and bluster is isolating themselves."

He said "many countries, the United States at the forefront, have expressed concern about the reprocessing of spent fuel rods" and such reprocessing "would be a clear indication, that they [North Korea]are intent on enlarging their nuclear arsenal" because "there is no legitimate use for plutonium harvested during this procedure."

Referring to six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program between Pyongyang and China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States, McClellan said, "North Korea has received the message from all these nations that they need to end the nuclear weapons program in a verifiable and irreversible way."

The "proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a very serious matter," the spokesman said, and that is why President Bush "is moving forward on that front with his Proliferation Security Initiative and working with the international community" to combat proliferation.

WHITE HOUSE SENDS NOMINATIONS TO SENATE

President Bush sent the following nominations to the Senate October 1 for confirmation:

-- Mary Kramer, of Iowa, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Barbados, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

-- Charlotte A. Lane, of West Virginia, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for a term expiring December 16, 2009, vice Dennis M. Devaney, to which position she was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- Daniel Pearson, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for the term expiring June 16, 2011, vice Lynn M. Bragg, term expired, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- A. Paul Anderson, of Florida, to be a Federal Maritime Commissioner for the term expiring June 30, 2007, vice Delmond J. H. Won, term expired, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- Daniel Pipes, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term expiring January 19, 2005, vice Zalmay Khalizad, term expired, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- John Paul Woodley, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, vice Michael Parker, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- Jose A. Fourquet, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2004, vice Mark L. Schneider, term expired, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- Adolfo A. Franco, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2008, vice Jeffrey Davidow, resigned, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- Roger Francisco Noriega, of Kansas, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2006, vice Harriett C. Babbitt, term expired, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

-- Ephraim Batambuze, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term expiring February 9, 2008, vice Henry McKoy, term expired, to which position he was appointed during the last recess of the Senate.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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