Australia Will Not Overlook Sale of WMDs by the North

Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill warned Saturday after a joint marine exercise of the PSI (Proliferation Security Initiative) members - the United States, France, Australia, and Japan - kicked off, ˝(PSI members) will not overlook the sale of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by North Korea.˝

˝It sends a message to all those who may for one reason or another contemplate the transfer of weapons of mass destruction,˝ Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill said after watching the operation off the coast of north-east Queensland, Australia.

˝Because of the fact that North Korea has been a very ready marketer of its missile technologies and because it is talking about moving further down the nuclear weapons path we do have a fear that one day North Korea might get into the business of selling weapons of mass destruction,˝ Hill said. ˝We would not want to see North Korea do that.˝

˝We have a great interest in China`s participation in the PSI program,˝ Hill added. ˝China can play a critical role in removing a threat that might arise from WMDs.˝

During the exercise, a cargo ship suspected of carrying chemical materials for making WMDs was stopped and 10 Japanese Self Defense coast guardsmen slid down ropes from a helicopter to the deck of the ship to conduct an initial search.

The maneuvers were the first joint exercise of the PSI members, since it developed May this year by the United States.